Study Abroad at an American High School in Spain

I spent 2020-21, my 10th grade, at Chester College. This was an unusual year because of the pandemic. The cozy-looking boarding houses at Chester were closed, so I was staying with a host family. We all had to wear masks of course, and for long stretches we could not socialize with anyone outside the school community or leave town. So life really revolved around school more than it would have otherwise. The Chester College teachers were undaunted by this situation and coped with it creatively and with great dedication. -- Where I came from (California) 10th grade was a critical year already for college preparation for many students. I needed to take certain standardized American classes that year and prepare for certain standard nation-wide tests. My Chester teachers were impressively familiar with the content of these classes and tests. They arranged my schedule in such a way that there was time for them to give me individual tutoring, to allow me to cover these American requirements. But I learned very different things as well, which I would never have been exposed to at home. My Chester teachers made sure my Spanish was improving rapidly, so that I could soon follow classes held in Spanish. These included, for instance, classical philosophy, which I would not have studied at home, and European history taught from a continental European perspective. My (British) English teacher read Shakespeare and other classical literature with her advanced students, and her composition assignments were very different from what is asked of students in California -- perhaps more demanding, but also more interesting, I felt. The school community was particularly small in 2020-21, because of the pandemic, so _every_ class was small and personal. But even in normal years the style would surely not have been very different. Everyone was kind, friendly, and supportive. The school's overall attitude was that academic achievement was important and possible to everyone, but was not the only goal to focus on. Physical thriving mattered: we had a nutritious lunch together every day in the dining hall, an event which brought us all together as a community. Also, all age-groups were out doing field sports behind the school almost every day. We had all-school gatherings, celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas with traditions taken from everyone's cultural background and with musical performances. And especially the lower grades did a lot of arts and crafts, while the upper grades were offered an afternoon program involving a blend of design and creative engineering construction, a bit like a makerspace, which I was particularly involved in. The school managed to make the pandemic feel like an opportunity for a warm communal experience, rather than a time of deprivation. The teachers' dedication to keeping up Chester's tradition, which meant their dedication to each individual student, was exceptional.

I decided to come to Chester College after taking part in their Spanish summer camp a few summers in a row. I had an amazing year and loved Santiago! I studied 10th grade there as I decided I wanted to improve my Spanish. The classes were really small so I got a lot of help, and I had a Spanish lesson every day so I could improve really quickly. When my level was good enough, I started getting other subjects through Spanish as well like Maths and Science. The teachers are all really nice and give you lots of support if you don't know something. They also helped me to think about my university choices and what career I might be interested in.
I liked living in the residence - I shared a room with a Spanish girl and the monitor was really nice - she was from Spain too. At the weekend we went on trips and went to the beach in the summer. The food was really nice too!
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to study abroad and do well in all their normal subjects but also get fluent in Spanish and experience living in another culture.

During my three years of study at Chester College International School, I grew both academically and as a person. Undoubtedly my favorite aspect of studying at Chester College was the chance to study two different education systems simultaneously. This is something that makes the school unique, since it enables students to keep their options open to a wide range of opportunities for university. Moreover, although this may seem as a great amount of work, the teachers make sure that each student has a personalized timetable and choice of courses that best suits their future aspirations.
Studying at Chester has definitely helped me get to where I am now. In fact, studying two different high school systems enabled me to apply to universities in both the UK and Spain. Moreover, throughout the application process, the teachers were extremely helpful and advised me constantly.
Academically, the skills I learnt at Chester are helping me constantly at university. I often look back to my notes from Math and Physics and remember the important time management and study skills we learnt at school.
My years at Chester College were a unforgettable experience. I would recommend it for anyone who wants to open their options for the future and immerse themselves into an outstanding international community.

I studied Grade 11 in Chester College International School - a few ago already! Looking back, it was a wonderful decision. From an academic standpoint, the recognition of credits was really straightforward and the transition to my school in the UK was very easy. I learnt Spanish from scratch and reached a pretty good level of fluency by the end of the school year - a language I know use for work and travel all the time. Apart from Spanish, I took a number of solid Science subjects, as well as a range of other Arts ones. The cultural experience was also definitely a highlight - Santiago is small, safe and beautiful. I stayed in the school residence during the week (which I shared with a group of Spanish and international students) and would go to a host family during the week-ends (that was my choice back then - I could have had the option to stay in the boarding school during the week-ends as well). I am still in touch with my host parents - they were kind and welcoming and were interested and curious about me. It was a great exchange overall. I made many new friends I am still in touch with. Can´t wait to walk the Camino now and bring a lot of wonderful memories back.