IES Abroad Salamanca

Salamanca was a fantastic experience, and I can’t wait to go back and visit again. I am really grateful to the IES program for giving me a strong basis for exploring Spain and Spanish culture. The homestay was one of the best experiences-living with a local family, being immersed in the culture almost 24/7 helped me adjust quickly and start experiencing Spanish culture less as a tourist and more as a temporary resident.
I do have a couple regrets though. In taking classes at the University of Salamanca, I met a lot of Spanish friends, and got to know them and Spanish people my age better, but I wish I had spent more time with them. I think that one of the best ways for me to improve my Spanish is to spend it surrounded by native speakers, and my friends were always enthusiastic to spend time with a foreigner. Of course, I did enjoy my classes at the IES center, but there I wasn’t as immersed in Spanish culture as I wanted-my classmates were fellow Americans, and the classes were presented in an American style. Although we did have Spanish teachers, and the American style was to help us adjust, I would have preferred taking more classes at the Spanish university.

I have absolutely no complaints about this program. The city itself is a truly magical place to be, it's the perfect mix of a college and residential town with stunning architecture. There are tons of places to eat, museums to visit, and seats to people watch. As far as academics I recommend taking classes at the University of Salamanca in addition to IES courses. This is a better way to get a feel for the true Spanish student culture. I lived with a host family and spent a lot of time with them during meals and free time. I still keep in touch with them, as well as foreign friends I have made almost every day!

Wow... thanks to IES Abroad I had an absolutely amazing semester in Salamanca, Spain. Upon returning from abroad, many classmates who had gone to other places with other programs mentioned the difficulty of truly feeling like they were experiencing their host country's real culture. In contrast, IES Abroad did a great job of helping me experience an authentic semester in Salamanca through their mentoring programs with local university students, amazing host families, as well as opportunities to explore the culture in Salamanca as well as Spain at large. I would recommend this program to anyone who really wants to feel immersed in a different culture and learn to appreciate it. While it sounds cliche, I have a much more global perspective upon returning from Spain and appreciate the subtle differences of each culture even more. Neither the US culture nor the Spanish culture is better... they are simply different, each with their own pros and cons. To this day, I continue to talk with both American and Spanish friends I made while abroad, WhatsApp my host mom, read El País, and listen to Reggaeton. I made so many unforgettable memories while abroad, and can't wait to visit Salamanca once again.

Salamanca is an incredibly beautiful city. Prior to my trip, I had never travelled to Europe. The beauty of Salamanca set my standards for the rest of Europe very high. Although Madrid, Paris, and Rome were beautiful, no other place during my travels compared to this city. The city is so well preserved that it is like stepping back in time. The first weekend I spent there left me completely in awe. I spent the first week going to class and then purposefully getting lost and exploring all of the hidden treasures of the city. The best way to explore is to just wander. The city is small enough that you won't end up in a "bad" neighborhood, but large enough that you can safely get lost in the beauty.

Making the decision to study with IES abroad in Salamanca, Spain during my spring semester of 2016 was one of the greatest decisions of my life. Having studied abroad with a different institution in Madrid during the fall semester of 2015, I was well prepared to start the second semester of my abroad experience in a totally different city that carried with it a very historically unique college-town vibe. Being just one of two incumbents familiar to the study abroad experience, I enjoyed my role in being able to assist other students with their endeavors alongside the incredible teaching and administrative staff of IES abroad Salamanca.

Granted I knew what to expect in regards to studying abroad and its learning process, Salamanca itself was a city that I had visited just once before and was not all that familiar with. The administrative staff and group of Spanish student mentors at the local university assisted myself along with the other study abroad students in every step of the way, from picking us up at the airport, to walking us through orientation to hosting our fare-well departure ceremony at the programs end. At times I did feel as if my freedom was cut short to meet this program’s expectations, however, these mandated obligations such as frequent meetings with IES abroad teachers and administration regardless of need did nothing but bring out the best in me over the course of this program.

Though I did not get as many opportunities to travel Europe as I had the semester prior, there is nothing I would have changed about my overall experience with IES Abroad. In electing to directly enroll in the University of Salamanca and to live in the dormitories with Spanish natives, I was assured to have the most authentic, culturally immersed experience possible over the course of this 16-week program.

The most difficult part of this experience was not the beginning, but rather the end. Finals were difficult and adaptation can be rocky, but saying goodbye to some of the best friends I had ever made and leaving the peers who enabled me to achieve what
I had achieved was the most difficult of all. Nonetheless, on the plane ride home in reflection of everything that I had accomplished it was evident that this experience was without a doubt beyond worthwhile.

My favorite place in Salamanca is Plaza Mayor. It's the main gathering place where you can go to cafes, see public demonstrations, meet up with friends under the big clock, and just admire the stunning architecture. My first full day in Spain, I was walking around with (new) friends and we happened to be in the plaza just when it got dark enough for the lights to turn on. The moment the lights turned on, there was a collective gasp through out the square.

I had the privilege of happening to be in the plaza when the lights turned on about four more times throughout the semester, and each time I couldn't help but gasp at the beauty and very clear reminder to stop and be in awe of where I was. Salamanca was more beautiful than I could have imagined, and I'm beyond glad I spent a semester there.

Studying in Salamanca was one of the best decisions I ever made! I loved being immersed in a completely new culture and language for 4 months. IES Abroad did an awesome job of helping me to be immersed in Spanish through a homestay option, classes in all Spanish, awesome language professors, and opportunities to engage deeper with the culture. Additionally, the IES Abroad staff in Salamanca are so helpful and friendly. I will miss seeing their faces everyday! I highly recommend this program.

I wanted to step out of my comfort zone with studying abroad. For me, that meant choosing a program that would fully immerse me in the Spanish culture and force me to use my Spanish as much as possible. I feel extremely lucky to have chosen to study at IES Abroad Salamanca because it provided me with the opportunities to do both. In my literature class, I got to go on field trips through the city to learn the meaning behind the Renaissance and Baroque architecture. This hands-on learning made me appreciate the beauty of the city while remaining actively engaged in my studies. Having the opportunity to study at the local university along with taking IES classes allowed me to challenge myself by taking courses with local Spanish students and at the same time, take courses with other study abroad students to make me feel more comfortable. The IES staff and mentors are amazingly helpful with any questions and are extremely welcoming. I recommend this program for anyone who really wants a full immersion into Spanish life. I will certainly be returning to Salamanca again!