The Spanish Language and Extracurriculars

Studying abroad in Bilbao was not only a great experience but I was able to experience another culture in depth, exponentially improve my Spanish, meet new friends from many different countries, and easily travel to other European countries. The program staff was helpful and contributed to the improvement of my Spanish. However, the language program was primarily American students which I was unaware of beforehand. There are testily opportunities to be more integrated with Spanish students such as taking other classes offered at the universities, participating in clubs (many people participate in the hiking club), or intercambia where you get paired with a Spanish student and speak each other's languages- I highly recommend it. The city itself is safe, has a great art culture, and offers many outdoor activities since it has the unique position of being situated near mountains and an ocean. My home stay was great however I did feel as though my family and my personalities did not match very well and wish that the matching process was more thorough.