API Salamanca Review

My time in Salamanca was really run and I definitely learned a lot!
My homestay was so sweet and caring. She spoke no English at all, so living there really forced me to use the language all the time, which is great for learning. I remember spending many nights watching Spanish Game Shows (concursos) and chatting late in the night with my homestay. She introduced me to her entire family, who frequently visited to have lunch or dinner with us. Another bonus of living with a homestay is the delicious food. Even though I ran every day by the river, I gained 10 lbs during my time in Spain (whoops). The food really is to die for.
Although it was nice having my own room, I would recommend to prospective study-abraders that they choose to have a roommate. It would have been nice to have someone to walk home with at night and just to a have a friend from the start of the program.
API was extremely accommodating and easily accessible. They were knowledgable and really friendly. Ana (our program coordinator) was absolutely lovely. After orientation, the program is pretty hands-off, but if I ever needed them, they were extremely easy to contact and provided me with all the resources I needed.
The nightlife in Salamanca is awesome! There are lots of discotecas and bars. The town is crawling with university students, so there is almost always a party going on. The town itself is very walkable. You can walk across town in 45 minutes. It is also very safe, something my parents and I both appreciated.
My classes at the University of Salamanca were pretty interesting. They were all very small, so I had a lot of opportunity to speak in class.
You will likely be in a class with other students who are learning Spanish as a second or third language, so it didn’t feel like an intimidating environment. I almost never had homework so my afternoons and evenings were free to explore Salamanca and hang out with friends, which was nice.
Overall, my experience in Salamanca was extremely positive. I consider the town a second-home, and have already made plans to go back this spring! Studying in Salamanca made me a more adventurous, independent person. I became much more comfortable with being outside of my comfort zone, which I considered to be an invaluable skill as I entered into college.If you have the opportunity to go, do it! You will not regret the amazing adventure of living and studying abroad.