Where did you study?
I studied in Madrid (Spain), at the University of Pontificia Comillas ICAI-ICADE.
When did you study there?
I studied here last semester (from 29-08-2018 until 21-12-2018), so this was about 4 months. It was the first semester of my third bachelor year.
Was the university you studied at your first choice?
Yes, this university was my first choice.
Why did you want to go there?
Spain has always interested me a lot and I think it is a beautiful country, so I thought: why won’t I study there? And of course, the warm climate also appealed to me! I could choose between Madrid and Barcelona and eventually chose Madrid (as my first choice). This because I knew someone who had been there for three weeks during the summer holidays. She told very good stories about it and she told me that it is a really nice student city!
Which courses did you follow? Were these courses harder or easier than your courses at Tilburg University? How was your knowledge tested?
I took the following subjects:
- Creation of a new company
- Consumer behavior
- Intercultural communication
- Comparative cultural studies
- Multimedia production
- Communication skills: framing, expression and storytelling
I find it hard to say whether I found them easier or more difficult than in the Netherlands. The level was reasonably comparable. Because it is a private university, you had to perform very well to get a good grade, but you did get a lot of attention from the teachers who were happy to help you. Because of this, the assignments were relatively easy to do and you received more support than in Tilburg. I really liked this. Your knowledge was tested by exams, presentations and assignments. For each course you had to do at least 1 assignment, 1 exam and 1 presentation to pass the course. You also received a grade for your commitment during the lectures; these were all mandatory.
Did you get some sort of grant to finance your time abroad?
Yes, the Erasmus grant. This was about 750 euros.
When did you start preparing for your trip?
I started the preparations about 8 months in advance.
How much money did you spend each month abroad? Where there a lot of unexpected costs?
I think I spent about 1500-1800 euros per month. The prices in terms of food are comparable to the prices in the Netherlands. However, the student rooms are quite expensive. For example, I paid 560 euros per month for a student room. Of course you also make a lot of costs during your free time, such as going out, trips to other cities / countries or eating out.
Did you have a hard time meeting people there? Did you make friends you still talk to?
No, it is not difficult at all to make new friends. All new international students don’t know anyone and are looking for people to join them, this makes it easy to get talking. I have become friends with both Dutch students and foreign students. I still am in contact with girls from Australia, Norway and Germany, but also with students from the Netherlands. With the students from the Netherlands, I will soon be going back to Madrid for another weekend to relive our fun time.
How was your housing arranged?
I have searched housing myself and I have done this with the help of the site ‘spotahome’. They offer student rooms in almost all countries, including Spain/Madrid. Through this site I could respond to a room and then a request was sent to the landlord, he/she could then accept him/her. I found a room pretty quickly. I had to pay 560 euros per month and in the beginning I had to pay the same amount as a deposit. You will get this back at the end of your rental period. I lived with 13 people, this seems a lot, but is also super cozy.
Do you feel like your exchange has added something to your study, finding a job, personal growth et cetera?
Yes, certainly. I have learned a lot, my presentation skills have improved a lot because I had to do many presentations and I have become more confident. You’re alone in the beginning so you have to have the confidence to speak up. You also learn a lot about other cultures, I found this very interesting!
Would you advise others to study abroad? Do you have any tips?
Yes, I would definitely recommend it! It is a very nice experience and you learn a lot from it. You get to know a lot of new people with whom you (hopefully) will stay in touch for years to come. A tip I would like to give you: start arranging everything in time! Getting approval for your courses can take a lot of time, so don’t just start during the last week, you’re too late then. Furthermore, a tip about Madrid specifically: I would definitely visit the Retiro park and rent the famous limesteps, so you can see the whole park in no time and then relax on a terrace!
