The Engineers Abroad Program听allows you to satiate your international curiosity while advancing your education and making your engineering degree stand out.听 The program is comprised of several programs varying in length.听 The BME program has several recommended semester-long programs; however, students have many options when selecting听summer programs.听 For the semester-long program, it is recommended that students travel in their junior year during the spring semester.听 The key thing for studying abroad is to plan early - doing so can help ensure that students stay on track and graduate within four years.听 To get started, please meet with your academic advisor. The deadline for summer and fall 2024 is March 1st.
Maddie Bender is a senior Biomedical Engineering (BME)听student graduating in Spring 2024.听 In addition听to minoring in Electrical Engineering, she is also planning on pursuing a Masters degree through BME's Bachelor's-Accelerated Master's听(BAM) Program.听We asked Maddie to share her study听abroad experience.
Tell us about your Engineers听Abroad experience.听 Where did you go?听
I studied abroad in Madrid, Spain my Spring semester of my junior year. I lived in a 10-person apartment in the heart of Madrid and had my own bedroom. I studied at a school called Carlos III University which was a 30-minute听train听ride from downtown Madrid.听
What did you study?听 Why were you interested in this country/program?听
While I was abroad, I took one engineering course and three Spanish culture courses.听 Since many of the BME-specific classes are semester-specific, I needed to take an equivalent course to "Bioinstrumentation" while abroad so I could graduate on time. I found a class called "The Introduction to the Design of Medical Instrumentation" at Carlos III which was later approved by CU Boulder. I also wanted to go to Spain because I knew a small amount of Spanish and wanted to improve. Additionally, I knew I wanted to travel around Europe and Madrid has a very accessible airport that flies to almost every European country.
What influenced your decision to study abroad?
I've wanted to study abroad my whole life as my parents and friends said it was one of the best things they had done. My main goal was to travel around Europe since that is something I'd never done before.听
Do you feel that your experience has enhanced your academic/career prospects?
While abroad, I had the opportunity to design, manufacture, and test an electrocardiograph machine. This project enhanced many engineering technical skills. I also learned certain topics that were听not covered in CU Boulder's Bioinstrumentation. For example, a large part of my class focused on signals and signal processing. This added knowledge has made my current classes more manageable, as I have already seen the information. In addition, I was able to learn from various Spanish professors who were currently working in biotechnology and research. I felt that I learned about the field of biomedical engineering outside of the US and understood how prominent it is in other countries as well.听
Has studying abroad impacted your graduation timeline?
No, it did not. I am still able to finish my undergraduate degree in 4 years since I took an equivalent to Bioinstrumentation. I knew I wanted to go abroad, so I saved my free electives to be taken
then.
Why do you think students should study abroad?
I think students should study abroad because it is an opportunity to live/travel abroad without the crazy prices. I highly recommend it as an engineer because it gives you a break from the tremendous course load at CU. Even though I was taking an engineering class in Madrid, we only had two tests and no homework, so I had more time to travel and explore Madrid.
What might you tell a student who is considering studying abroad?听 What should they be considering?
You should be planning from the moment you start school. Since the BME curriculum is rigorous, it is important to stay on track and save your free electives for when you study abroad.听
What were some of the most memorable aspects of your time abroad? Anything else you鈥檇 like to share?
My favorite part was traveling. I went to 7 countries and visited a bunch of super cool cities. Some of the cities I went to were听Lisbon, Florence, Barcelona, Mallorca, London, Amsterdam, Cinque Terre, Nice, Ibiza, and the Canary Islands. The food is also amazing and not nearly as expensive as it is in the US. I didn't know anybody studying in Madrid, so I would go on weekend trips with my friends in other countries which was super fun. Also,听as a shopping fanatic, Madrid has some of the best shopping in the world; such good shopping that I had to buy another suitcase on my way home! Madrid also has amazing nightlife and there is always something to do.听