One of the most challenging yet rewarding aspects of studying abroad was learning how to become more independent and being okay with being on my own at times. When living back on campus at San Diego, although I was away from home, I knew if I really needed or wanted to go back to see my family I could just catch a plane. Additionally, I had a good amount of friends on campus. In Spain, this wasn’t an option. I didn’t know anybody, and not only was I starting over in a sense with the people I knew, but also with the culture. Overtime, I was able to get over this sense of loneliness and actually enjoy moments where I had time for myself and enjoy my own company. However, it has also led to a greater appreciation to all the new relationships I have made and the relationships I already had with people. Sometimes I think we forget just how valuable relationships and connections are because even if you cannot not physically be with people, knowing you have this support allows us to continue moving forward.
Having never traveled before out of the state, I didn’t realize how enormous the United States was and just how small Spain is in comparison. It’s amazing how in the same time it would take to travel across the same state in the US, being in Europe allows you to travel to a whole another country with a completely different language and culture. Share an unforgettable experience: One of my most unforgettable experiences was my solo trip to Italy where I visited Rome, Florence, Pisa, and Venice. Having never traveled completely on my own, this trip was a bit intimidating to do, however, I got to spend my time there exactly how I wanted and got to visit locations and monuments that I genuinely never thought I’d ever see in my life. Seeing in person with my own eyes works of art such as The Creation of Adam, the David of Michelangelo, or The Birth of Venus was genuinely breathtaking and it has made me have a better appreciation of art. Visiting all the amazing monuments and museums were just moments I cannot ever forget. How did your courses differ from those at UCSD: At UCSD I did not have the opportunity to solely focus on taking Spanish classes because Spanish is not related to my major. However, having completed my major before leaving, I wanted to take advantage of the fact that I could take all my classes in Spanish for my final semester which has helped with the learning process where I do not need to focus on other topics. Spanish classes are solely taught in Spanish without explanations in English, which is how the Spanish classes at UCSD were taught. That being said, I think the Spanish classes at UCSD very well prepared me with the amount of Spanish I knew before coming here. Regarding some of other business classes I took here, I found that the speed of the courses were much slower paced in Spain and less intensive. The culture around homework is definitely emphasized less which I think adds a healthy flow of separating school and a social life.
Having traveled to a couple places within Europe, my view of the United States changed regarding how I look at our transportation systems and our cities are built. It’s amazing how efficient so many of the transportation systems are in several different counties and the fact that a car does not seem like a necessary unlike in the United States. In Europe, cities in general keep their beauty where cities in the US are built on roads and over flooded parking lots. Another thing about being in Spain was my observation of some of the economic issues. In the US many youth begin working in their first job or internship when they turn 16-17, but in Spain, it’s much harder to find a job for youth. Most businesses want people who are more qualified or have a degree, making it harder for younger people to work. And this issue leads to another cycle where younger people have less money, making it harder to move out, which is why I believe it is more common here than in the US for kids to live with their parents much longer as it seems hard to have a stable income for some families.
If you are considering studying abroad and it’s an opportunity you can take, 100% you should go. You learn so much about yourself during the experience and it opens up a perspective to the world that you can only understanding by actually living the experience. A full year abroad may sound intimidating, however, I have heard so many students feeling like they haven’t had enough time by the end and wish they could stay longer as they’ve fallen in love with the culture. I remember when it came to the end of my first semester, I felt like I had just finishing adapting to all the changes, and I couldn’t believe it was almost the end of the program for other students. I believe a full year abroad is the perfect time to fully enjoy your experience because the adaptation phase takes longer than expected.
Overall I felt relatively prepared for studying abroad as I had already taken Spanish classes at UCSD which helped me immensely. I could not imagine coming into the country having no prior language because a year of Spanish classes really built my basic foundation of Spanish, and coming to Spain only further improved my Spanish speaking ability.