WW Around the World - Madrid, Spain

Hi everyone! I hope classes are going well so far and you are learning a ton from the Wharton Women events, or even just reading the Wall Street Journal day to day. Even though I'm in Spain, there is absolutely no way to escape the US elections or news about the economy. It's definitely a great time to be a student studying economics/finance and political science!

I am currently enrolled in the ICADE Program at the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas in Madrid, Spain. I arrived a few weeks ago, but our actual classes only started yesterday. Clearly, our term is much shorter than the standard semester at Penn- but our program started off with an abbreviated orientation, followed by a two-week intensive course in Spanish to prepare us for our classes. The ICADE Program is an "island program," as opposed to an exchange program- meaning we are not directly enrolled into the host school, but rather we are taught by ICADE professors in classes exclusively reserved for Penn students. While we are not with the Spanish students, our professors teach in Spanish, as do our textbooks.

In addition, all 18 of us live with host families, or in my case, a host mother. I have been extremely lucky with my living situation. I have a tremendously welcoming and accommodating host mother who I absolutely adore! She is extremely in touch with what's going on in the financial market, as her son worked at Lehman Brothers, so it was great to talk to her about all the news I was missing in the states. I practice my Spanish with her (obviously) and she suggests books I should read, music I should listen to, and movies I should watch to immerse myself in Spanish culture. On weeknights, I usually watch TV with her to work on my listening comprehension. She cooks dinner for me every night, but I make breakfast for myself and pick up lunch in the cafeteria or outside the school after classes. My apartment feels like home at this point- I have my own bedroom with a bed, desk, and all that I brought. I also have my own bathroom.

Many Penn students traveled around Europe before arriving in Madrid, which I would definitely recommend doing if possible. Before orientation started, I ventured around Madrid to get to know the city and practice my Spanish. I learned the metro pretty quickly and really enjoyed riding on the buses, to catch a glimpse of the rest of the city. The extra time I had allowed me to do a lot of the touristy things that I might not necessarily have done after classes had started. I really think Madrid is definitely an underrated site to see in Europe. Not only is the city rich in culture and personality, but it also has a ridiculous night life that everyone should experience at least once in their lives.

As I said, my classes just started yesterday. I am taking four classes- Spanish Language & Culture, Spanish Contemporary History, Management, and Spanish and the European Union Economies. My Management class fulfills a Business Breadth, while the others fulfill Social Structures, Global Environment, and my minor's requirements. In Spain, they don't have the schedules that we are used to in the US- as classes don't meet on Mondays/Wednesdays and Tuesdays/Thursdays. Rather, they completely depend on the professors' personal schedules. We have about 18 hours of class a week (for four classes). However, we have breaks in between our two hour classes, for about 15 minutes. We use this time to run to the bathroom or grab a coffee/lunch from the cafeteria. Because I am enrolled in the more popular courses, they are in small lectures style, with about 14 students each; while some of the less popular courses have 4 to 8 students enrolled in them. The grading style varies- while some of my classes just have a final, others have 3 papers, and participation and attendance always play a role in your final grade.

Though Madrid isn't the center of Europe, we still have the opportunity to travel outside of our host country's borders. This weekend, our group split up to travel to London, Paris, Munich, and Barcelona. In the coming weeks, I will likely stay in Spain... but that's not at all a punishment. There is a ton to do in Spain!! Most of the country is accessible by bus; however, sometimes traveling by air is preferred and paying that extra money is just worth it. I will keep you all filled in on my travels and classes as they come along... but in the mean time, feel free to email me with any questions (Cuesta@wharton.upenn.edu)!