Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)

It´s an ideal place for international students wanting to explore the culture of learning, free from hassles of doing daily chores like cooking and laundry. Room assignments are properly arranged in such a way that no two or three people from the same country are located in the same floor - providing each one the opportunity to mingle with other nationalities. There´s a library with complete and impressive collection of books. Plus the computer room with internet connection that gives us the mental peace of not having to compute computer rentals and where we can do our research papers 24 hours a day. Likewise we have a gymn and a football/tennis court for sports buff. In summer, we can take a plunge in the properly maintained swimming pool. Meals are served and we have a good choice from mediterranean recipes to continental cuisines. Staying here doesn´t give anyone an excuse to fail in his studies.

It is pretty organized but it is just too expensive, $550 a month to live with a family which included 2 meals and laundry. I would have liked that option of living in an apartment with spanish speaking students as well. But I was lucky, I was definitely integrated into the family eventhough it was a business relationship.

Housing is rumored to be difficult to find in Madrid, however I did not have any problems and found it to be much easier than in California. Don't let the rumors get you panicked into taking the first thing you find.

Apparently the accomodation organised through the university is very bad and expensive. I was lucky to find something myself that was not too expensive centrally located and large and clean enough! The university itself is very old and the facilities need a lot of improvement!

Once again I did not live on campus at the Universtiy. I chose to live in a apartment with 4 other Spanish speaking people. I lived with one girl from Chile, 2 from Spain, and 1 male from Columbia. We all got along so well and it made my living situation an unforgetable experience. Living in close quarters with so many different cultures made me more open and attentive to the differences of each culture. It was an amazing opportunity to have experienced this.

They give you a little help, but I heard that the housing they offer (apartments, the residence halls are mostly for Spaniards) rooms without windows etc.