Spanish Studies Abroad: Alicante, Spain

I studied abroad in Alicante, Spain in May 2019. I went with Spanish Studies Abroad, took classes Monday-Friday at the University of Alicante and stayed with a host family. My first big takeaway from this experience was the language. My goal is to attend medical school after graduation from Marian. I have a Spanish minor in the hopes that I will be able to communicate with future patients in their first language to make them feel more comfortable and open. There is an ever-growing population of Spanish-speakers in the United States and I feel it is very important to attempt to bridge that language gap in whatever ways I can. I believe that my time in Spain has given me some of the necessary skills to achieve this goal. I have become more proficient in my Spanish conversation skills and have learned many words and phrases that will help me in the future.
My second takeaway from studying abroad is how vast the world is and how much there is to explore. My study abroad experience opened my eyes to a different culture and created an excitement to learn about cultures other than my own. I learned about the Spanish culture first hand and being fully immersed opened my eyes to the things I take for granted in my own life. I feel like I learned so much within the 4 weeks that I was in Spain, but I know that I did not get a chance to experience a fraction of the full Spanish culture! I am now even more excited to travel to new countries in the future.
I would absolutely recommend studying abroad to all students! No matter what your major or career goal is, studying abroad is an amazing experience to receive course credits and to immerse yourself into different cultures. There is always something else to learn about other countries through studying abroad. It is an unforgettable and life changing experience and I would recommend staying abroad for as long as you can!