Jacob Frazee

Andrew Delfino
ENGL393
April 14, 2023

The Passion Instilled By Study Abroad

Part I: Introduction and Context

When I told my parents that I wanted to study abroad, they both looked at me like I was a
madman. They argued, why would you want to travel half way across the world to a country that
you don’t know, let alone speak the language of? While these are valid questions, I’m not the
only “madman” to have these desires. At the University of Maryland, almost 2,000 students
study abroad each year, visiting 62 countries (Global UMD at a Glance). This begs the question,
why are students signing up to travel across the world for a semester when they could just stay in
the comfort of what they are used to? For me, there were several reasons, but I mainly wanted to
get better at Spanish and to become a more well-rounded individual. While I have been working
on these goals, I have realized there are many challenges to studying abroad in Madrid. Some of
these things include the learning challenges, the language barriers, and the local cultures.

One of the first and most apparent challenges that I faced was the language barrier. I took 3 years
of Spanish in high school, but that was not nearly enough to prepare me for studying abroad.
Additionally, even though my classes are taught in English, some of the professors have
extremely strong accents that make it nearly impossible to understand what they are saying.
Also, especially in my engineering classes, the terminology and nomenclature used is different
than what I was used to. This created further confusion as I had to learn a whole new set of
words and what they meant.

European schools also have different emphasis and styles of classes. From my experiences I have
realized that European classes tend to not have homework as a big part of the grade. Instead, the
vast majority of your grade in a class comes from a couple big exams throughout the semester.
This forces the students to have good time management so that they are ready for their exams.
On top of this, European schools also tend to heavily focus on the theoretical aspects of a
subject. They then go on to learn the practical uses in internships, research, or at their job.

Another difference is the diversity (or a lack thereof). Contrary to what I previously believed,
Madrid is not as diverse of a city as College Park. 84% of the city's population are Spaniards
(Madrid Population 2023). Compared to the 54% white population in college park (College Park,
Maryland Population 2023), this lack of diversity might make it hard for some to feel like they
belong. It also makes it harder and more intimidating for foreigners to meet new people and to
feel comfortable in the society that they live in.

Another thing to note about the Spanish is their lifestyle, especially when it comes to
transportation and health. Unlike the vast majority of American cities, Madrid has an excellent
public transportation system that millions of people use each day. This includes metro, bus, train,
and even walking. All this walking might be a part of the secret to their health. Spanish people
are some of the most healthy in the world. According to Bloomberg News, Spain was ranked
with the highest healthgrade in the world in 2019 (Laliberte).

Through studying abroad I have figured out all of these things and in my podcast I want to first
explain a bit of each of these aspects of living in Spain. Then, I want to dive into how each of
these things supports my thesis that studying abroad makes people more passionate about the
things they do. Whether it is caused by the individuality of school, the cultural norms, or by the
challenges that we have to overcome, I plan to use each of these differences to explain why
studying abroad has given me so much more passion for what I do. I plan to support these ideas
using statistics and other people’s previous experiences along with what I am currently
experiencing abroad right now.

Part II: Secondary Research

Most of the secondary sources that I will use can fit into one of the two following categories:
statistics and first hand experiences. I will use the statistics to support the claims that I make
throughout the podcast that don’t have any other support. On the other hand, I plan to use other’s
first-hand experiences to verify that what I am going through isn’t unique and that instead it is
the experience of most people who are studying abroad in Madrid.

Four of my sources in the bibliography give statistics pertaining to studying abroad, cultural
breakdown, and lifestyles of people from Madrid. I plan to use these whenever I am
summarizing and giving background on what it is like to study abroad in Madrid. These statistics
will help aid in strengthening and clarifying a lot of the culture and common practices of Spanish
people and about studying abroad. The other six are more general sources. Some of them are
interviews with people about their time studying abroad in Madrid, some are about schools in the
EU, and others talk about culture. I plan to use these to compare my own experiences and see
what general themes emerge. I could also use these sources as a good segway from talking about
one topic to another since there is a lot of information in them.
Part III: Project Description

In my podcast I want to first explain a bit of what it is like living in Spain. Then, I want to dive
into how each aspect supports my thesis that studying abroad makes people more passionate
about the things they do. Whether it is caused by the individuality of school, the cultural norms,
or by the challenges that we have to overcome, I plan to use each of these to explain why
studying abroad has given me so much more passion for what I do.

Independence in School

As a student at the University of Maryland, the university has makes sure that I am staying on
track. Whether it is forced advising meetings, tedious homework assignments, or figuring out
how to house and feed myself, UMD requires their students to go through all of these things. In a
sense, the school lets students have options, but they make sure they are doing everything that
they are supposed to be doing.

On the other hand, European universities expect the students to make sure they are doing
everything they need to do. There is rarely homework for classes, living on campus is
uncommon, and getting a meal plan is also abnormal. Students have to take care of themselves.

As I am going through my semester, I am starting to feel like I have ownership of a lot of the
things I do. I cook for myself, have to find housing for myself, and I have to make sure I am
keeping up with my classes even though I don’t have homework. Doing all of these things by
myself has made me appreciate them more and I am starting to enjoy them more because I am
the one in control of everything. I feel like they are a part of me and that they are a direct result
of my actions which has made me more passionate about doing them.

Cultural Norms

One of the main cultural identities of people from Madrid is living life at a slow pace. Living life
at a slower pace allows you to focus on things that you truly enjoy doing. Also, instead of trying
to do everything at once, people put their all into each little thing they do. This allows them to
get more involved, which also makes them more passionate about the things they do.

Another cultural activity that people in Madrid do is going out for tapas. Tapas are basically
complementary foods that come with a drink at the bar. It is very normal for a group of friends to
go out to lunch or dinner for drinks and tapas. This is a great way to meet new people, hang out
with your friends, or just to have a good time absorbing the local atmosphere. After going out for
tapas a couple times with your friends, it really makes you appreciate them on a different level. It
is a great way to connect and become passionate about your friends and culture.
Challenges Overcome

One thing every study abroad student will tell you is that they had to overcome many challenges.
These challenges include the language barrier, the cultural differences, and even the new school
environment. However, as we start to overcome these challenges, we see the inherent and long
term benefits. We begin to get inspired to take on more challenges to make ourselves better
people; taking on challenging situations almost becomes a part of who we are as people.
Studying abroad entices us to passionately pursue challenges head on knowing that when we get
through them, we become more well-rounded individuals that can achieve a lot more.

Part IV: Cultural Analysis

Spain has a long and complex history which greatly contributes to its unique culture. Whether
it’s the various religions, ethnicities, or races, everyone inherits a unique set of ideologies. All of
these things come together into one big melting pot and mix to create unique cultures. One of the
more noticeable cultural differences is the pace of life in Madrid. People walk slowly, take their
time when they eat, and don’t ever rush around. They like to be calm and it’s rare to find anyone
multitasking. Another big cultural activity that people partake in is something called tapas. Tapas
are basically complementary foods that come with a drink at the bar. It is very normal for a group
of friends to go out to lunch or dinner for drinks and tapas. This is a great way to meet new
people, hang out with your friends, or just to have a good time absorbing the local atmosphere.

As an American, this can be overwhelming at first. Not only do you have to navigate the
language barrier, you also have to adapt to these cultural differences. I have found myself being
looked at weirdly many times when eating while walking or running to the train station in order
to catch my train on time. However, while it took some time to adjust to these norms, I can see
why the Spanish love their culture because I am starting to fall in love with it myself. Many
Spanish people have great pride and dignity in being Spanish and living in a Spanish culture.
This can be hard at times when you are not conforming with them, but once you get it, you start
to realize why they are so passionate about the way that they live.

Part V: Outline

1. Introduction
a. About me (who I am, where I grew up, my time at UMD)
b. Why I decided to study abroad (Learning Spanish, what it means to be a
“well-rounded individual”)
 c. Present my thesis: Studying abroad in Spain makes people more independent
individuals who are passionate about the things that they do.
2. Cultural analysis
a. Pace of life (how it gives you freedom, but makes you more responsible)
b. Briefly mention tapas (Gives you a great chance to meet new people, ties into
next topic)
3. Differences at school
a. How the class grades are calculated (Vastly exam scores, little homework)
b. Emphasis on theoretical component
4. Traveling and meeting new people (How meeting all these unique people made me want
to form my own future)
5. Struggles and advice (time management, budgeting, how I grew to overcome these)
6. Conclusion (Tie everything back to the thesis)

Part VI: Conclusion

Studying abroad is a decision that will greatly change a student's personality and outlook on life.
Students are exposed to a new set of norms outside the ones that they are used to in addition to
being encouraged to take their future into their own hands. In my case, studying abroad in
Madrid has made me more passionate and enthusiastic about the things I do in life. Whether it is
the independence I get in school, the pride in culture, or overcoming the challenges of living in a
foreign environment, studying abroad has made me feel like all these things are my own. They
are not forced upon me by school, society, or culture, but are instead things that I chose to pursue
and was able to explore of my own free will. This sense of ownership and freedom has formed
me into a person that passionately does what he wants while making sure that my future is bright.
Part VII: Bibliography

College, Sienna - Valencia, et al. “The Key Differences between American and European
Colleges.” College Fashion, 31 Aug. 2019,
https://www.collegefashion.net/college-life/differences-between-american-and-european-
colleges/.

“College Park, Maryland Population 2023.” World Population Review,

https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/college-park-md-population.

“Culture of Spain.” La Moncloa. Culture of Spain [Spain/Culture],

https://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/lang/en/espana/historyandculture/culture/Paginas/index.as
px.

Day Translations. “Madrid – a Perfect Balance of Modernity, Royalty, and Historic Culture.”
Day Translations Blog, Day Translations, 10 Mar. 2020,
https://www.daytranslations.com/blog/madrid-modernity-royalty-culture/.

Familymoveabroad. “College in Europe vs America: 9 Ways They're Different.” Family Move

Abroad, 24 June 2021,
https://familymoveabroad.com/college-in-europe-vs-america-ways-theyre-different/.

“Global UMD at a Glance.” Global, 6 Apr. 1970,

https://globalmaryland.umd.edu/content/global-umd-glance.

Laliberte, Marissa. “Why Spaniards Are the Healthiest People in the World.” Reader's Digest,
Reader's Digest, 13 Jan. 2023,
https://www.rd.com/list/spaniards-healthiest-in-world/#:~:text=With%20a%20%E2%80
%9Chealth%20grade%E2%80%9D%20of,to%20be%2085.7%20years%20old.

“Madrid Population 2023.” World Population Review,

https://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/madrid-population.

“Studying Abroad in Madrid: Ten Things to Know by Darnesha.” Studying Abroad in Madrid:
Ten Things to Know by Darnesha | Multicultural Student Affairs | Iowa State University,
https://www.multicultural.dso.iastate.edu/posts/2018/01/studying-abroad-madrid-ten-thin
gs-know-darnesha.

Wendorff, Felix von. “Top 5 Challenges of Studying Abroad.” Top Universities, Topu, 7 Jan.
2023, https://www.topuniversities.com/blog/top-5-challenges-studying-abroad.