My exchange in Madrid was the best choice that I have made in my life. Originally I was a bit hesitant about the location, where I would go in my exchange. I ended up in Madrid, and I’m so happy that it was the place where I ended up going.
In Madrid I studied economics in Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, which was approximately 25 minutes north from the city centre of Madrid. The school in Spain was a bit different to the schools that we are used to here in Finland. Most of the exams that we had were done on paper, which really was something to get used to after I have not done a exam on paper in years. The teaching in the teaching was pretty similar to the finnish teaching, the classes took 2 hours and the whole class the teacher is just speaking up front. It was noticeable that there is a difference in the quality of the teaching which is understanable. There was some difficulties with the language sometimes, and the materials maybe not being perfect but it was managable in the end.
Even though I faced some difficulties at school, I could not have chosen a better place for my exchange. I fell in love with Madrid the moment I set foot in the city. I really enjoyed the lively atmosphere, with people outside all the time and something always happening. I loved that the city never truly felt quiet—there was always energy, movement, and life everywhere I went.
During my spare time, I spent a lot of times with friends and we were often warching at all the different sports events that madrid offers. It is something that was like a routine to us, that when there is differenet games, we sit down to a pub and grab a couple drinks while looking at the games.
On top of this, we also did a lot of sports during our free time. We often went for runs in the famous Retiro Park, located right in the heart of the city. The park is very popular with tourists and can be crowded in the main areas, but it also has nice outdoor gyms and running paths, which made it easy to exercise and enjoy the outdoors at the same time.
Retiro Park is one of the most famous places in Madrid and it is really beautiful. There are big gardens, fountains, and interesting monuments. One of my favorite parts was the Crystal Palace, a glass building with a pond around it. You can also rent rowboats on the lake, run or walk on the wide paths, or just sit and relax in a quiet corner. A lot of people go there to exercise, meet friends, or enjoy nature, and it always feels alive but also calm at the same time.
The food culture in Spain was very different from what I was used to in Finland, and at first it took me some time to get used to it. One of the biggest differences was the dinner time. In Spain, people usually eat dinner around 9 or 10 in the evening, while in Finland most people are already in bed by that time. At first, this felt really strange and I often found myself hungry long before dinner. But as I got used to the Spanish schedule, I began to appreciate it. Having a later dinner gave people time to relax after work or school, enjoy long conversations with friends and family, and make the evening feel more social and calm.
I would recommend Madrid to anybody thinking about going there for their exchange. The city gave me some of the best memories of my life and friends that I know that I’ll be in contact with for the rest of my life. It has so much to see in the city, and also within close distances there is a lot of small towns that you can visit and experience more of the spanish culture and history.
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