I really enjoyed my time studying abroad this summer. Being able to see many cities in Spain while studying Spanish in Alcala was a very memorable experience and I had loads of fun. Not only did my Spanish improve tremendously but I was also able to have an incredible time, meet lots of new people, and see new parts of Spain that I had previously never visited. Also the material that we learned in the classroom added a layer of depth to the entire experience as many of the things we learned were directly applicable to the experiences we were having.

Alcalá de Henares is a quaint, leisurely city with a family-friendly ambience. It is best for those who want to get away from the fast-paced environment of a big city, although it is only an hour train ride away from the lively downtown of Madrid. My study abroad program was amazing because of the beautiful city and because all of the program staff were welcoming, and had some great recommendations for places to visit! I stayed for a month and think it was a good amount of time to appreciate what the city had to offer. Visit if you have the chance!

Studying abroad can seem extremely daunting at first glance. I had so many questions and concerns leading up to the trip. However, I am so happy that I picked this program. The location is absolutely beautiful. There is so much to see just within walking distance! I had the best host mom who made my house mate and I feel right at home. The faculty were incredibly supportive and kind! The classes I took were so engaging and fun. I left with way more confidence in speaking the language as well. I could not believe with how much more Spanish I picked up in just a month!

The Instituto was phenomenal with my semester abroad. All classes were taught in Spanish, and I lived with a host family. These two aspects were wonderful for my cultural immersion and growth in Spanish. I am truly appreciative of the staff who I have grown close with over the semester. They were always helpful, attentive, and supportive of me. One unique part about this program are the excursion, which I wish I had taken more advantage of. They went to Toledo, Segovia, La Valle de los Caidos, and more. With this program I not only made friends from around Spain, but also around the US. I also grown close to the professors and staff and got to know them outside of the classroom, like at futbol games and cooking classes. Without a doubt, living with a host family was one of my biggest stresses, but I have grown so close to them over the semester, and my understanding of the Spanish culture, language, and literature was truly enriched. Yes, having classes all in Spanish was a challenge, but that helped me so much with presenting, writing, and speaking in Spanish. All of these aspects helped me achieve my semester goals abroad, and it's an experience I will never forget.

My experience was unique in that I became almost fluent in Spanish during my stay. I minored in Spanish during undergrad, but I was completely unaware of my capabilities until I was immersed in the language in Spain. Staying in a host home had its pros and cons, but I took the opportunity to speak as much Spanish as I could with my host family (who did not speak any English), and I was very surprised at how much I learned at OU and was able to apply abroad! We traveled and saw beautiful cities and parts of Spain that I did not know existed. Ibiza was my favorite; a group of us traveled there on our long weekend. The food in Spain is different but delicious, and fútbol is a huge part of the culture I thoroughly enjoyed. Being in Madrid during the Champions league final was exhilarating!

Truly has been a wonderfull experience. I will others about it and might come to experience the same I did. I will do it again and again if I had to do it again. I felt in love with Alcala, specially the university and the city of Madrid. Great school, great food, great people. I love Madrid, almost everything about. I am going to leave Madrid on sunday for England with tears in my eyes, but I will come back soon. I wish next time I come to Spain to travel more. I did a lot of travel but that was not enough. I have been almost all over. From Sevilla to Barcelona, from Barcelona to Madrid, from Madrid to Toledo last from friday with school. I have been to Valladolid, to many museum and touristics sites. I have enjoyed every bit of it. Bye..

It has been two years since my time at UAH, and I still can't believe how lucky I was to be involved with this program. The classes were interesting, challenging but not impossible, and used relevant information to enrich our experiences in Spain. The faculty not only were a great resource academically, but also genuinely cared about our well-being during our time abroad. They understood that it was not always easy, and were constantly available to help us in any way they could. The program was also great because they coordinated trips for us that were extremely well thought out. During the trips, there was a great balance of allowing us space to be young adults and giving us educational experiences. I can't recommend this program enough for how much it improved my Spanish-speaking skills and my outlook on life as a whole.

I loved studying in La UAH and living in Alcalá so much so that I am planning on returning back to Alcalá to get my masters! My home institute is The College of New Jersey but I consider this study abroad program to be the peak of my collegiate experience. I learned about the Spanish culture, litertuare, and linguistics. My favorite memory was going on a class trip to La Alhambra and being able to appreciate the architecture in a newfound way. I would recommend traveling with students from other universities and visiting the city with your classmates, locals, or other vagabonds yearning to interact with this world and one another. Or just stay in Alcalá the whole semester and trek the beautiful landscape and become a regular at a restaurant! I’m so excited to go back and enjoy more of what Miguel de Cervante’s birthtown has to offer.