This month, we’ll be featuring stories from UBC students who had a recent Study Abroad experience every week as our Campus Celebrities. Look out for this section every week for travelling advice, personal stories and helpful insight into what having an exchange experience is all about! Go Global deadlines to apply for exchange next year are November 28th, 2013 and January 17th, 2014. We hope we’ll help you make a decision if you’re considering going on exchange!
Tori Quan is a fourth-year Spanish Major at UBC. She recently returned to campus this semester after going on exchange to the University of Granada in Spain this year!
Have you ever dreamt of gallivanting around European cities? Engaging in cultural festivities you’ve never experienced before? Or maybe, you just really need an excuse to update your current city on Facebook? With impending Go Global deadlines, you may find yourself considering an opportunity to embark upon an adventure to a foreign country and engage in a little escapade for a semester or two. Tori Quan began her enthralling adventure in the charming little town of Granada, located in Spain, a frivolous little city rich in both history and culture. From immersing herself in Spanish culture to celebrating St, Partrick’s day in Ireland, Tori’s experience is emblematic of a well-rounded study abroad experience. So whether you’re a travel novice or a worldly traveler, studying abroad is definitely something worth considering! Here are her stories, adventures and advice to prospective students.
Decision-Making
As a Spanish major, Spain was the ultimate destination for Tori in her third year. She explained that “Only Barcelona and Granada had programs that were solely for studying the actual Spanish language. I actually did study abroad, but it is slightly different because you’re an international student, in an international program, studying the actual Spanish language.” When it comes to picking the perfect destination, she says you can immediately narrow down your options by asking this question: Am I going for the cultural experience of a new country, or for academic purposes? This will help you decide whether you want to make the academic program a priority, or the choice of country.
Applying and Getting There
Here’s a tip: Start early with the application stuff! Going to a foreign country means, first and foremost, planning ahead. The process involved in getting to Granada was a lengthy one for Tori – the endless list included obtaining a visa, packing to get across the world, finding accommodation, selecting suitable classes and researching the city… Which doesn’t even scratch the surface! Lucky for her though, it was really easy to find accomodation in Spain. She disclosed that “it’s not as scary as it sounds – you get there, stay at a hotel for a few days, and there are guiding signs everywhere.” Despite the hassle involved, it’s definitely worth it. Tori recommends this site: www.loquo.est – the Spanish equivalent of Craigslist!
But it wasn’t all so easy. Tori revelaed that “getting to Granada was the most ridiculous thing in life.” She faced the first of a series of obstacles in her hometown. Toronto, where a massive thunderstorm had caused a severe delay in her flight and consequently ended up missing her flight to Madrid as well her her flight to Granada. But there was a silver lining: Tori had the privilege of spending an entire day in London where she got to do some sightseeing! A pleasant blessing in disguise.
Exploring Granada and Getting Around
So what’s the best way to live and breathe the city of Granada? This involves entirely immersing yourself in Spanish culture, and perhaps even abandoning public transport for a day or two. Tori explains that walking around is the best way to explore and lose yourself in the city. You can walk around the entire city in a little over an hour. When asked about her general perception of Granada, Tori gleamed with a smile and revealed “Granada is beautiful, very enchanting little city. It has a lot of influences from Morocco and there’s a whole Arab quarter and Moroccan Market – it’s very mixed culture!” Granada also happens to be home to the top tourist attraction in Spain, The Alhambra – a combination of a fortress, a palace and a government city, this captivating complex is a beautiful piece of historic architecture. When you have a magnifcent, unique and somewhat overhwhelimg city spread out before you, exploring it solo could be a very rewarding experience as well! Scroll down to see some facinating photos of Granada.
Spanish musicians in the Albyzín
A part of Granada’s infamous Alhambra!
El Centro, Granada
On the next page: Tori’s take on culture shock, friendships, academics at her exchange university and snapshots from her travels around Europe!
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Culture Shock and Friendships
While there’s always the shock of the new, Tori assures us that the phenemenon of culture shock wears off eventually. It was clear from the get-go that things were done differently in Granada. Citing siesta’s as one of the biggest culture shocks of her experience, eventually Tori got used to the hazy, easygoing lifestyle. She explains that “everything is a lot more chilled and unscheduled. In the middle of everyday they shut everything down for siesta’s between two to four, and nothing is functioning in the whole country.” This includes schools, stores, banks. Siestas are meant for afternoon naps.
Reverse culture shock, on the other hand, was slightly more overwhelming. Slipping back into North American culture was definitely something she had to get used to after her trip came to an end!
For Tori, meeting new people and making lifelong friendships was the highlight of her entire experience in Granada. So, becoming insta-friends with other exchange students was pretty straight-forward. However, when meeting locals, there’s definitely a language barrier if you don’t speak Spanish, as English is not spoken by most of the population – so any prospective students should definitely be mindful of this!
Tori and her friends in Ireland!
Academics
When asked about classes, Tori revealed that classes were fairly easy. She went on to say, “professors would sometimes cancel classes or wouldn’t show up for classes, or be really late for classes. We also had no school on Fridays.” During siesta, classes would also come to halt to make room for an afternoon nap. So clearly, the University of Granada has a very laid-back, easy-going framework.
Traveling around Europe
One of the benefits of going on exchange in a European city is the ease at which you can travel around the continent! Tori got to visit some of the most charming, historic, and unique places in Europe, and backpacking across it was one of her most memorable experiences. In January, she decided to travel across the continent to discover as many of the wonderful European cities as possible. From beautiful Rome, to the picturesque castles of Germany and the cheerful pubs of Ireland, travelling from one destination to another was a fairly easy process due to the well-organized infrastructure of the region. Tori explained that it is important to pick a mode of travel. Travelling by train is cheap and fairly effiicent method to get across numerous European cities, and the recent availability of cheap flights has also made air travel an affordable means of getting from one city to another! Here are some snapshots of some of the coolest destinations Tori got to visit:
The Piazzo Popolo, Rome
Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany – the inspiration behind Disneyland’s ‘Sleeping Beauty’s castle!
Sitting on a mountain top in Galway, Ireland!
Final Reflections
At times your experience might be frustrating, but exchange could be one of the most formative experiences of your life. Tori offered some wonderful advice: “be willing to do the work to get there – it’s not an easy process but its completely worth it. Sometimes people don’t want to do it because they’re afraid. it is scary, but you have get over it. You have to have confidence and be very open-minded.”
So here you have it, Tori’s experience abroad uncovered! For more tips and anecdotes, check out Tori’s blog: http://travelingthroughwithtori.blogspot.ca/