Saint Louis University - Madrid Campus (SLU)

You need to go outside the university to speak Spanish, or you can opt to take a lot of courses in Spanish. Its easy to make friends outside the university though, so just go out to some local bars and meet some local spaniards. Metro stop Universidad...I think was the name I can't remember...anyways there's a bar over by the spanish universities and i can't recall the name...but if you just go to where all the spanish dorms are you end up there...CAMPUS that's the name. Big hang out for local Spanish students...SLU students never go there, but I did and its cool. The bartended makes this incredible lemon drink. Also, around September they'll be doing the freshman initiation ceremonies at their dorms and the upper classman make the freshman do stupid things. If you go to local parks during this time of year you'll see it. But be careful in that area while walking around dorms and high rise apartment buildings...people dump buckets of bleach out their windows onto the freshman below.

AMAZING AMAZING experience. The best time of my life. I was there for a year and a half and regret every day that I left. Take advantage of it all. Anyone even considering going...GO...You'll love it. If you need more info email me and I can give you all the important stuff to know!!!

Banks close at 2 for siesta and do not open again. If you pay your rent in cash, be aware that you can't withdraw more than $350/day so prepare in advance. Do not bring US dollars and do not take out large amounts of cash at once (unless for rent) the exchange rate is ALWAYS changing and its best to just use your check card to get the most up to date rate. Visa is accepted EVERYWHERE. Checks?? No. Just bring a visa check card and you'll be fine. SOme banks don't work though...Caja Madrid Caixa are strange and don't always accept US ATM cards. Deutch Banc and Banco Popular are always the best bets

The house that we got to live in was pretty nice. Zenaida, the woman who was in charge of looking after was really sweet, although she did get mad at us a lot. The only freaky thing is in the middle of the night one of the guys who works for the university would walk through the house to make sure everything was ok. He was really nice and cool, but footsteps in the middle of the night can be sort of freaky.

Monday-2 4 1 at Chesterfields. Tuesday-Casa de Cerveza (Bilbao)all you can drink Wednesday-Bash/Barnon or whatever hip hop club is open Thursday-Cats, close to school Friday-either Velada, Kapital, Cool, or Joy. Saturday-one that you didn't go to on Friday. Sunday-Joy, pretty crazy still. Or any other night Las Huertas and Plaza Santa Ana cerca de Puerta del Sol. There's always a party there. ESPECIALLY around carnivales. For Salsa dancing check out Ramdall cerca de Plaza de Espana. Pacha is also an option but not one of my favorites. For fun craziness, check out the gay scene in Chueca. ALSO, keep track of the Fiestas en cada pueblo cerca de Madrid...like Majaronda and other places. Big carnivals outside the city that you can usually take a bus to. Outside Madrid, Fiestas Grandes in August in San Sebastian (Denostia) So much fun.