Your student accommodation gives you the key to one of the capital’s most exclusive neighbourhoods. On weekends, discover treasures including prehistoric cave paintings and 5th Century Iberian sculptures at Museo Arqueológico Nacional. Indulge in a spot of window-shopping on Salamanca’s Serrano and Ortega y Gasset streets – where you’ll find a bevy of designer stores, including Spanish icons Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada and Manolo Blahnik. Spend the afternoon exploring Parque del Buen Retiro’s fantasy maze of lakes, glasshouses, sculptures and fountains, before meeting your friends for tapas at La Maruca.

At Tagaste Madrid, you’re three minutes’ walk from your nearest bus stop, and a six-minute walk from Goya metro station which will take you to both Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Univerisdad Politécnica de Madrid in around half an hour. Wake up in your comfy bed, freshen up with a shower in your ensuite bathroom, then rifle through your wardrobe for something to wear. When you’re ready, grab your books from your study desk and wave to the receptionist on your way out the door. If you’ve got time, start your day with coffee and Portuguese pastries at popular local cafe Pastelería Lisboa.

After lectures, ride the elevator up to your air-conditioned room, then use the Wi-Fi to send a quick email home. Afterwards, curl up in front of your in-room TV, or if you’ve got assignments to do, head to one of the study rooms instead. Use the books in the library for research, then make your way to the computer room to print your work. When you’re finished, drop a load of washing off at the laundry room, then meet friends in the lounge where you’ll find comfy couches perfect for relaxing.

Later, keep in shape with a session in the gym, or opt for a few laps of the heated pool instead. When dusk begins to fall, head up to the rooftop deck to catch the last few rays on a sunlounger or admire the view from the jacuzzi. In the evening, call up your friends on your in-room telephone, then head down to the communal dining area for dinner. Organise a movie marathon in the theatre room, or a night out to nearby Nuevo Teatro Alcalá – home to plays, concerts and Broadway musicals.