Author: Javier Chavez | Major: Computer Science & Math | Semester: Spring 2025

Women’s Barcelona vs. Real Madrid Match

My name is Javier Chavez, and I am a student in the College of Engineering and Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics. In the spring of 2025, I participated in a University of Arkansas exchange program at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid in Madrid, Spain.

I fell in love with the magnificent city that is Madrid long ago when my older sister had studied there some seven or eight years prior, and I knew ever since then that I had to follow in her footsteps. From attending one of the leading research universities in Spain to meeting people unique backgrounds, I found myself immersed in a bustling and vibrant city with such profound history that not one single street could contain alone the story of Madrid.

I began my first semester at the University of Arkansas knowing that someday I would get the opportunity to study abroad in another part of the world. I had the dream and all I had to do was put in the effort towards making it a reality. I worked diligently and pursued many different avenues, even taking on an additional major such as Mathematics to open more doors for my academic and professional future. Alongside my passion for Madrid, I knew that UC3M offered a prestigious level of education perfectly aligned for with career goals. While there I took courses required by my degree, classes such as Artificial Intelligence and Computer Networks. What I found to be interesting about my studies while there was the range of topics across the multitude of classes offered. I took an incredible course focused solely on the historical architecture and remnants of Pompeii and Herculaneum following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. I gained insight into the Spanish judicial system through a course about the Spanish Constitution. I even delved into the ongoing humanitarian and political struggles of the Palestinian people through a class taught almost entirely through Middle Eastern cinema from across the decades since its initial strife, introducing me to a new and deeply human perspective on the whole dilemma.

Through my university, I was able to make long lasting relationships with people from across the world. With them, I traveled to multiple locations, both in and out of Spain. Places such as the Eastern Mediterranean coastline of Spain where Spanish is just one among many of the native tongues spoken there. From the beautiful rolling hills of Andalusia to the vibrant city of Barcelona; from the mesmerizing waters of Marseille to the staggering mountains and lakes of Northern Italy. I was left in awe and with an even greater desire to see more of the world.

But none of these places could ever outshine my beautiful homebase: Madrid. Living in the heart of the city, I had everything at my disposal. If I wanted to go shopping, I had at least two Zaras within a five-to-ten-minute walk from where I lived. I could simply walk down the glorious street of Gran Vía and find myself standing before an authentic Egyptian temple, with the Spanish royal place nearby. It is the Spanish way to live with good food and good times, whether that’s at a tapas bar with friends or having at picnic at El Retiro as the sun goes down, no moment was ever wasted.