I spent last semester studying abroad in Valencia, Spain. It was one of the most difficult yet most rewarding decisions I have ever made.
I really enjoyed my time and learned a lot in the past few months, so I thought I would share some of my reflections.
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STudying abroad was different than i thought
Compared to my preconceptions, studying abroad isn’t easier or harder, just different. My classes were easier, but I’m not sure if that was because of the program or just the fact that it was a study abroad course. Either way, I’m back on campus this semester and already drowning in work.
It was also harder than expected to find my routine. Even by the end of the program, I didn’t really have one. If there’s something new I wanted to try, I just found space in my schedule and did it.
However, studying abroad was so different from my life at Penn State, where I usually have my weekly workout classes, work, club meetings and more. I also barely felt any homesickness, which is something that really makes me happy. For me, that means I was able to really enjoy my experience.
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i have learned so much, but that doesn’t make it all easier
My host parents only spoke Spanish, and all of my classes were Spanish classes (for my major). I can tell that I have learned so much. Everything about my Spanish has improved.
However, it definitely does not make it easier to be speaking my second language all day, and it also made me realize how much slang and expressions I use when I speak in English.
I have also learned so much about other cultures, how things work in different countries, traveling and more. Even though I always knew that things around the world didn’t function the same as they do in the US, it was fun to see the differences in real life and learn from them
For example, no sales tax nor tipping in restaurants.
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making friends was easier than i thought
Since my program was a small amount around 30 people, and everyone was “stuck in the same situation” of only really interacting with their host families and students in the program, everyone was a lot more open to being friends and hanging out spontaneously.
I really liked the fact that there were no solid friend groups, and that even though a lot of people came from the University of Virginia, they weren’t exclusive with their friendships.
At PSU, I interact with a lot of people who spend time with all of their high school friends because they all decided on PSU, which sometimes makes me feel lonely and homesick. However, since everyone here is sort of “on their own” in the sense of location, it was so easy to bond with people.
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it puts your own life into perspective
Even though the U.S. isn’t perfect, living abroad has really made me grateful for my life here. I loved living in Spain, but I’ve learned it’s a lot easier to live there as an American than as a Spaniard.
I also missed some of the things that I am very used to in the US, but aren’t very common or don’t exist in Spain, such as central heating and Chick-fil-A.
I also had the chance to visit countries like Morocco, where the people were incredibly kind, and everything was incredibly cheap for us Americans.
However, I learned a lot about the power of an American dollar, and it makes me grateful to have the opportunities that I have in the U.S. that seem almost impossible for most Moroccans, at least the ones I met in Tangier.
Even in the richer countries, there are so many problems that we just don’t realize or even know about in the US. When you live in or travel to these countries, you really appreciate your life in the US.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve loved every place that I visited, it’s just interesting to learn more about their national problems and see how they compare with my view of the US.
I had a fantastic experience studying abroad, and although I was sad to leave my friends and host family, and for the experience to end, I am also incredibly excited to be back to my usual life in State College.
I would love to have the opportunity to live and work abroad one day, and I sincerely think that this opportunity was just what I needed to dip my toes into this international life and learn so much about the world and independence in general.
To anyone debating whether or not to study abroad, go! Although there will always be ups and downs, I promise that it will be worth it in the end.