Study abroad in Malta with ISEP at the University of Malta. The university is located in Msida, which is a suburb of Valletta. Valletta is the capital of the Republic of Malta, and is easily accessible from the school, granting access...
ISEP invites students from around the world to come study abroad in Spain at the Universidad de Malaga! The university offers coursework in a large number of fields, but is particularly strong in the fields of Spanish, Classical and...
ISEP offers this exciting exchange opportunity for US college students at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan. Three unique programs are available for either the spring or fall semesters, or for a full academic year.
The Intensive...
ISEP offers the chance for students to exchange at Icesi University in Colombia. Icesi University is located in Cali, Colombia, in the prosperous Cauca Valley region, and has great programs in business, humanities and engineering....
Study abroad with ISEP at the University of Debrecen in Hungary next summer. Experience the Hungarian culture and people while studying courses on Central and Eastern Europe. Students have the option to take Hungarian or Russian...
ISEP offers this exciting program at three different universities in three separate Eastern European countries. Study for a week in each of the following: University of Tartu in Tallinn, Estonia, Saint Petersburg State University in...
Study abroad in Lithuania at Vilnius University with International Student Exchange Programs (ISEP). The largest and oldest higher education institution in Lithuania, Vilnius University has actively pursued international scientific...
Study abroad next semester or academic year with ISEP in Tartu, Estonia. The University of Tartu is located in Tartu, the second largest city in Estonia. It can be called a City of Youth due to it's massive student population, making...
Study abroad in Latvia next semester or academic year with ISEP at the University of Latvia. Students will begin the experience with an orientation explaining the system of higher education in Latvia, tours of the campus and a...
Come study abroad at the Catholic University of Uruguay with ISEP this year! Students can choose between an exchange or direct enrollment for a semester or academic year. At least 5 semesters of Spanish (or equivalent) is required to...
Come study abroad for a semester or academic year in Wroclaw, Poland at Wroclaw University! Students are not required to speak any Polish to attend, though knowing Polish does open up the entire course library to students. A wide...
Study abroad in the beautiful country of Iceland! The University of Iceland is located in the capital city, Reykjavik. Both semester and academic year exchanges are available. Classes are taught in both English and Icelandic. To see...
ISEP has partnered up with the University of Ghana to offer international students the chance to study abroad in Ghana. A large course selection is available with all courses being taught in English.
Semester and academic year term...
Come study abroad at Universidad La Salle in Colonia Condesa, just outside of Mexico City, Mexico! ISEP has organized the opportunity to exchange for a semester or academic year. Courses are all taught in Spanish in the following...
Looking for a unique study abroad experience? Then check out Universidad Americana in Managua, Nicaragua! ISEP has arranged for both international & US exchanges and direct enrollment opportunities at the university for a semester...
One of the best years of my life I spent studying abroad in southern Spain. What's not to love? The sun, the Mediterranean and paella are at your fingertips!
That said, looking back, I have to remind myself that the good days came with the bad and the moments of a lifetime were complemented by the moments you wish you could forget! But would I do it all over again? Without hesitation. :)
I studied at the Universidad de Malaga through ISEP from 2003-2004. Since that was a decade ago (eep!), I will try to pepper my review with a combination of facts/memories to help you in your decision making process. Here are some of the questions you are probably asking yourself:
Should I study abroad in Spain?:
The answer to this question is unequivocally YES! There is a reason that Spain has such a great reputation. Spaniards can pull off polka-dots with panache, and they carve out a three-hour siesta each day. If you are a student of the Spanish language, Spain is definitely where you should be headed.
Should I study abroad in Andalucia?:
This is the region in the South of Spain, i.e., the cool part of Spain. Having visited most regions in the country, this is still my favorite. Many historically and culturally important cities are within 2-4 hours driving distance: Malaga, Granada, Sevilla, Cordoba, Gibraltar, etc. I also appreciated that Spanish is the only official language here (unlike Catalonia or Galicia, for example), which made it easy to focus on the language at hand.
Should I study abroad in Malaga?:
The answer to this question depends on your goals for a study abroad experience. In fact, Barcelona was my first choice, but I'm much happier I landed in Malaga instead. What I really appreciated about Malaga was that I could truly immerse myself fully in the language. For a native English-speaker, it can be incredibly difficult to achieve true immersion in a foreign language since English is so ubiquitous abroad. Malaga is a large enough city that it will hold your interest (good shopping, restaurants and night-life), but not such a big, international destination that you can resort to English constantly (think: Madrid). It strikes a happy medium of placing a student just outside of his or her comfort zone while remaining accessible and fun.
Should I study at the Universidad de Malaga?
I have mixed feelings about recommending this university. On the one hand, I was not "wowed" by the campus or the administration. On the other hand, did I need to be? At the end of the day, the academic experience was a good means to an end. I took several interesting courses that I would never find at my alma mater (11th century poetry translated from Arabic, anyone?!), and I gained a level of fluency in Spanish that would never have been possible at home. What really matters is that you speak, hear, write and read Spanish as much as possible.
One thing to keep in mind is that you must have a very proficient command of the oral and written language to feel comfortable here (300-level and above completed before studying here). These classes are not adapted to non-native speakers. You will likely be one of only a handful, or the only, English-speaker in the class. Of course, professors understand that Spanish is not your first language, and native students are likely to give you a hand.
Should I study through ISEP?:
ISEP is like an economy rental car: it gets you where you're going and is affordable, but you should not be expecting any bells or whistles! If you are an independent, self-motivated student, this will work just fine. There are no fancy excursions (you can plan weekend trips yourself) and there is no hand-holding, but they will not leave you hanging.
In summary:
Go to Spain already!