Finding My Academic Footing as a Study Abroad Student in Madrid
During my first week of classes, it is always a priority to get myself familiar with both my physical and online environment. First and foremost, at the start of my semester in Madrid, the campus is brand new to me. Before classes even started, me and a few of my housemates decided to practice the route we would take to get to campus. There are two different campuses that make up UC3M, and I have classes on both campuses, so we even practiced taking the bus between them. Although it felt daunting at the beginning, after a week of classes, I already feel like a natural.
Leganés Quad on a sunny day.
Views on the walk to class at Getafe campus.
Edificio Sabatini on the Leganés campus.
Once we got familiar with the commute to campus, we also spent a lot of time walking around and finding where our classes would be meeting. The academics at UC3M naturally have some differences from my classes back home; one of these differences is that some classes may meet at a different time and classroom. When walking around, we paid extra close attention to hit all the different rooms we could meet at. My friend even had the bright idea to drop a pin in her Apple Maps and label each pin with the corresponding class until we spend more time on campus.
No shame in using the map during the first week.
Once classes started, I made it a point to replicate some parts of the schedule I have at home. I start each morning with making my bed so that I can feel accomplished right at the start of my day and motivate myself for the work ahead. I also left some extra time to look at the libraries on campus since I will eventually be spending more time there. One of my personal favorites was the Maria Moliner Library.
I always start my day with making my bed to feel accomplished right away.
Visiting all the academic libraries to find the best study spot.
An important difference to keep an eye out for is that in Spain, the ground floor which you enter on is considered floor 0. One of my classes, for example, is on the second floor in building 7. This floor requires two sets of stairs, however, since this is what the US would consider floor 3.
Getting used to the many flights of stairs!
Finally, no college experience is complete without finding a coffee shop. Fortunately, almost every major train station has a lovely coffee and pastry shop which is the perfect quick stop on the way to class. Thus far, I have been thoroughly enjoying my time on campus. I just can’t wait until the rain clears up and it starts to get warm!
Realizing there is a coffee shop in most of the train stations. Perfect for right before class!
Get to class everyday using public transportation like the bus, metro, or Cercanías. The Cercanías are Madrid’s version of a commuter rail.
Boarding the C5 back home after a long day.
