Aidan Anastario poses for a photo by a UC3M sign.

Name: Aidan Anastario

Major: Computer Engineering

Why did you want to study abroad?

Study abroad is a once in a lifetime type of opportunity in my opinion. I wanted the chance to get outside of my comfort zone and explore the world on my own.

Where did you study abroad? Why did you choose this location/program?

I chose to study at UC3M in Madrid. One of my goals was to improve my Spanish, so going to a Spanish speaking country was important to me. Additionally, UC3M worked very well with my ECE curriculum. Finally, Madrid is a lively city with a diverse culture, which sounded quite appealing.

Best experience:

My best experience was traveling to Agadir and Taghazout in Morocco, and getting to experience a bit of African culture in a very safe way was unique. With Madrid's proximity to Morocco, getting there was very easy as well.

What you’ve learned—either about yourself or the culture you’re living in.

A semester abroad will definitely take you outside your comfort zone and teach you a lot about yourself and the culture around you. Here, I felt a sense of independence and responsibility that I had never experienced. Spanish culture is fascinating, and I have embraced the change in style, mealtimes, and social atmosphere. I have seen unprecedented growth and character development in myself this semester.

Would you suggest study abroad for other ECE students? Why?

Study abroad gives students the ability to live anywhere in the world for four months in a cost-effective way.  Both the ECE department and the general study abroad department have made this experience very easy on me. Thanks to these great resources at Purdue, you can likely study abroad without much effect on your graduation plan too. To be completely honest, there will be times when you are homesick, feeling lost, or lacking motivation. But that is all to be expected and is a huge part of learning about yourself. These four months will be some of the most impactful on life thus far, and I hope to see as many students as possible taking advantage of this opportunity.

Learn more about Study Abroad opportunities here.