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!
