CEA CAPA Education Abroad in Madrid, Spain

Studying in Madrid with CEA Capa was so much fun! It was truly a life changing experience and CEA made it as smooth as possible. CEA is super helpful with finding housing for you and helping you get set up with roommates, as well as flights, a ride from the airport, a metro card, etc.. It is a huge leap to leave the country for months at a time, but CEA makes it feel so easy. This is such a once in a lifetime opportunity and I really grew so much from being immersed in a different culture for 3 months. I made lifelong friends and memories that I will hold forever. Madrid is also the perfect city to live in for study abroad! It is great if you are looking to work on your Spanish skills and challenge yourself to leave in a busy city environment that highly values relaxation and fun!

I spent the fall of my junior year abroad in Madrid, Spain, and it was the best decision I had made for myself. Through CEA CAPA Programming and Housing assignments, I met some of the best people I have ever met. My eight roommates and other friends supported me endlessly during my time abroad. My favorite memory is the 24-person Friendsgiving my roommates and I hosted; that was the moment we all knew how abroad had impacted us and our long-lasting friendships. The most common questions regarding my experience from people interested in going abroad are about academics, social life, and traveling. I studied at the Universidad de Carlos III in Spain, and only half of the classes I took during my time abroad were related to my major. The rest were considered general elective credit because I knew I wanted a more flexible schedule when I was abroad. I would say that they were at about the same difficulty level as my home university. Another question I often get is about the commute to campus. In my opinion, Madrid has one of the best metro systems in Europe. It is incredibly convenient and easy to understand. My apartment was in Madrid, and the Carlos campus is in Getafe, a little out of Madrid. I took the Cercanias train straight to school from my apartment, and the commute took about 45 minutes. I wish it was shorter and at first, I thought commuting was crazy, but my roommates and I got used to it. It was also one of the first times I had ever experienced public transportation alone. I also structured my classes so that I only had to commute there and back once a day, and I spent time in the library between classes. One of my favorite memories is that my friends and I always got a cafe con leche and a pastry for 1.60 euros daily between classes. The social life in Spain is very alive. There was always something new to do, and it felt like the city had never slept. Our favorite tapas place is called Malaspina in the city center. The staff laughed every time we walked in because of how often we would go. My friends and I also loved to explore new places in different neighborhoods. My favorite neighborhood was Malasaña because it felt young. My favorite trip was to Sevilla, which CEA CAPA organized. It was a beautiful location, and the trip felt stress-free. Not only were all my friends on this trip, but we could take our time rather than feel like we had to be on the go compared to other trips I had been on. The program also organized different optional tours during this trip, making coordinating easier.

I had the best time abroad with CEA CAPA! I felt so supported every step of the way. It can be very overwhelming trying to get a visa, knowing what to pack, and booking flights but I felt so supported with an advisor from the CEA staff. Once I landed in Spain I got picked up from the airport and there was always someone there for me to talk to with any questions. Regarding safety and health there was so much help if you needed to go to the doctors or get some help. Highly suggest CEA.