Spain: Alicante - Spanish Language, Linguistics, European, and Gender Studies

I do not have enough amazing things to say about USAC or about Alicante. The on-site staff (Luis, Sylvain and Veronica) are incredible and are always in the office available to help with anything you could possibly need, such as travel or restaurant recommendations. All of the USAC professors are great- they're very clear, extremely fun to be in class with, incredibly nice and overall great teachers. What I am most grateful for is that I decided to live with a host family. I knew from personal experience with different program providers in other parts of Spain that host family situations could be risky, however USAC did an exceptional job choosing the families and everyone who decided to live with a family loved the experience. I only had a host mother in my family and she treated me like family and was an amazing cook. For anyone considering studying abroad, I believe that living with a family is truly the only way to become fully immersed in the culture and the best way to learn the language. I also really enjoyed being set up with an intercambio (a local student language partner) as it was a great way to meet/hang out with locals and practice my Spanish. The excursions USAC took us on were a lot of fun (and we were always fed really well!) and Alicante is an amazing city. It is small enough so that everything is relatively close (and walkable) but it still has everything I could want in a city (good shopping, fun night life, great restaurants, beaches, etc.). It is also very close by tram to many cute cities nearby that are beautiful and fun to explore so there is never a shortage of things to do. Overall, this summer I met a lot of great people, improved my Spanish drastically and experienced a lot of personal growth. I cannot wait to have the opportunity to return to Alicante and I highly recommend USAC and Alicante to anyone interested in studying abroad (which I believe everyone should do).

I knew going abroad for the first time alone would be a challenge. I knew it would be a challenge for me, but with the people of USAC to guide me- I was never alone. The staff was always cheerful and willing to help. They made the students a priority and I felt so valued. I took a sailing class in which our sailing teacher (Esperanza) gave us her full attention and helped my boat practice spanish every session. Sailing in the Mediterranean was a highlight of my trip that I will never forget. The excursions were well thought out and planned and left me stress free. I enjoyed every minute. At times- homework was avoided because there were so many fun things to do (especially during hogueras), so I would have preferred more classwork and less homework. I wish I had a heads up on what to wear before leaving the states. Every one dresses well... every day. I wound up buying a bunch of new clothes and leaving half of my suitcase behind. Prepare to spend lots of money on lots of cool new things you'll want to try. Be open, be active , be freeeeee! Spain is a wonderful country and I was so lucky to be there. I am looking into moving to Alicante to teach English after I graduate :)
I highly highly highly recommend studying with USAC and studying abroad in general! But for Spain, you couldn't find a better group than Veronika, Luis and Sylvain.

From the second you land in the airport and step foot in Alicante, you get this reassuring feeling that yes, self, you have chosen the correct place to immerse yourself in a different culture and make amazing memories in. Alicante's natural beauty of playa and castillo made it perfect to go wander the city and get lost in. It's a city but has a small town feel, which made it a great home away from home. The program and university staff are super accommodating, helpful, and genuinely excited to meet and help their students. The nature, city life, and el barrio make it a super fun place for students explore. The staff also takes students to near by towns and beaches for cultural exposure and group bonding. The memories made will last with me forever and were some of the best anyone could ever wish to have in a lifetime. Alicante will always hold a special place in my heart as a place in which my mind and soul grew tremendously.

I've never been more grateful for an experience in my entire life. As a first year college student, I already knew I wanted to explore the world as much as possible while I had the time. USAC's Alicante program gave me the opportunity to EXPLORE. I learned how to sail in a super fun course with multiple other students 3 days a week for a month. My roommates and I were located in an apartment on a main street called Rambla Méndez Nuñez. The street leads almost directly to the beach and all of the fun night life bars/restaurants in under a 3 minute walk. I was there during the 2014 World Cup and the streets were always full of young adults and students like myself. My spanish class was challenging but I never felt like I didn't have time to complete my work. USAC provides information about the area right when you arrive; best restaurants, beaches, and places to explore. The staff is extremely approachable and fun to talk to. During the weekends I traveled to Paris and also to Barcelona. I recommend taking these side trips because the flights and train rides are extraordinarily cheap and you'll make memories you'll never forget.

I highly recommend this program for anyone interested in Summer study abroad in Spain. If you want to be immersed in the language, Alicante is a great place to be. Many people know English, but you obviously will be surrounded by Spanish everywhere you go.

I lived in a home stay, which I also recommend for students wishing to improve their Spanish. My host mom only spoke Spanish and was also one of the sweetest people I have ever met. I felt so welcome in her home from day one. She was very talkative, whether I understood what she was saying or not. This allowed for a lot of practice speaking and listening to Spanish.

The university program was also wonderful. The supervisors, as well as the teachers, were very helpful and approachable with any issue you may have. I learned so much in my Spanish classes that I never would have gotten at my home university. It is helpful to constantly be thinking about Spanish while taking these Spanish classes.

Alicante has a small, beach city feel, which I loved. We walked everywhere and I never felt unsafe. A perk of studying there in the summer is getting to experience their yearly five day long festival. It was such an authentic, Spanish experience that I will never forget!

Studying abroad in Europe was the best decision of my life. I spent a semester in Rome, Italy in the fall (which was incredible), but I wanted something smaller and more immersive during my second semester abroad. And so, I decided to go to Alicante, Spain through USAC. The program was cheap, the location was wonderful, and the courses offered were perfect for my academic interests and goals. I knew the smaller city would help me improve my Spanish language skills, and it would enable me to really understand the Spanish people and culture. I was fortunate enough to have an amazing host family who taught me so much, and I would even consider them my second family. I also made some wonderful friends, many whom I believe I will have for the rest of my life. The USAC program enabled me to study abroad for a second semester because it offered numerous courses that allowed me to finish college in 4 years with 3 majors and a minor. I majored in Spanish, Sociology, and Anthropology, and fortunately many of the sociology courses in Alicante were taught in Spanish, so my home university counted them for both majors! My Spanish communication skills improved immensely, and I truly believe I learned more during my semester in Spain than I had from the 9 years I spent learning Spanish it back in the states. I was also fortunate enough to have an exchange partner, and an internship in which I worked at the local museum. The USAC staff there made all of this possible, and they worked diligently to make sure I was happy and safe. They planned so many amazing field trips and activities, and made my second semester abroad spectacular. I loved every minute of my experience, and I wish I could go back everyday! USAC is an incredible program, and Alicante is a lovely city.

I went abroad with the intention of learning the Spanish language and appreciating a new culture, but I learned so much more than that. Having never traveled outside of the US (and having only been on a plane once) I was more than terrified to start my study abroad experience. I couldn't chosen a better program than USAC. They were there to greet us on day one and were available to help us from that point forward. I enjoyed my Spanish language classes (and I miss them dearly now that I'm back in the states) but also enjoyed exploring a different part of the world and meeting new people. Alicante is a small, but beautiful, town, and it was a great place to spend a semester in.

Studying in Alicante with USAC was an incredible experience! My apartment was very centrally located. I was able to walk EVERYWHERE. The open market and bus stop were two minutes away, the beach was 5 minutes away, and the nightlife scene was right on my street. There were great and affordable restaurants and tapas bars all over town as well.
I took language classes every morning Monday-Friday and learned more in one semester there than I have ever learned back home. The University campus is BEAUTIFUL. I also took a sailing class that was SO much fun! Aside from the USAC classes, we were given the opportunity to be partnered with a local student so that we could practice English and Spanish together. Not only was it a great learning experience, but it was a great way to make friends. The staff offered opportunities to volunteer and teach English at schools and in homes. It was definitely one of the highlights on my experience!
Some of the other highlights were the field trips we went on as a group. Alicante and the surrounding cities are gorgeous and offer many different aspects of nature. We went swimming in the Mediterranean, hiking and swimming in fresh water in Guadalest, and explored the city of Valencia. The staff always made sure we had plenty to do. They were truly amazing and were like a family away from home. I could not have asked for anything more.
It was the most amazing experience, I honestly have nothing bad to say. Even the small challenges I may have encountered were positives because they truly helped me learn and grow. I would absolutely recommend this program to anyone!