Kaylee Smith in the Palacio Real de Madrid, a large 18th-century palace in downtown Madrid that is the official residence of the Spanish royal family.

Kaylee Smith is a senior in the Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering studying Computer Engineering. She chose to spend the Fall 2023 semester studying abroad at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) in Madrid, Spain.

Why did you want to study abroad?

I chose to study abroad because I wanted to gain a new perspective on the world, meet people who have different backgrounds than me, and challenge myself by being exposed to a new environment that was very different than what I am used to. I also am involved in the GEARE program, so I align with its values very closely

Why did you choose this location/program?

I chose Madrid because of its culture, history, and I had never been to Western Europe.

Best experience.

The people and the food!

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

I've learned about the value of family here. There is a very strong emphasis on prioritizing one's personal life over career, which can be different than in the US.

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

I would definitely recommend studying abroad, it is great for learning more about different parts of engineering, but I would argue that learning about other cultures and seeing how the world works in other places is the most important part of studying abroad.

Learn more about Study Abroad opportunities here.