Summer 2 in Malaga

Malaga is the perfect city to study abroad! The size is just about right; it's big enough for you to explore the different neighborhoods and keep discovering new things, yet it's not too big to be overwhelming. Malaga has an authentic Andalusian feel and the BEST weather. Although it has a well-connected airport and miles of Mediterranean beaches, it is not touristy so you will barely hear English - if at all!

The school is 3-minute walk from El Palo beach. The campus is exclusively for international students, but you are likely to have classes with fellow ISA students. The workload is doable. I barely had homework and found that my language class was not that challenging. The other class that I had was interesting, but I did not expect to write a long paper at the end so it made the end of my program a bit stressful.

The ISA staff in Malaga is so welcoming and helpful. They respect your decisions and understand that the students are adults, but they are always there if we would ever need help. If there are questions that they could not answer right away (very few existed), they will not stop until they find the answers! I owe much of my "independent" post-study abroad travel planning to the staff!

As for the housing, I am glad I chose to do a home stay. My host mom picked me up from the Malaga Maria Zombrano train station and made me feel at home since day 1. She and my host dad are very understanding, especially when it comes to my countless changes of plans. They also listen to my food preferences and I am very satisfied with the meals. Another plus is that my laundry was done more frequently than it was expected!

Compared to the other students, I lived the furthest from the city center, even though it was only three blocks from the main shopping street. Inevitably, I had to walk home alone after a night out, but I generally feel very safe. I've heard people say that the Spaniards stay late out at night, but I found that this was not always the case. Oftentimes, I would be the only one in the street at night. It is also said that cat-calling is an issue, especially in Andalusia, but I think it has been blown out of proportion. It does not happen as much as people seem to say. Yes, some men will utter "guapa" or "morena" as you walk by, but as long as you ignore them, they would not advance.

Overall, I would recommend ISA Malaga to a friend. Amazing city right on the beach, lovely weather, doable school work, vibrant nightlife, and great staff!

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