Justin’s Fall Semester Overseas in Barcelona

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Wanting to step into the footsteps of a faculty pupil who studied overseas in Spain? We lately caught up with AIFS Overseas program participant Justin from Bradley College. He spent a fall semester finding out overseas within the Catalan metropolis of Barcelona.  

Learn on to be taught extra about his research overseas expertise with AIFS Overseas and the affect of being a global pupil in Barcelona. 

Adeline: Good day, everybody. Welcome to at this time’s episode. I’m an AIFS Alumni Ambassador, and final yr I studied overseas in San José, Costa Rica. I’m right here at this time with Justin, who’s presently in Barcelona, Spain. Introduce your self after which speak a bit bit about your background. 

Justin: Thanks for the nice and cozy welcome. My identify is Justin, and I’m finding out overseas at Barcelona with the AIFS program. I’m a finance main with a minor in accounting. I’m from Chicago, Illinois, and I research at Bradley College. 

What was a memorable expertise you had whereas overseas? How have you ever modified as an individual since going overseas? 

Justin: What involves thoughts is simply being in lessons with folks from all around the world—assembly folks sitting proper subsequent to you who grew up in Germany, Denmark, and different locations all through the world. It opened my thoughts about completely different cultures and experiences. It’s positively a singular alternative. That has been a method I’ve modified, realized, and grown. So simply assembly folks from throughout, particularly in my lessons, that’s beautiful. 

Adeline: Yeah, I do know it’s form of a cliché… folks all the time speak in regards to the relationships they fashioned whereas overseas, however for me, I can actually say the identical factor. My housemate, we nonetheless speak to today, and that’s a yr because the program. So it was actually, really unimaginable… a number of the friendships I made. Do you need to speak a bit bit about what it’s been like for you as an American in Spain? Do you’re feeling protected? What are a number of the sources that the AIFS Overseas program presents?  

How has AIFS Overseas supported you throughout your research overseas expertise? 

Justin: When it comes to being protected, I’d say Barcelona is fairly protected for probably the most half. Clearly, there’s some pickpocketing that goes on, however I really feel comfy strolling round. Sometimes, I’m with my pals, but when I’m on my own, I nonetheless really feel fairly comfy. The metro is nice—nice transportation—so you’ll be able to actually maneuver all through Barcelona. When it comes to what AIFS Overseas presents, they provide some nice contacts in case you’re ever in a scenario—they’ve an emergency quantity and an workplace positioned in Barcelona. So actually, yeah, I’d say I really feel protected. 

Adeline: I like the way you talked about the transportation. I do know you’re from Chicago, however I’m from South Carolina and we should not have public transportation. So, once I bought to Costa Rica, I bought launched to the bus system there, which is unimaginable—it’s a $10 ticket to go anyplace within the nation. That was actually a sport changer for me when it comes to reasonably priced journey.  

Have you ever been capable of journey exterior Barcelona? 

Justin: Yeah, touring has been very easy and actually enjoyable all through Spain. I’ve gone to Girona with a day journey that the AIFS Overseas program provided, and it was actually good. I’ve been to different locations, like Sitges with some pals, which is a pleasant seaside city—stunning seashores, nice surroundings, and the meals was fairly good as properly. I’ve additionally been to some different locations, like Besalu, which was very nice, too. Nice issues to have a look at. I’ve additionally gone on a number of different day journeys all through Spain with the [AIFS Abroad] program—they provide many, many day journeys. Montserrat was actually cool, however, yeah, I’d say it’s been very easy to journey. I’ve additionally been on a number of different journeys exterior of AIFS Overseas. I’ve been to Good, France. Actually, I actually like how straightforward it’s to maneuver from Barcelona. So, it’s been nice. 
 
Adeline: That’s nice. 

Did you’ve gotten journey expertise previous to finding out overseas? 

Justin: This has been my first expertise in Europe. I’ve traveled all through the States fairly a bit for sports activities and a few of it for leisure journey with household or pals. However I’d say, I haven’t traveled like this—simply being in Europe, with the ability to journey to a very completely different place in a number of hours. So, I’d say that’s been very cool. 

Adeline: I believe that’s a terrific word you touched on, as a result of Costa Rica was my first expertise exterior the nation. Though I had traveled a bit for sports activities within the U.S., as properly. So one thing I’d like our listeners to know is that even should you don’t have a background touring internationally, it’s not one thing to carry you again from going overseas. As a result of I believe it’s the easiest way to do it with these [AIFS Abroad] sources and through a time in your life the place you may be adaptable and versatile.

Had been there any alternatives to play your favourite sports activities whereas overseas? 

Justin: Yeah, so most of my life I performed basketball. Whereas overseas, there’s numerous alternative ways you may get concerned in sports activities. For me personally, I haven’t performed as a lot basketball, however AIFS Overseas presents a soccer league, so I performed soccer for the primary time over right here, and it’s been actually enjoyable. Actually, you’ll be able to play any sport—there’re those who play tennis with their pals, those who play lacrosse, they usually have video games. They’re speaking about how they’re going to play Madrid. Yeah, you may get concerned in any [sports] you need to out right here. I’d say that’s the most effective components as properly. I’ve loved taking part in soccer and I’ve simply loved with the ability to keep lively. 

Adeline: I bought the possibility to play soccer too, whereas overseas in Costa Rica. That’s been my sport my complete life—I play ahead. However for me, it was actually fascinating [experiencing] tradition by sports activities and the way I used to be capable of kind actual relationships with folks by commonalities like soccer or basketball. And I additionally discovered numerous Europeans, or simply folks from different nations typically, they do like sure features of American tradition and American sports activities. So, you’ll be able to actually discover dialog factors by that. 

How did you utilize your American background to attach with others? 

Justin: Speaking to folks about taking part in basketball… There’s lots of people out right here that also observe the NBA, they usually discuss basketball, and it’s straightforward to speak about sports activities. I do know soccer (soccer) is large right here, however nonetheless, lots of people out listed here are avid about sports activities. So, it’s a simple dialog level and makes it very straightforward to satisfy folks. I really ended up taking part in soccer certainly one of my first nights right here and met an entire bunch of individuals. So I’d say it’s a extremely nice connection level to simply assembly folks. 

Adeline: Undoubtedly. Possibly if you wish to speak a bit bit about why you selected Spain, as a result of numerous college students journey in Europe, perhaps not Spain particularly. So I’m form of the way you made that call. 

Why did you select to review overseas in Spain? 

Justin: My determination was principally primarily based on taking a number of years of Spanish in highschool. I simply needed to go someplace that spoke Spanish and get again to studying. I’ve a number of pals that additionally went overseas final yr, they usually have been telling me nearly how enjoyable Spain was, and I used to be torn between Madrid and Barcelona. However what actually made my determination clear was studying in regards to the seashores which are close to Barcelona, and my pals went to Barcelona. So that they have been telling me about their experiences and giving me suggestions. So it’s been nice. I’ve been capable of enhance my Spanish and in addition simply develop exterior out of classroom as properly. It’s been actually good. 

Adeline: Yeah. Language is a extremely unimaginable talent that I believe is more durable to be taught as Individuals, since we’re so landlocked and, you realize, as a result of the nation’s so large, we don’t have that very same interplay on a regular basis with different languages and cultures. However I like what you mentioned, the way you have been torn between Barcelona and Madrid. I used to be torn between Costa Rica and Argentina. However I by no means thought rising up, that’s a choice I must make—in the future with the ability to journey. So, for me, it was an incredible, wonderful expertise. After which I realized a lot about myself, and I’m so glad I did it. 

Any recommendation for future research overseas college students? 

Justin: Go for it—faculty is a time so that you can develop and get exterior your consolation zone and simply expertise new issues. And I’d say it’s a singular alternative to have the ability to research someplace else abroad. Perform a little research and go for it. It’s nice. 

Adeline: Precisely. I’ll positively underscore that. Not to consider your return to the US already, however what’s one factor you’re going to overlook most about Spain? Have you considered methods to take care of these connections with the language and the nation you spent a number of months in? 

What’s going to you miss most out of your research overseas expertise? 

Justin: I’ll miss the folks, the range of individuals… being round folks from all completely different cultures and experiencing new issues daily and simply speaking to folks. I believe I’m a social particular person, so I get pleasure from listening to about different folks’s life experiences and listening to issues I’m not accustomed to listening to… It’s actually cool to have this range of thought and life expertise and to have the ability to develop from that. Additionally, there’s so much to do out right here… there’s numerous festivals, a number of holidays (la muse), Independence Day of Catalonia… With a view to keep that connection, I’ll attain out to a number of the pals I met out right here, and simply keep these relationships and proceed to remain in contact with a various group of individuals. 

Adeline: Thanks, Justin. It’s been wonderful listening to about your expertise in Spain. 

Justin: Thanks a lot. 

Are you a pupil who’s able to take the leap and research overseas like Justin did in Barcelona? We’d love that will help you begin your journey!  

Right here at AIFS Overseas, we all know a factor or two about serving to faculty college students and pre-professionals research and intern overseas. Our packages are extremely inclusive, which takes numerous the stress out of planning. From coordinating your housing to offering issues like cultural and social actions, excursions, complete insurance coverage, 24/7 emergency help, on-site workers, and extra, you’ll take consolation in figuring out you’ll have help all through your whole expertise overseas.