Spain - A Guide to Studying Overseas

By Tommy Hayes

Studying in Spain can provide a great opportunity to explore the vibrant culture and passion of the Spanish people. Fun loving and full of life, every city in Spain abounds with great nightlife and historical sites that you can visit when you're not in class. From the party scene around Ibiza in the Costa del Sol to the ski slopes along the French border, you'll never run out of things to do during your time away from classes.

I had a friend that studied business in Madrid for his Junior year of College. Madrid, of course, is a huge city but it is also loaded with University students from the major schools of Spain. In fact, the Universidad Complutense de Madrid itself has approximately 100,000 students. During his studies, my friend was sitting at an outdoor cafe, enjoying a coffee, and met the woman who would later become his wife.

There are programs for everyone; the casual traveler that wishes to learn more about a specific subject, summer sessions, college credit sessions, high school programs, and, Graduate programs. Some of the cities in Spain that offer great cultural events, plenty of activities, in addition to a multitude of study abroad sessions are; Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, and Valencia. Madrid, being the capital, obviously has all the benefits of a major city; shopping, nightlife, historic sites, et cetera. Also, since Madrid is centrally located, you can branch out in any direction for weekend sightseeing trips. Barcelona is truly filled with an International atmosphere. With the city's location in the northeast of Spain, you can choose to hit the beautiful beaches or, in the winter, take a trip up to one of the ski resorts in the Andorra region. Also, the city is home to another huge school, the Universidad de Barcelona, so you won't find it hard to meet students from all over Spain. Seville is a beautiful city and the people are fun loving and friendly; maybe that's why its the birthplace of Flamenco, a beautiful flowing dance. If you are there in April, you can enjoy a week of festivities at the Feria de abril de Sevilla. Valencia is the third largest city in Spain and is home to the largest aquarium in Europe, El Oceanográfico. Being a coastal city near the Baleaeric Islands, it also provides ferry services out to Ibiza.