Fantastic experience

This program was ideal for me as a first-time traveler. The five weeks was enough time to immerse myself in the culture and language without having to worry about leaving home for several months. The support and guidance of my wonderful program director was very welcome and helpful, but I also had plenty of time and freedom to explore on my own. I quickly became friends with other students in the program, and we met students of our age who were native to Bilbao and welcomed us to spend time with them.

I lived with a host family, and my host mother made me feel at home right away. She also encouraged me to engage in conversation in Spanish so that I could have as much practice as possible. I still keep in touch with her through email from time to time. One challenge of living with my host family was the daily commute to the university. I lived in a suburb of Bilbao, and the commute was 40 minutes each way by metro. This was a bit difficult to get used to as I had to wake up fairly early for an 8:30 am class every day. Still, I was very pleased with the public transportation system of Bilbao. It was easy to navigate, ran frequently, and I felt safe traveling alone. I felt very safe in Bilbao in general, and I spent many afternoons taking walks in the park or the shopping district.

I learned a lot in my classes, but I was not overwhelmed with a heavy workload. My schedule allowed plenty of time for me to complete my homework. I had one morning class and one afternoon class every day, and I generally used the time in between the two classes to complete my homework so that I would be able to relax at home in the evenings. Both of my classes were taught entirely in Spanish, which was determined by a placement test taken upon arrival at the university. My 20th Century Spanish Literature class was especially interesting and challenged my abilities. I also enjoyed my class on contemporary Spanish Culture and Politics.

I enjoyed the excursions that were included in the program, and I was glad to have the opportunity to see the famed "running of the bulls" in Pamplona and to visit many other places including St. Sebastian, Guernica and Mundaka. The orientation days in Madrid were very busy, but it was great to see the highlights of Spain's capital.

Bilbao was an interesting city to study abroad in because its culture is different from what Americans typically think of as Spanish. The Basque culture was unique and interesting, and I'm glad to have experienced it!