studying abroad in Spain

[roadrunner08]

Hello,

I've become an avid listener to both the notes from spain and notes in spanish podcasts. Myself and a few others will be studying in Spain for the 2007-2008 school year and we are begining our initial preparations. As all of us are cookie-cutter american college kids we really don't know anything about Spain beside what can be read in travel books. I was hoping that someone could inform us on what locations would be the best to study abroad, maybe strengths and weaknesses of some popular study abroad cities? (i.e. Granada, Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Salamanca...)

I would love to hear some personal experiences, i.e. something that frommer's guide couldn't tell you about Madrid, Seville, etc.

Also, what socio-cultural customs should I be aware of that, once again, I wouldnt think of as a typical american?

Ben I don't know if study abroad in Spain would be an appropriate podcast, or portion of a podcast, but I know a bunch of college kids would love to hear your take on it!

Derek
Texas A&M University

[Ben]

Hi Derek, and welcome to the forums!
A few people have requested a similar podcast to this, sooner or later we'll get to it I promise!
Meanwhile, here are a few of my ideas on the places you mention above as possible places to study:
Granada: A small city but so much fun you won't believe it, loads of students to party with, great Andalucian fiestas, the beach an hour or less away, fulll to the brim with culture, skiing just up the road in winter (it is cold in winter here)... this would be very high up my list. I have an English friend that studied here for 9 months and he had the time of his life.

Madrid: You will be out partying a lot. All the benefits (and disadvantages) or a thriving capital city. No-one dislikes Madrid.

Barcelona: Great cosmopolitan city bursting with nightlife and culture, near to the mountains and great beaches... but, you may have to take classes in Catalan - make sure you check this first.

Seville is small and very Andalusian. It's too hot in summer, but warm in winter... I'm not sure this would be near the top of my list for a study year, but then that's just me, other's will tell you it's the best city in the world...

Salamaca is student heaven, one of the biggest university towns in Spain. It's small, so you will get to know everyone. If you are looking for classic provincial small-town Spain rather than a big city then this is the one to consider.

Personally, if I only had one year, I would go for Granda with Madrid a very close second. If you prefer the idea of a capital city, then put Madrid first, but this is purely subjective!

Also, what socio-cultural customs should I be aware of that, once again, I wouldnt think of as a typical american?

I'll leave this for others to comment on, and hopefully to add more to what I have written above. Let us know how the decision making process goes!

[timg]

I studied for 2 months solid in Salamanca at ISLA (http://www.learningspanish-spain.com/). I liked it so much and the school was so good I went back for another month soon after and have been back again several for times (usually before taking exams). I have also used their school in Barcelona (where they teach castellano - though you can learn catalan if you want). However, I preferred Salamanca - it seems more intimate. Also in Barcelona you are surrounded by catalan and not castellano.
This school (in common with many others) has small class sizes, very professional teachers, and arranges many extra-curricular activities (weekend trips, sports, city introduction tours, tapas tours). This particular school has ties with several UK and US high schools. All the staff are brilliant.
Salamanca is a small city with a lot of charm. Some good bars, some good clubs, a good tapas area (Van Dyck), a few cinemas. Personally I preferred it to Barcelona, though we tagged a trip to Barcelona on the end of one stay so we could get to see some of the architecture. Salamanca has the wonderful Casa Lis (http://www.museocasalis.org/) (except for the scary doll collection!).
The only downside to Salamanca - no Corte Inglés!
One thing I have been told (though I have no personal experience) is that studying in the equivalent classes at the University of Salamanca is not so good - class sizes are bigger and the teachers are not so interested. However, that is just hearsay.
Whatever you choose, I'm sure you will all have a great time.
Tim

[Brian]

I was able to study in Madrid during the summer of my senior year, and I wouldn't trade that experience for anything. The nice thing about weekends is that you can *travel* independently and relatively inexpensively. The nice thing about being in Madrid, you can take off in any direction, since it's so centrally located. I took trips to Salamanca, Segovia, Ávila, Burgos, Valencia/Gandia/Denia, Toledo, and a few more.

I would also recommend getting away from the crush of American students, which will be a bit reluctant to immerse themselves in Spanish culture. Most will want to hang out together and eat at McDonalds. But, you'll find that your time abroad is much more rewarding when you take the time to strike out on your own. Lots of days, after classes, I would just walk to the nearest bus stop and take the bus into town to explore, walk around, breathe in the culture.

Enjoy whichever city that you choose, you lucky guy! :)

[nybryan]

Hey there!

I'm a transplanted New Yorker from Colorado and studied in Alcala de Henares (a suburb of Madrid) for 5 months in 2003 while in college. I would say Madrid is a wonderful place to study abroad!

Madrid offers everything in terms of museums, parks, theaters, culture, history and food. It's a great sampling of the best Spain has to offer, especially if you're only going to live in Spain for a few months.

What's more, Madrid is centrally located. It's easy to take day trips to Salamanca, Segovia, Toledo and other cities not too far away. Plus, it's easy to take weekend trips from Madrid to anywhere in Spain, including Galicia, Pais Vasco, Valencia and Andalucia.

If you want to experience the Spanish culture first hand, I would definitely suggest signing up for an intercambio. When I studied at the Universidad de Alcala, there were bulletin boards in the student halls with intercambio lists for students. You put your email on the list, or email a Spaniard who has put their name on the list. Then you meet up to talk in English/Spanish. I made my best friends through intercambios and we still keep in touch to this day by phone/email/instant messaging.

A group of my Spanish friends came out to New York last summer to visit me here, and I went back to Madrid last August to visit them. So I would recommend signing up for an intercambio.

Spain has sooo much to offer. You are so lucky to be going over there. A few quick things that I learned about Spanish culture that surprised me as an American: (1) Spaniards typically kiss each other upon greeting on each cheek (Americans have much more a sense of personal space that's different in Spain, don't be offended if you feel people invading your personal space) (2) The main meal for Spaniards is at lunchtime around 2pm/3pm (dinner is a light meal around 9pm/10pm) (3) Spaniards in general are very up to date with current events/politics/news... and they love talking about it (unlike many times in the U.S. where people tend not to discuss religion/politics in public, which I think is unfortunate)

I hope this helps you somewhat. Enjoy your time in Spain!!! Buena suerte y que te diviertas al maximo!

Un Saludo :)

[ValenciaSon]

Hey Roadrunner,

Maybe if your schedule permits, you could keep the forum up to date on your adventures in Spain as you experience them. It could be an interesting read both concurrently and retrospectively. It could also be a great resource for others in the future who are embarking on a similar adventure.

[Roberto]

Hola, Derek!

I'm glad to hear that you want to study in Spain for the year. It was the best thing I ever did in my life.

I am prejudiced because I studied in Madrid for the full academic year. As a college student I think it is the best place to be. For example, one of my
classes was an art class. We studied at the university but had a tutor twice a week at the Museo del Prado (you can't do that from Salamanca or Granada). In Madrid everything you could imagine is at your finger tips and you can get anywhere you need to from Madrid very easily. At night there is so much to do, so much variety around every corner. And for your studies there are so many cool resources in the city (libraries, museums, etc.).

I was able to go to the beach on weekend or get out into the mountains. You can ski immediately out of Madrid. Kilometro 0 is located in the Puerta del Sol. This is the marker from which the major roads radiate out into spain (like spokes on a wheel). So, you are litteraly at the center of everything.

You also want to consider what you want out of a program. I got my degree from Cornell College in Iowa; however, I chose the Marquette en Madrid program for my junior year because it was taught entirely in Spanish at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. We had the same professors that the Spanish students had. We also were on campus with the Spanish students and coud make friends and hang out at the student hot spots.

Since you are in college I assume you are a Spanish major planning your junior year abroad. I'm sure you are going through all the brochures availble at your school's language department and have talked to your advisor in the Spanish department. You may also want to talk to students from your own school who have already studied in spain.

I suggest you figure out what you want from a program first then decidie on location. Find the programs that you like best and talk to your advisor, then apply. All programs have different expectations.

Good luck at let us all know what you decide!

Hasta luego, tio!

Roberto

P.S. Tio in this sense doesn't mean uncle. You would say this to a friend or very casually (informally) to another male.

[roadrunner08]

Wow, thanks for the awesome responses! I forgot to mention that Pamplona, Alicante and Santiago are on the radar for possibilities. Anyone had experiences there...? How about the nightlife in these places, or does anyone think a particular city has the best? Beautiful women and plenty of places to drink is never a bad thing.


Also, I'm an avid runner/triathlete. Do they have gyms in Spain, or in general, what are their exercise habits like?

Again thanks for the responses, I really enjoyed reading them!




(concerning the travel log, I do plan on keeping one and I would feel privileged if anyone would want to read it! I wont be leaving until next July but I would love to leave notes in the forums telling of interesting experiences once I get to Spain, good suggestion!)

Derek
Texas A&M University

[Ben]

Beautiful women and plenty of places to drink is never a bad thing.

Any city, town or village in Spain then!
:cheers:

Also, I'm an avid runner/triathlete. Do they have gyms in Spain, or in general, what are their exercise habits like?

There are lots of gyms, lots of Sport going on everywhere, you sholuld be able to join a club without any trouble.

...I wont be leaving until next July but I would love to leave notes in the forums telling of interesting experiences once I get to Spain, good suggestion!

Great!

[JamesW]

Hi Derek

Interesting to read your question as I'm in much the same boat. I'm a New Zealander, in Wellington at the moment, and moving to Spain in October to learn Spanish and want to keep up with triathlon training too (not to mention "beautiful women and plenty of place to drink").

I want to be in a decent-sized, lively city, but I've ruled out Madrid because it will be too cold over winter to train and I've heard it's not a cycling friendly place at all. I've ruled out Barcelona because I want to be surrounded by Spanish, not Catalan.

That pretty much leaves Valencia or Seville of the big cities. I'm erring towards Seville, basically because it sounds more exotic, and it's warmish over winter. On the other hand, could be good to be in Valencia to watch the Kiwis take back the America's Cup next year....

I'd be interested if anyone had any comparison between these two as a place to live. Either way, I'll make sure I let you know what I discover. I take it you mean July 2007 for your departure?

Cheers
James

[roadrunner08]

James,

Sounds like you're pretty set on Seville, however I know that Pamplona is supposed to have an awesome 62 mile bike trail that forms a circumference around the city, and there is supposed to be a fairly large scene of endurance sport enthusiasts, or so I've read.

Its in the basque country near the pyrennes so it's probablly colder than most other cities in Spain, (I would assume anyway). I live in Texas in the U.S. not too far from Mexico, so I would welcome cool/cold weather moreso than some one who lives in a colder climate. i.e. New Zealand

Anyway Pamplona sounds like a neat university town, maybe someone else has some info/personal experiences concerning the town? I know isadirect.com has a semi-independent program for studies there. Good luck with your search and keep us up to date!

Oh and I don't think the kiwi's will be taking back anything of the sort next year in valencia :)

Derek

[TrickyDicky]

Remember that they don't speak proper Spanish in Seville - they speak andaluz, a very heavy dialect. It is comprehensible, but only just. An andalucian friend of mine living in Madrid used to say that whenever she said something and got the inevitable, "¿Que?" she would wait a couple of seconds, and normally then the person would understand what it was that she had said.
Seriously, though, both Seville and Valencia have great architecture, great night life and are not too cold in the winter.

[norcald]

Hola Amigos!

I am planning a trip next summer to Madrid Next summer (2007) for about one month! I've been saving up every cent of my money for this! So I've been to Spain once before only for about a 4 days in Marbella (this was last year). It was nice but kind of touristy but i still fell in love with everything! So i found this cool exchange company called World Link Education. This company provides various cities for you to choose to study in for any amount of time you want at any time of the year! HOw cool is that?! You have the choice of staying with a host family of on campus. I'm probably going to stay with a host family because i will be forced to speak more spanish but what do u guy s recommend? So anyways, check out this awsome site: www.wle-spain.com (http://www.wle-spain.com). This website is for exchange programs in spain. You also have the choice of study anywhere in the world with this company! www.worldlink-education.com (http://www.worldlink-education.com) is their site that shows all the places you can study. Give me feedback of whether to stay with a host family of on campus and how much you like or dislike the website! Hasta Luego TIOS!

Mitch

[Rezza]

Hi, I'm going to Madrid too, in february to study at EUI UPM ;) I'm really looking for some information about city, school - like a public transport etc. and especially accomodation. They don't have their own student residences :( So I'll need some help...

I'm really looking forward:)

[Marina]

Hi Rezza,

So you are going to study computers science while you stay in Madrid, seems like a great plan!!

If you are looking for a shared flat loquo (http://madrid.loquo.com/)is a good site.

Regarding public transport do you have any specific questions?
There are a few good websites for general info:
Trains: Renfe (http://www.notesfromspain.com/forums/www.renfe.es/)
Subway: Metro (http://www.metromadrid.es/)
Buses: EMT (http://www.notesfromspain.com/forums/www.emtmadrid.es/index.html?lang=eng)

[Mike_2]

Hi Derek - One difference that I have found between the US and Spain (and Europe in general) is that Spain is all about urban living, which is something that a lot of americans are not used to. Of course, when I travel I tend to visit big cities, so I may have a biased opinion. When I visited my friend's house in Granada there was a grocery store, a bakery, a little hardware store, and a cafeteria, all within a few blocks. In the mornings we would walk down the street for pan con tomate or curros and cafe. While we were in Granada, we went to the little hardware store for something and the lady behind the counter found what we were looking for- it took all of 2 minutes. Here in the states, I would have to drive 20 minutes to the Home Depot, and spend another 30 minutes digging through parts bins to find what I want. Of course, there are some negative aspects about city life too, like having the telepizza guy zipping down the road on his motor bike at 2 am, right under your bedroom window! Do they even sell mufflers for those things in spain? ;D

[valevale]

Hi Derek,

I'm also planning to study abroad for 2007-2008. I'm choosing Complutense in Madrid...pretty much because I loved it. I studied Spanish in Madrid for 7 weeks during this past summer (elementary Spanish...i.e. Span 2/3), and discovered that seven weeks is NOT enough.

The other reason I'm leaning towards Complutense is because they offer a wide variety of courses, especially in the biological/psychobiological sciences. There are only a few universities that I can do through my school's program (and I HAVE to do it through my school because it will be my fourth year), and UCM's curriculum best applies to requirements I need to fulfill.

But of course you don't HAVE to take major courses while abroad. :) You should definitely go somewhere fun. I go to school in LA, but the city-feel I get from Madrid is definitely different. I loved the metro system (pub transportation in LA is horrible), the various barrios that each have a different feel, las discotecas, and so much more.

My second choice was Granada (because I had a friend who studied there and loved it.)

Good luck with choosing!

Kristina