Studying abroad in Madrid, Spain, for six weeks was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I took ME 222: Deformable Solids and a four-week intensive Spanish course while I was there. Both classes were taught really well — Professor Ingle made a tough engineering class interesting and manageable, and my Spanish teacher, Carmen, made learning a new language fun. We did everything from bookwork and group projects to listening to Spanish music and giving presentations. Even though I was in the beginner level, I left with way more confidence in speaking and understanding Spanish than I expected.

The program also gave us some really unique opportunities outside of the classroom. Professor Boehlert organized visits to different research labs, including a wave pool designed to test how waves shape shorelines, and a titanium 3D printing lab focused on improving microstructures. One of the most memorable parts was watching a projectile get launched at a 3D-printed titanium block with strain gauges measuring how it reacted. Watching an engineering experiment happen in real time was amazing and definitely made me more excited about my future career.

We also explored a lot of Spain’s culture and history as a class. We visited Toledo and saw the famous church and old city, toured a castle and the Roman aqueducts in Segovia, and explored the royal palace and chapel in Madrid. On top of that, we had long weekends to travel, and I got to see a MotoGP race and visit places like Berlin, Amsterdam, and the Canary Islands. Balancing travel and schoolwork was a challenge at first, but with a great group of people and supportive professors, it ended up being really doable.

Going abroad taught me a lot more than I expected. I had to figure things out in a country where I didn’t speak the language, and that forced me to be more adaptable and independent. Before going, I didn’t know anyone and was a little nervous about whether I’d find like-minded people, but I ended up meeting all kinds of students from different places and backgrounds. Studying abroad is something I’d recommend to anyone. It pushed me out of my comfort zone, helped me grow as a person, and gave me a whole new perspective on what I want to do as an engineer.

• Name: Andrew Boehm
• Status: Junior
• Major: Mechanical Engineering
• Hometown: Saline, Michigan
• Program: Summer Engineering in Madrid