Christine Magadanz

Spring 2007

Why did you choose to study abroad in Spain?

I chose to study in Spain because I wanted to go to a Spanish-speaking country and the culture of Spain and Europe was very attractive. I liked the idea of being able to fly to Paris for a weekend! I’d also been to Spain in high school and fell in love.

What can you say about your experience?

Someone had this quote in a profile online and as soon as I read it, I knew that it was 100% true:

“There will come a moment while you’re in Madrid when you will fall irreversibly in love with this beguiling city and wonder how you can bear to live elsewhere. It might strike you at 3 am when you spill onto impossibly crowded streets from a bar in Chueca. Or it could happen as you wander amid the masterpieces of the Museo del Prado. But it will happen because this is a city that creeps up on you, weaves its way into your soul and then sings happily into you ear.”

I loved every minute of my experience in Spain and I’m itching to get back.  Study abroad changed my life and not a day goes by when I don’t think about my time in Madrid.

What were your living arrangements like?

When I arrived at the airport in Madrid, I took a taxi to my Señora’s apartment.  Her name was Manuela and she was 59.  She was divorced and had 4 grown children.  I lived with Manuela and another American student from Indiana University for about 4 weeks.  While I was living there, she cooked breakfast and dinner for us and did our laundry once a week.  I had my own room with a bed, dresser, chair and a couple tables. It was small, but very comfortable. And Manuela was very helpful and talkative (in Spanish – she didn’t speak a word of English). 

Also while living with Manuela, I did an apartment search using classifieds in the newspaper.  Along with another American student from Purdue, I called about 25 different people looking for a place to live.  We finally found the perfect apartment in a student neighborhood called Argüelles which was near the university. In our new place we shared a huge room with a balcony and lived with 6 other international students.  Sebastiaan and Pasquale were from the Netherlands; Huitzi is from Mexico; Giulia is from Italy; and Foteini and Evelina are from Greece.  It was very interesting living with different international students. I learned a lot about America and how others view Americans.

What was the most memorable cultural experience you had?

My most memorable cultural experience actually took place the entire time I was in Madrid.  I knew that Spain’s democracy was young (less than 30 years old), but I didn’t think it would significantly affect everyday life. I was so wrong! Spaniards who are my parents’ age or a little younger all grew up with Franco (the last Spanish dictator) and the way they raise their children definitely reflects how they feel about their shiny new democracy.  They take advantage of the new freedoms that they enjoy and credit card debt aint no thing to the Spanish.  The way people dress and act in public is very different than it was 30 years ago, and very different than in the USA.  I really learned to appreciate how active EVERYONE is in politics in Europe. It really opened my eyes to the differences between the US and the rest of the world.

How did the classes compare to Purdue classes?

My classes were ALL Liberal Arts courses and ALL taught in Spanish.  I took Spanish Business, Dialects, Latin American Literature, Intro to Psychology, and Ancient History of Spain.  The class structure is much different in Spain.  There are no homework assignments or quizzes or mid-terms. In most cases, your grade in the class depends solely on your performance during the final exam.  This puts a lot of pressure on studying for finals! Spanish students generally don’t go to class regularly.  One or two people go, and everyone copies their notes before finals and memorizes them.  During finals month in Madrid, there are barely any students out and about. They’re all studying for 12 hours a day!

  Grading is also different. Grades are given on a scale of 0 to 10. Generally professors don’t give out 9’s or 10’s.  Anything below a 5 is failing, but Spanish students do not worry about their GPA like we do here.  If they pass with a 5.3 they’re just as happy as passing with an 8.  It was very difficult to adjust to the differences at school because I had to go to class EVERY DAY and listen to my Spanish professor talk for an hour and a half to have any chance of understanding the material.

In closing…

I highly recommend study abroad to everyone.  Even in engineering you can fit it in to your schedule if you plan ahead. There are also opportunities for research or working abroad.  I think studying in a different country should be a requirement! There is no better way to learn about people everywhere than to live in a foreign country. And this is the cheapest and easiest time to do it! The study abroad office can help you overcome any obstacles to get you abroad. Studying in Madrid changed my life and I loved it so much. I wish everyone could have a great experience like mine.  Feel free to contact me if you have ANY questions at all about Madrid or Study Abroad in general (I’m a Study Abroad Ambassador).

Thanks for reading!