Universitat d'Alacant (UA)

The cost of renting an apartment surprised me because it is much cheaper than in America. Howewer, utilities can be vey expensive so saving water/energy is very important.

Studying abroad has been the best experience of my life and I would recommend this program to anybody that would like to improve their Spanish and be fully immersed in Spanish culture. However, it is not all fun and games and students need to expect to work hard. The harder you work to meet new people and experience the culture the more rewarding your experience will be. Therefore, the best advice I can give is to be enthusiastic to try new things and take risks. You have to adjust to living in a new country, because the country is not going to adjust to you.

I was in an advanced program so all my classes were taught in Spanish and there was a strict rule of only speaking spanish at all times. This was very hard at first but after the first month it became normal and I notice that my Spanish was improving rapidly because of the constant exposure to Spanish all day long.

I lived in an apartment with a Spanish family and ate all my meals with them. They helped me with my spanish and made me feel very comfortable conversing in a different language. I am very thankful for this opportunity because I was able to learn more about Spanish history, traditions, and lifestyle while improving my Spanish.

There are many outdoor cafes on Las Ramblas or on the side streets where I went on the weekends and was able to meet and become friends with people from other European countries. My favorite cafe/resteraunt is called Carpe Diem and the owners became some of my best friends and taught me about Spanish culture and business etiquette. The city of Alicante is very vibrant and a great place to live and experience the Spanish lifestyle.