I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Spain and I had so much fun. I was so thankful for being granted a scholarship that way I could go. There was so much that I learned and I saw. My goal for going to Spain was to expand my Spanish speaking ability. I went from not being able to understand anything when I arrived, to being able to understand most of what everyone was talking about. That is something I never could have learned from a classroom in America. I also learned a lot about the history and culture of Spain. It was so different than America. It was a culture shock and very eye opening to see what another country was like. For my trip I paid for the additional excursions which I highly recommend, it really was worth the extra money. My favorite was probably Peña de Francia. Which is a mountain outside of Salamanca, and we got to see mountain goats. I loved that we weren’t just confined to the lookout and we actually got to hike outside. The mountain goats were very cool to observe, we actually got to see some of them fight one another. Another cool excursion was going to the Basque Country, I enjoyed getting to walk around and tour the city. There was another mountain there that we got to climb. It was interesting because even though they are a part of Spain they still consider themselves a separate country. They also speak a completely separate language, the characters on the signs were different and it was difficult to tell what the sign was saying. I person was not a fan of France, I didn’t think there was all that much to see, the beaches were very cool and they had very interesting rock formations on the beach. The city wasn’t very interesting, it just looked like a normal city. It was nice being able to converse with lots of different people in Spain. I was able to learn a lot from everyone, I picked up a lot and learned so much just by listening to what people were saying.– Nicolas, SPC Spain Study Abroad Program, June 2023
I recommend the Summer Spain Immersion Program as it is one of the best ways to ingrain the Spanish you already know and learn and improve upon your Spanish skills. Students that take this program will stay in a medieval city called Salamanca for three weeks. It is a beautiful l city that is perfect if you are like me and love medieval and Gothic architecture. Salamanca is in Northwest Spain. The teachers at Estudio Sampere are very enthusiastic about teaching, and they would go to great lengths to ensure that we understand the lesson. During the weekday mornings, the Saint Petersburg College professors accompanying the group to Spain held tutor sessions in a local coffee shop near the Plaza Mayor, the main city square. Many of Salamanca’s activities, such as Plays, music festivals, Holiday Performances, and other celebrations, were in the Plaza Mayor. Many shops, restaurants, cafes, and bars are located in and around the Plaza Mayor, so many people spend much of their time there meeting new people and trying local foods and drinks. The people in Salamanca are very friendly, and it was very easy to find people to talk to in Spanish, especially the people that you will meet at the cafés.
The living situation can be interesting. Some of my friends lived with a family. However, it was a bit for me and my roommate. We lived in a room in an apartment with four to five other people. The host family did not live with us but instead came throughout the day to cook lunch and dinner and clean. During lunch and dinner, twenty to thirty exchange students from around the world who resided in the nearby apartments would trickle in for the meal.
One of the activities with the best view was the night walk over the old Roman bridge known as “Puente Mayor del Tormes,” which goes over the Tormes River. From across the bridge, you can see the Cathedral lit up against the night sky, with a clear reflection in the Tormes River. Additionally, there is a small cat sanctuary on the walk.– Patrick, SPC Spain Study Abroad Program, June 2023
