Studying Abroad in Spain

Are you studying abroad in Spain with your Academic Studies Abroad program? Spain has so many beautiful cities to study in such as Barcelona, Seville, and Madrid. Studying abroad can be a little nerve racking however, so this article serves to give you some advice on culture and how to make the most of your experience.

Eat All the Tapas

Spain is famous for their tapas. Essentially, tapas are small plates of food and they come relatively cheap as well. They are delicious, so a pro tip is to embrace the tapas and save a little cash in the process! Plus, the tapas in Barcelona are incredible.

Practice Your Spanish Through The Embarrassment

There’s no better time to learn a foreign language than living in one. Studies have shown that people can go from no knowledge of language to fluency by simply living in another country and working hard to speak with the locals. I’m sure you’ve already been practicing a few phrases or have taken some classes, but that doesn’t compare to actually speaking with a native. You’ll have hundreds of embarrassing moments as you practice, but fight through them! Learning another language is never painless.

Mind Your Shopping Hours

Even if you’re in a big city like Madrid or Seville that doesn’t mean stores are open 24/7. Most are closed down by 9 or 10 pm at the latest, so pay attention to what times you go out to get groceries. In our culture it’s so normal to head to the store late at night to pick something up, but that doesn’t really exist in Spain, or the rest of Europe for that matter.

And The Hours You Eat Out

While the stores close early, the restaurants don’t. It’s traditional to eat dinner in the US between 5 and 7 pm, but in Spain it’s more like 9 to 11 pm is when people eat their dinner. This means if you head to a restaurant at 6 pm, the likely response will be "The kitchen’s closed." Adjust your eating habits accordingly and go with the flow!

Meet the Locals

The first thing that you should aim to do is meet the locals. It’s so easy to fall into your new friend groups with any American students who are joining you, but meeting the locals is such a wonderful experience to share culture with someone. Make friends using a site like couchsurfing.com and host a little meet up in Madrid or wherever else you may be over a pint of a good cup of joe. Plus, meeting locals is a great way to get more advice on cultural differences and how to act in certain situations.

Study abroad Spain will be a wonderful time, but just remember that there are cultural situations you’ll need to adjust to and that will take some time. Use these tips to learn to be more like a local and less like a tourist.

Studying in Spain will be a wonderful time, but just remember that there are cultural situations you’ll need to adjust to and that will take some time. Use these tips to learn to be more like a local and less like a tourist.