Madrid Intern Diaries: Navigating Study & Social Balance Across Culture
BY Nicole Fan
When deciding to study abroad, it is natural to assume that academics or work will not be your top priority like it would be in New York. Just think of the typical reaction people express: "Oh my gosh, you are going to have so much fun and travel a lot!" Of course, this is an exciting time, but I wanted to present a realistic viewpoint that may not be discussed enough.
One of the classes I am enrolled in this semester at NYU Madrid entails doing an internship at a local Madrid business. It is equivalent to 4 credits and is restricted to students with an intermediate level of Spanish. As a current sophomore Business student, I envision this as a great opportunity to gain professional experience in a new country, language and culture, and a one-of-a-kind chance not only to develop my skills, but also to fully immerse myself in Spanish culture. But if you're considering this class or will take it in the future, let me walk you through the less pleasurable sides of working while studying abroad you might want to be aware of.
Work load: a surprisingly overwhelming 16 hours
When I first learned that the internship program required 16 hours per week of in-person work, I thought it would be a smooth addition to my study abroad schedule. Since this counts as one of my 4 classes, I only have three other classes that meet twice a week. As NYU Madrid does not offer classes on Fridays to accommodate students' travel plans, I tried to squeeze everything into a four-day week. However, 16 hours (2 full working days) can end up being a significant time commitment for a study abroad student, especially when none of your closest friends are interning and have more flexible hours. Still, I think it is such a unique, hands-on, and transformative experience that it makes the time commitment worth it in the long run. Eventually, I got used to managing my time as wisely as possible. It's just a matter of prioritizing :)
Struggling for the perfect balance between social life, travel & school
It ultimately becomes very challenging to fully balance social life, classes, homework, internship shifts, and weekend trips. Not to mention more personal pastimes like working out if you are into it, catching up with friends and family back home, recruiting (I know, scary), and cooking. It is certainly a lot to juggle and I often feel overwhelmed. Nonetheless, the best way I found to manage stress and regain control of my time is to meticulously organize your day. For example, most days I leave the dorm at 8:30am and only arrive back at 8pm as I am busy with an internship shift in the morning, 3 classes on campus, working out, and only then, getting back to my dorm. What I do to keep my schedule running smoothly is pack everything I need for the day in my hefty bag, including workout clothes, water bottle, laptop, chargers, protein bars, and every single thing I might need throughout the day to be ready for whatever comes up. Also, I try to best estimate my commute times whether it is by metro or walking to know exactly what time I need to leave from point A to point B so that I arrive on time.
Improve your fluency and overcome language barriers
One of the major benefits I've noticed from this internship was an improvement in my Spanish fluency. As a native Portuguese speaker, Spanish does come naturally to me, as many words are written the same but pronounced differently. Nevertheless, when you are immersed in a Spanish-speaking setting, you ultimately start picking up 'local' expressions and vocabulary you wouldn't learn in a regular class. All this to say, if you are serious about improving fluency, this class is undoubtedly worth considering.
Laid-back working culture
Spanish work culture often has a reputation for being more laid-back because they highly prioritize leisure and quality time with family and friends. From my current experience, I found that it actually depends on the company you are working for, as it varies depending on the values, size, and leadership style of the firm. All my co-workers present themselves as very focused at work, and while they are devoted to their jobs, they maintain a laid-back work environment, where it is acceptable to take a 5 minute break, interrupt each other during meetings, and talk about weekend plans. Thus, it is more laid-back than the American work culture, but they just know how to keep an optimal work-life balance.
Unpaid internships: how it affects your motivation to work
Another important aspect to discuss is the fact that it is an unpaid internship. To many, this can be an indifferent factor to consider, but I wanted to address it because coming from the US, we are conditioned to be motivated by a salary, but in this situation you will have to find more intrinsic forms of motivation. I have to admit, the thought of "Why should I put that much effort into if I am not even getting paid?" has come to mind more than once. However, I eventually accepted that this internship is mainly about connecting with the Spanish work culture and exploring an industry you are passionate about. Money cannot be a driving factor to motivate you here, because in this scenario, it won't get you far at all. I know that if I show up, give my best, and put in the effort, it will be worth it. My mindset has been: the experience will be what you make of it, so be present and have a genuine interest, and only good things will come back to you.
If you are studying away, this is unquestionably a time commitment, but I do not regret it and would 100% recommend it if you are seeking professional experience outside the US, cultural immersion and elective credits! In fact, there are some assignments such as reflections and a final project to complete along with the internship, so make sure to check the syllabus before you enroll to know what to expect beforehand.
Hopefully, you gained some insights into what an internship experience may realistically look like at NYU Madrid, and that it helped you decide whether it is right for you. Thank you for your time and I am available to answer any questions you may have.