EXPERIENC E REPORT UNIVERSIDAD DE COMPLUTENSE MADRID
E-mail: soyinilinger@hotmail.com
Study Program: Psychology
Exchange semester: Spring 2014
Academic year: 2013-2014
Host University: Universidad Complutense Madrid
Country: Spain
I GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Madrid is a big city in the centre of Spain, it’s very different from Tilburg. There are living 3 million
people and you can find anything in this city. I lived in Chueca, that is a neighbourhood in the city
centre. It you are still looking for a room, I highly recommend you to live there. The neighbourhood is
close and easy to get to from almost anywhere. The ride to school by metro and bus was a little less
than 40m. This was because the psychology faculty is not in the city centre, it’s in Fortaleza a town
next to Madrid. But it’s very easy to get to by bus, there are two lines that go from an metro station to
Somosaguas, that’s the name of the part of UCM in Fortaleza. The school in Spain is very different
than the Tilburg University, all the furniture is older and the computers in the library too. When for
example a copy machine is defect, it takes so much longer to get fixed than here in Tilburg. In Spain
you don’t have lectures like in Holland. The way school is in Spain is comparable to high school in
Holland, you still have classrooms with classmates and more than one teacher for the same subjects.
Our university doesn’t has a Campus, but in the beginning of the semester, there offer you help with
looking or an apartment. When you are in Madrid there are plenty things you can do, visit the Palaces,
Plaza Mayor, Plaza España, Stadium Santiago Bernabeu, Casa the campo and Many other things.
One of the out the box what I really likes was going to la Predriza, that’s a town 1h out of Madrid
where you can walk through the mountains, but also can swim in the natural small lakes and it’s a
really beautiful place. A thing that’s different from Holland is that in Madrid they have siesta from 13.30
till 17.00, but that brings with it that most stores are open till 22.00. For me that was perfect, because
I’m a night person. But if you are a person that wants to get things done in the afternoon you’ll have to
get used to it. Besides that has Spain a mañana, mañana culture, which means that they’ll help you
tomorrow.
II PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Information before you left
I received the pre-departure information on time, I can’t remember when exactly, but I know that there
was enough time to arrange everything. I didn’t had any difficulties arranging things before I left, with
the guide that I got and the website you have enough information to arrange everything in a good way.
Visa procedure and arrival
The psychology faculty has an office for Erasmus students where you have to go after arrival. The
people there are very friendly and help you with all of your questions. The office is quite easy to find in
the building and you can go 4 days a week to this office to ask for help.
Orientation/Introduction activities
There was an orientation day organized before the beginning of the free Spanish course. They explain
about the UCM and the libraries and other activities. The con is, is that everything is in Spanish, a pro
is that you’ll receive all this information afterwards on a USB stick so you can read everything again
when you get home. Before you go on an exchange you’ll receive an email with the question I you
want a buddy, I responded that I wanted one, but I never heard from it again.
Housing
I found a room through my friend who was in Madrid for the first semester. I recommend to ask people
who were there a semester before you to ask if they can give you the contact information of their
landlords. This way you’ll save a lot on time looking on the internet for a room. Another option is to go
to Madrid and look over there for an room, that way you have the possibility to see your room before
you arrange something. As far as I know the UCM doesn’t has a campus for students to live. The
university offers to help you look or a place, but I never heard from them again after accepting this
offer. So you’ll have to fix this one on your own, good places to live are Chueca, La latina, Sol and
Malasaña. There are neighbourhoods in the city centre. I you really want to find something through the
internet you can use www.idealista.es.
Living Costs
Before I went on exchanged a saved a lot o money besides the grant I got. My advice is to save as
much as possible, I spent all of my money that I saved through working. Living costs are quite the
same as in Holland. The prices in the big supermarkets are lower than in the Netherlands, but going
out or going to clubs is more expensive. Normal entrance can be 10-20€, but there are also a lot of
possibilities to get on a guest list or something. Most of my money I spend on my house, my room was
€450 a month, but I have to say that I had a very big room on a great location. So it’s possible to get a
cheaper room. I advise future students to save money to go on trips, in Spain there are a lot of
holidays so use them. A long weekend is great to use to go on a trip to for example Barcelona of
Valencia. In Madrid is possible to get an Abono, which is like an OV-chipcard you use to travel through
Madrid, for only 35€ a month if your under 25. You can use this card for every transport within Madrid,
even for the night busses. I didn’t spent money on books, because the subjects that I followed didn’t
had books or you had to copy every week a chapter from a different book.
Academic Calendar
I left Holland at the 26th of January, one week in advance of the information day to explore the city a
little and to arrange some stuff for my room. The semester started at January the 7 th after the free
Spanish course. In the psychology faculty the exams started the beginning of June and you also have
a 1,5 break in may the Semana Santa, many students use this time to travel.
Social Activities
At the information day they also tell you about the social activities, you can enrol in the ESN*Madrid.
The ESN*Madrid arranges a lot of trips to other cities and a lot of parties. Besides the ESN there are
plenty other organisations that organize activities, almost every day there is something to do.
Personally I didn’t had a lot of contact with the local students, because they’re not talking to exchange
students. But I you ask them something, there are super nice and willing to help you with everything.
So you’ll have to talk to them otherwise you’ll not be in contact with them. I had a few local friends, but
most of my friends were other exchange students. With them I did a lot o things like going to parties,
and travel through Spain. I went to Lisbon, Valencia, Barcelona, Ibiza and Cádiz. Most through ESN,
they arrange the cheapest tickets and accommodation.
Culture and Language
The big difference between the Dutch culture and the Spanish culture is, is that Spanish people are
more relaxed. They always answer with: “No pasa nada” of with “No te preocupes” (Nothing is
happening, Don’t worry). When something isn’t arranged, don’t be surprised if you have to wait a week
or two and ask again and again. My library pas for example, I had to ask more than 5 times before I
got it. Same with the Complutense pas, I never actually got that one. Those moments I realized how
good and well everything in the Netherlands is arranged. Another difference is, is that Spanish people
spend way more time outside the house. They like to go to a terrace and have a drink of eat
something. The stores are also a lot longer open, till 22:00, which was a good thing for me, so I could
shop in the evening. There were days that my friend and I came back from shopping at 00:30. The
people in Spanish are a lot more open, have a lot more passion about everything and much more
proud to be a Spaniard. I liked it that the Spanish people are more warm, they really want to talk to you
and are really interested. I travelled to Barcelona, and Barcelona was really different from Madrid.
When I was in Barcelona, I had the feeling that I wasn’t in Spain anymore. Most of the people speak
English quite ok and they rather speak English with you than Spanish. So I you go to Barcelona, don’t
speak Spanish because they don’t like it. The first days in school I was a little worried because I didn’t
understand anything, I had no idea what the teacher was talking about. But later on I was able to
understand more and more. So I highly recommend you to take the free Spanish course at the
beginning of the semester because, you’ll need it. The speed in reality of talking and the speed in the
Spanish classes in Tilburg is different, the people in Spain talk so fast which makes it very difficult to
understand.
Personal Development
I already was open minded, but after this I became even more open minded. You meet so many
people from different cultures and you see how all the different cultures adjust in the Spanish culture. I
can’t think of any examples, but there are definitely going to be moments that you’re going to think:
“Oh that’s so Italian” . But you won’t judge because you know that the guy is Italian and it’s a normal
reaction for them. After this experience it will be easier for you do cope in new environments. After this
experience I have the confidence to go even further away next time. The best experience is, is that
you live for a few months a completely different live in a different culture. I will never forget the great
people I met and all the nice trips we made inside and outside of Madrid. The most important lesson
that I learned is that, the world is so big and that I have to see a lot more to form a better view on it.
III ACADEMIC INFORMATION
Academic level at a host university
All my courses were in Spanish, and some of the teacher didn’t spoke English at all. The courses that I
took were a Spanish course, Psicologia clinica inantil-juvenil, psicologia social y los grupos II,
psicopatologia and diversidad. I would recommend to do psicopatologia, the Spanish course and
diversidad. The other two courses were too difficult for me in Spanish. Especially psicologia social y
los grupos, which included a lot of reading in Spanish, and not a lot of time to make the exams. The
level of the courses are a little lower than in Tilburg, but don’t underestimate it because the language
makes it actually harder than in Tilburg. And not all of the subjects was a lower level. The Spanish
course was a little lower than in Tilburg and Diversidad. University is like I said before very comparable
with high school in Holland. You have to do a lot of practicums and presentations in group work. The
relationship between teacher and student is much more informal in Spain. People speak to the teacher
with “tu” and their first name.
Other
The access to the library is very easy like in Tilburg. You have special places where you can talk and
do group work. There are computers available, but they’re nothing like the computers in Tilburg. The
computers are really slow, big chance that they’re not working and internet is slow. If you need a
computer at school, it’s better if you bring your own computer.
Description of courses
Course
800151, psicología
social y los grupos II
Prerequisites
None
Exam
Written
ECTS
6
Comments
Every week an
assignment
800161,
psicopatologia
None
Written
6
Presentation
800163, Diversidad,
Exlusión Social y
Integración
None
X
6
Only one big
assignment
800199, Psiologia
clínica infanto-juvenil
None
Written
6
Presentation and many
practicums
Spanish course for
foreign students
None
Written
4
Pretest to determine
your level
Tips for future students
I would highly recommend you to go on an exchange, it’s definitely going to be the best time of your
life. If you like to learn Spanish as well UCM is a good place to go to. Try to learn some Spanish in
your own time as well before you go, because every little bit helps. Most of the people in Madrid don’t
speak English at all so the more you know the better.