Adeline Meinert, ISA Madrid Spring 2025
I read alot about study abroad advice before studying abroad and enjoyed hearing people’s tips and experiences. If I was to give advice to someone who was planning to study abroad, here is what I would say:
Go outside of touristy areas. As funny as it sounds, when studying abroad I
noticed there were many exchange students who did not spend a lot of time really getting to know Madrid. They saw the main tourist sights and then spent every weekend exploring a different city inside or outside of Spain. While I am all for traveling, I think it’s important to really get to know the city you are calling home for a semester. This means exploring the city beyond its main tourist sites to feel what it is like to live there and get to know authentic places. One of my favorite ways of doing this in Madrid was to pick an unfamiliar neighborhood and spend a day wandering around it. I would pop into cool buildings like churches with impressive architecture and stumble upon great restaurants with delicious food. Not only does this show you a more authentic side of the city but it also is more rewarding as you seek out and find the cool spots on your own. One neighborhood I had lots of fun exploring in Madrid was Usera – which is considered the Chinatown of Madrid. It was so cool to see the fusion of cultures in this neighborhood.
Seek out connections with everyone, especially locals. This point is probably
one of the most commonly given pieces of advice, but for good reason. The fond memories of conversations and relationships you make with others are one of the most valuable things you can take home with you. I learned so much about Madrileño culture by speaking with my host family and locals my age. In my classes, I met really interesting students from around the world who were eager to share about their home countries and backgrounds. At hostels I met travelers each with their own stories and reasons for traveling. Spark conversations with staff at restaurants and stores, anywhere you go, and you will always learn something new.
Take advantage of what your city has to offer for students and young adults.
Lots of cities, especially in Europe, have deals for students and youth travelers. Always carry your student ID and an ID that shows your age to be able to access deals at museums, cultural events, etc. One of my absolute favorite deals in Madrid was the public transportation youth card which allows anyone under 26 to ride all public transportation in the autonomous community of Madrid for a low monthly price.
Don’t feel the need to constantly be busy. This is one piece of advice that I
received when abroad that I needed to hear. It is easy to feel like if you are not being productive or doing something new every moment of your day while abroad that you are wasting time. However, it is important to remember that part of living in a place for so long is doing daily life there. This means doing the things you do in your everyday life like schoolwork, working out, and relaxing in order to stay on track with your studies and have time to recharge for your next adventure!
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