Did you know that Warwick offers study abroad opportunities outside of term time? Well, I didn’t, not until the end of my second year of university.
If you’d told me last year that I’d be trying my hand at becoming a travel writer, I’d have probably started asking a million questions about where I’d been and what I’d seen. Having discovered a real bug for travelling towards the end of my time in school, I decided that, with a year out between sixth form and university, I’d go to as many places as possible; original, I know. So, I started planning, looking at pretty cottages in Marseilles and fortnights in Rome.
If I tell you the year was 2020, you can probably guess what happened next.
Every plan I’d had fell through and, rather than swimming in open waters and trying exotic food, I ended up working in a pharmacy for a year; sticking swabs up people’s noses and wearing a stuffy mask that smelt of hand gel.
But the itching for travel never went away.
At the end of my second year of university, I decided it was time to do something about it. So, after seeing a poster in the Faculty of Arts building offering two weeks study abroad in Barcelona, I jumped at the opportunity. Not only was I already off to Tenerife for my 21st celebrations, planning a romantic getaway to Amsterdam and Bruges before a weekend to Paris with my family, but I could finally travel solo as well? This summer was shaping up to be the gap year that never was.
Travelling solo was tricky, and I only did it for two weeks! All those YouTube travel vlogs made it look so easy jetting off for months on end. But this was me tiptoeing into travelling alone. And I’ll be honest- it was scary!
After months of planning, securing a university-funded bursary and packing everything into my trusty hand luggage, it was time to head to the airport. Now, our flights to Amsterdam just a month before hadn’t exactly been straightforward. With cancellations and panic attacks, it wasn’t exactly a reassurance for when I’d have to do it all again by myself. But it was all easy-peasy, and before I knew it, I was on a plane. To Barcelona. Alone.
To calm my nerves, I started to think about my course. Warwick partners with universities abroad to offer two or four-week courses over the summer. Having been interested in Law before applying for my degree in English Literature, I decided to try my hand at a course delving into the relationship between Art and Law. I had always thought about studying in this area, whether this was choosing my A-Level subjects or even my degree, but I suppose the real reason that I never pursued it was I didn’t feel quite clever enough.
Two weeks of studying with no expectation to be good cleared this up, though, allowing me to explore a subject I’d read so much about in a zero-pressure atmosphere. I loved learning about all of the reasons why we have certain rules in place, seeing how people pushed against these rules throughout history and learning how to debate in a succinct, persuasive way. The tutor was kind and patient and answered all of my many questions in detail. Not only did I get to experience a beautiful city, but I reignited an interest in something that my fifteen-year-old self would be proud of. Who knows: perhaps, because of this trip, I’ll study this field in more depth and even make a career out of it.
Now, about that beautiful city. If you ever get the chance to go to Barcelona there a few things that I definitely recommend and some that I wouldn’t believe the tour guide books about.
La Ramblas is the most famous street in Barcelona. Blogs about the place boast street parties and markets and human statues and souvenirs. But in my experience, it’s the perfect place to get your phone swiped. Yes, the street is beautiful, framed with trees and bustling but there’s nothing all that exciting about that one street. While it’s worth a visit if you ever go, don’t confine yourself to the busy areas. Every street holds something new and exciting, and the quieter ones were often where I found the best spots to eat.
I had two favourite spots. And one spot that was incredible but should come with a warning.
The first was a tiny little tapas and wine bar called El Trencadis de l’Eixample that myself and Bex, a fellow Warwick student who I met through a group chat set up before the trip, stumbled upon on our first night. The man working there was so sweet, topping up our two glasses. One red, one white. And served potentially the second best patatas bravas we had in the two weeks we were there. The best were from Bo de B, a sandwich shop that allows you to fill a freshly baked baguette with a huge variety of salad, meats and cheeses. Oh, and patatas bravas. Don’t forget the patatas bravas.
The third place I want to mention is a bottomless sushi bar down by the seafront. While the food was delicious, and had plenty of veggie options, our eyes were certainly bigger than our bellies and be warned – its €2 extra on the bill for every piece you don’t finish. We may or may not have resorted to stuffing a few bits in a bag before we went.
Special mentions go to Parc Guell, Casa Batlló and Mercado de La Boqueria for some pretty special days out.
Not only did we get to study while we were away, but the university provided extracurricular activities, too. I went for yoga at sunset, which we ended up doing in the gorgeous Ciutadella park located just next to the university, and a group paddleboarding session. Also on offer were food and drink tours of the city, parties and art experiences.
Overall, this was one of the best things I’ve gotten out of my time at Warwick, giving me a surge of independence as well as a bunch of amazing stories to tell. I would wholly recommend this programme. It is perfect for if you are nervous about travelling abroad alone, with it being such a short period of time and there being something to keep you busy while you’re away! You might also discover a passion for something you never knew you had, all while seeing a beautiful new city and meeting amazing people.
If you’re interested in participating in an experience like this one, check out this webpage:
or contact student mobility using this form:
https://warwick.ac.uk/services/studentopportunity/studentmobility/about/contact/contactform
Now, I just need to decide where to go next!