Beth K. - Granada, Spain - Spring 2014
Because
of lovely Chicago weather, I arrived in Spain nearly a day later than planned.
After three flights, a night in Miami, and lots of time spent at airports, I
was finally in Granada. The anticipation of studying abroad can be very
nerve-wracking and extremely exciting. I think the most important thing is to
have an open mind and a willingness to learn (and you will learn a lot!). My
first 48 hours were filled with getting to know my brand new friends and our
new home. We have students from all over the States and from many different
backgrounds, but our common experience here as a bunch of college kids who left
home for four months to explore and learn together here in Spain created an
automatic bond. This city is such a wonderful mix of hustle and bustle and
beautiful views of the Alhambra (an old Muslim palace) and the Sierra Nevada
mountains. This past weekend our group visited Toledo and Madrid and, while
beautiful, I felt so sure that I chose the perfect place to study. I couldn’t be more thrilled to call this city
my home for the next four months. Studying abroad truly is an unforgettable
experience and amazing opportunity. Best of luck to those of you planning your
own adventures and feel free to ask me any questions whatsoever!
Beth
posted by Alice N at 3/03/2014 05:16:00 PM
7 Comments:
That seems like a tough way to start off traveling abroad. However, now it sounds like a great time. -Colin Clark
Hello,
I'm sure it was frustrating being delayed at such an exciting time! It also sounds like you got started site seeing right away, how exciting! I am in CPP 250 and am planning my own study abroad trip to Spain right now. I hope you are enjoying your time there and I look forward to reading more of your blogs!
-Libby Stephens
Hola,
I'm looking at studying abroad in the fall in Chile. Have you found it easy to adapt to the school schedule? Also, was it easy to find and register for classes that were just for electives? Gracias. Tenga un buen día :)
Rebekah S.
Hola Rebekah!
I'm sure it's different with different programs for selecting classes. I am with Arcadia University and I basically chose eight classes before I left, but I didn't know my classes for sure until I had taken a Spanish placement exam my first day here. I'm a Com major with a Spanish minor so my five classes here are mostly working towards the minor or some Gen Eds. As far as the schedule, its kind of awful! Haha I had no say in the times for my classes, so I have long breaks in between. Luckily, there's always someone to grab coffee or churros con chocolate with :)
I hope you all have a wonderful time preparing and studying abroad! It's truly an indescribable experience. Let me know if you have any more questions about Spain or traveling!!
Hello,
Granada seems like a beautiful place to visit. Good to know that you are meeting a lot of new people. I just wanted to know about your culture shock. How did you handle it?
Thanks,
Elizabeth R.
CPP 250
Hello,
I am planning to study in Granada, Spain in the Fall with Arcadia myself, so I am so excited to hear all the ups and downs you are having while abroad [hopefully more ups :) ]
I was wondering what were some of the first things you experienced your culture shock when arriving to Spain?
Thanks,
Melissa Betance
Melissa- You're going to love being with Arcadia in Granada! Our program directors are fabulous and so incredibly helpful. My group has about 20 students and it feels like a little family away from home so there's always someone to go to!
Melissa and Elizabeth- The culture shock for me was pretty similar to what you'lll hear probably about a thousand times haha. I think it was pretty mild though because I knew what to expect and how to cope with it. My first week I definitely had the "honeymoon" phase and everything and everyone was wonderful. Now I still feel that way, but I'm also very aware of the big differences (meal times are very late, going out with friends happens very late, shops are never open early or on Sundays at all, etc.)
I'm sure everyone experiences the culture shock differently, but I think that all of the new things are much easier to get used to with an open mind.
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