Katelyn Casady

Overall Experience

Overall, this was one of the best experiences I have ever had. Spending six weeks in Spain allowed me to grow in so many ways. Living with a host family allowed me to be fully immersed in the Spanish culture, practice my ability to communicate in Spanish, and also have someone that could tell me all about the city of Valencia and the country. While there, I took two classes, one that counted toward my Spanish minor and one (psychology) that was required for my major. I met so many amazing people and was also able to travel to different cities in Spain on the weekends. This truly was an experience of a lifetime and one that I will never forget.

Learning experience

The most valuable learning experience for me while I was abroad was living with my host family. My host family did not know any English, so it forced me to practice my Spanish every day. By living with a host family, I was able to have so many conversations about a variety of topics, improving my vocabulary and basic communication skills in the language. This was a great opportunity for me because I often don't use my Spanish outside of the classroom, so this gave me the chance to use it every day for six weeks. It also helped me find new ways to communicate and explain things when there was something that I wasn't completely sure on how to say. Living with a host family allowed me to work on my communication skills in Spanish and was the best way for me to do so.

Memorable experience

The most memorable experience from studying abroad in Spain was being able to travel on the weekends. Almost every weekend, we had a three day weekend so we were given the opportunity to travel on our own if we wished. With a group of friends, I traveled to a new city in Spain almost every weekend. I really enjoyed being able to explore different areas of Spain and learn about the history of the country. Each city was unique and it was so interesting to see how each city was different from the others. Traveling around Spain was extremely easy and allowed me to really experience different parts of the country.

What did you not expect?

One thing that surprised me was the lifestyle in Spain. There, the lifestyle is much more carefree and people are not in as much of a rush. To me, it seemed like the people living in Spain were able to live more in the moment than we typically do at home. My daily life is always very busy and am always going from one place to the next, so this gave me a new outlook in life. I hope that in the future I can continue to live in the moment more and really take in each opportunity I have facing me. This experience really opened my eyes to how fast life can go by, and we should all slow down to take in each moment we have.

What advice would you give?

For other students who want to study abroad, my advice would be to do it, and go with an open mind. It was the best experience and although it may push you out of your comfort zone, it will be so worth it. There are so many ways you will grow as a person, experience new things, and meet new people. It is also important to go with an open mind because it is likely the lifestyle wherever you go will be much different than what you are used to. It is important that you fully embrace the culture and adapt to the lifestyle there so that you can fully enjoy the experience.

How has this experience impacted your life?

There are so many ways that this experience has impacted my life. It allowed me to continue learning Spanish and improve my ability to communicate in the language. Being completely immersed in the language is one of the best ways to learn, and I believe it truly helped me become more confident in my use of the language. I am often a shy person, so going to Spain for six weeks without knowing really knowing any other students very well was definitely out of my comfort zone. However, as soon as I was in the airport and at my gate waiting for the flight, friendships were already being built and I met so many new people. Prior to leaving, I was very nervous but quickly settled in as soon as we got there. This experience often put me out of my comfort zone, but it allowed me to grow so much as a person, become more independent, and become more comfortable in unfamiliar situations.

How did you learn about this experience?

I learned about this experience from one of my Spanish professors because she was also one of the directors of the program. She spent a portion of one of our classes telling us all about the program, how to apply, scholarships, and what to expect if we were to go. At that point I wasn't sure if I wanted to go, but the following semester my next Spanish professor told us again about this same program. Someone else in my class said that they had already applied and were planning on going, so after talking with them I decided that it was something I wanted to do.

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