My name is Balbala Makpulova; I am a senior student at SolBridge. After the Study abroad info session during the Orientation week in Fall 2014, I decided to pursue the opportunity to study in a different country. However, determining which country and university I wanted to go was the hardest part for me.  I had already studied in Canada and the UK for a short time and since I am studying in South Korea one of the most developed countries in Asia, I decided to try something different and looked for exchange programs in European universities. I selected Spain and joined ESIC Business and Marketing School in Madrid for the Spring 2017 semester.

ESIC is one of the most prestigious universities in the field of marketing in Spain. We were oriented by the International office managers that provided us with information about the campus. Also, members of “City Life. Madrid” gave information about events and excursions. There were many ERASMUS students mostly from Europe and regular ESIC Students from Spain that studied in either Spanish or English. I did not have any issues with the language barrier as all my classes were taught in English, except Spanish language class.

Outside class schedule, I tried to explore and visit as many new places as I could. I visited four other countries during the holidays. Also, since I finished my classes earlier than expected, I stayed in Spain a little longer to tour the different parts of Spain.

Overall, studying abroad was an incredible and unforgettable experience for me. I met a lot of new people with different thoughts and ideas. I learned a lot of new and exciting things about different cultures. I visited beautiful places, which I had only seen in pictures. If you want to gain a unique experience, find foreign friends and get unforgettable impressions, do not hesitate to take part in the exchange program that SolBridge gives you.