I honestly cannot believe
that this is it. Six weeks have just flown by so quickly, and even though I
have seen so many new sights and made many great memories, there is still so
much to do and see. So, what are some pieces of advice I can give to a future
student? I have picked up on some of these nuggets of wisdom as the weeks
passed by, and I hope that future students will benefit from them.
1. Do: Speak to
your host family as much as possible; do not worry about messing up or
embarrassing yourself
In my first
week here, I was super embarrassed to talk in Spanish to my host family, since
I felt that I was making a fool of myself with my limited vocabulary. I did
talk about very basic topics, but did not dare venture into topics that were
more in depth, since I knew I would be stumbling into words that were new to
me. However, as I lived with my family more and became more comfortable, I
began pushing myself to ask more questions, despite the fact that I did not
understand 100% of their responses. What mattered was that I was able to take
the fraction of what I understood, and figure out what the actual meaning was.
With this process, I was able to garner new vocabulary, improve on my listening
and oral skills, and learn more about my family. Sure I still messed up on my
speaking at times and butchered some verb tenses along the way, but my family
was kind enough to point out my mistakes and help me fix them.
2. Do: Bring
formal clothes and attempt to look more like a Spainard and less like a “guiri”
Before
coming to Spain, I knew that people dressed a bit nicer than in the United
States, but was not expecting everyone to look like they came straight off a
runway. Even little babies are rocking the latest fashion trends! Sneakers are
a no no, as well as athletic clothing. In the United States, my preferred
clothing included big t-shirts, athletic shorts, leggings, and flip flops.
However, my world was flipped upside down when I began digging out my skirts,
nice tank tops, and dresses that I barely touched when I was at the university.
I made sure to pack all my nice clothes, thinking that I would need to dress up
once in a while- but in reality, I wore my nice clothes every day, since that is
the style in Spain. I thought that it would be difficult to break away from my normal
routine, but surprisingly, it was not that hard. I learned that putting on a
dress is just as easy as wearing athletic shorts and a t-shirt. With the same
amount of effort and time though, I was able to look a lot more put together
and well dressed. With this new mindset,
I hope to continue staying stylish when I go back to the United States, since
after all, I found out that I have a lot of nice clothes in my closet that I
rarely use!
3. Do: Eat,
eat, eat… and eat more
Spain has
really made me realize my love for food. Before this trip, I was pretty picky
with the foods I liked and did not like, but coming here, I have been a lot
more open with my palate. I have tried a variety of dishes that I thought I
would not enjoy like stuffed eggplant, rabo de toro, a whole plate of
mushrooms, and blood sausage. What really heightened my experience was the food
that my host parents cooked. Every day, I looked forward to eating meals with
them, since the food was always amazing and usually it was something new. Some
of my favorites include zucchini soup, chorizo, seafood paella, and their fish
stuffed with ham. Outside of the meals from my host family, there are of course
tapas. I went out for tapas once or twice a week, and loved the variety of
tapas there were. Some restaurants give you a menu of tapas to choose from,
while others just give you whatever tapa they are serving that day. Tapa time
is a great way to just kick back and relax, get some good drinks with friends,
and eat a meal for a great price. I do not advise you to get tapas every day
and skip meals with your family, because like I previously said, your host
family will have some great food to cook for you that you will not want to miss
out on.
4. Don’t: Skip
out on “Optional” activities provided by CEA- they are fun!
During the
six weeks, there were a multitude of mandatory and optional activities provided
by CEA. The optional activities included a free flamenco dance lesson, a visit
to the caves of Granada, free chocolate con churros, and more. However, even
though these activities were unique and really interesting, there were a
majority of people that did not show up to them. Some people preferred to take
naps, and sleep through the optional activities, while others were just
disinterested in the activities altogether. For me, I attended every activity,
since I thought “why not?” I would probably have never learned a little bit of
flamenco, or known what the “Ciudad de los Ninos” was if I did not. I thought
these activities were enriching, and they were great ways to hang out with
other students in the program. Therefore, I hope that future students take
advantage of these great activities when they come to Spain, because they are
once-in-a-lifetime opportunities!
5.) Don’t: Stay quiet about problems you face with
your host family
Coming to
another country and living with a host family can be very intimidating. For me,
I was worried that they would not like me, and that there would be an
uncomfortable atmosphere due to the language barriers. Fortunately for me, my
family and I got along great- but of course there were a few “conflicts” that I
did face. My parents gave me little talks about the messiness of my room, the
best way to conserve water while I brushed my teeth, and how to not get the
bathroom floor wet while I showered. Of course I was embarrassed when they
called me out on issues that wanted me to stop doing, but these were very minor
conflicts (and plus they were right as well). However, I know that for some
people, there were larger conflicts between them and their host family that
created uncomfortable environments. With CEA, we have the option of changing
host families, or having an advisor talk to the family about the concerns of
the student. However, some students thought that it would be better to stick it
out, rather than voice the issues, no matter how small they were, to an
advisor. I think that interactions with your host family plays a fundamental
role in your study abroad experience, since you are living under the same roof
for six weeks, so I advise that if you do face issues between you and your
family, please tell them to an advisor since they are there to help.
6.) Don’t: Forget your academic obligations, and don’t
forget to have fun!
The workload
for this course is not a joke. Every week there are two journals, a blog entry,
a workbook manual, and a test to complete. Class is four hours long every
weekday, and you will be speaking a lot more Spanish afterwards with your host
family. Therefore, you must not get carried away with the idea that you should “go
wild” in a new country, since you do have obligations to put in the effort into
the course assignments. Do not postpone activities and studying until the very
last day or minute, rather spread out your workload over the week so that you
spend at least 2 hours on homework every night. However, do not dedicate your
entire time here to studying and work. After your homework is done, take time
to treat yourself, and make plans with your friends to try out a new tapa bar,
get ice cream, go shopping in the Albaicin, or more. Also, the nightlife in
Spain is fantastic. Everyone is out in the streets during the weekend, and I
advise that you hit up the bars, discotecas, or just interesting locations
during that time (like El Mirador de San Nicolas). It was during these times
that I had the most fun with friends, since everyone was so relaxed and ready
to have a good time.
I am so
grateful to have had the opportunity to study abroad in Granada, and can truly
say that this city and country is the perfect place for a student. I never once
felt unsafe in the city, the food is absolutely incredible, there are many
interesting places to visit and the way of life here is just so relaxed. It
will be so strange returning back to the United States, and surely I will be
nostalgic for Spain after the first week of being back. However, I know that I
have learned much after living in a foreign country for six weeks, and will
never forget this amazing trip.
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