Being a Communications Major in Madrid

A major part of study abroad is the “study” portion.  The reality of my academic life abroad is the classes I am taking are incredibly different than the United States equivalent, and that is exactly what I had in mind before I got here.

Fundamental Aspects of Spanish Art class - an art history class that I am taking.

When I decided to study abroad in Madrid, I knew I wanted to take classes that would both meet the requirements of my home university and actually interest me.  Now I can confidently say both of those things are checked off the list.  One of the courses I'm taking is called Modern Art and Architecture in Spanish Cities, which meets an art requirement for my degree.  At first I did not know what exactly to expect in this class, but I quickly realized it would truly take on the word “modern.”

There's plenty of art wherever you turn on the streets of Madrid!

Even restaurants have artistic vibes.

One class project we have asks us to search the city of Madrid for various forms of artwork and respond with our opinions.  As a class, we then create a digital map of our artistic findings.  One of the things I love about being a communications major is the unlimited creativity.  Some of the artists and photographers being covered in the course relate directly to advertising, marketing, and communications, which cover most of the majors in the class.

Another course on my agenda for the semester is International Communications.  Communicating across various cultures can be challenging, even for those of us literally studying mass communications, and learning about international communications in a foreign country creates a completely new perspective than learning about it in the United States.

Getting some reading done before my International Comm class at Starbucks (which is right across the street from my university).

Although study abroad may seem like glitz and glamour with a bottomless budget, the reason we go in the first place is to study.

Cara S. is the Spring 2018 MOJO Blogger in Madrid, Spain. She is currently a Sophomore studying Public Relations, Marketing, and Spanish at the University of Dayton.

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Cara Stevens is the Spring 2018 CEA MOJO Blogger in Madrid, Spain, and is currently studying at University of Dayton.