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Hi, my name is Wesley Abrams – Finance major on exchange in the Netherlands. In this post I hope to share some pointers about studying abroad in general and with respect to The Hague. I hope to provide information that will make your decision about where to study abroad easier. Furthermore, I’m going to cover my 5 L’s to choose The Hague University of Applied Sciences.

1. Logistics
a. I would venture to say that a majority of students planning to go abroad have yet to visit the region they plan to study in. Quite frankly, even if you have traveled in Europe – or somewhere else – nothing can really prepare you for the wayward feeling of walking through an airport having no idea where you are. Being lost is something you have to get acquainted to on exchange – especially if you want to travel – but it’s not always a bad thing. There are clandestine benefits to wandering about and stumbling upon things you otherwise would miss. Relatively quickly, unless you’re in Venice, one begins to grasp the natural human disposition for cardinal direction and the seemingly prehistoric prevalence of printed map usage. While this is all true, it doesn’t eliminate the desire to travel with ease. And, in my experience, the Netherlands excellent infrastructure of transportation allows that.
i. You just walked down the tunnel into an airport you have never seen, there is a smell in the air you can’t quite put your finger on – it’s not bad…but different…and sometimes bewildering. You haven’t slept, because no matter how much you convince yourself that an 8 hour flight is the perfect time to catch some zzzz, its just not possible. Jet lag is setting in, you have a copious amount of luggage – no you didn’t pack lightly – that constantly disobeys every understanding of how wheels should work, and you still have to make it your accommodation. This is the one time you don’t want to be lost for the experience. Thankfully, at Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport, there is a rail station in the basement. Also, good for you that everyone at the ticket windows and working at the airport, in general, speaks above average English. You had a little trouble finding the ticket windows at first sure, and had to ask some policeman where the tracks actually are…but hey, you made it. Standing, waiting, and almost sleeping but ready to find out where you are going next. Once the trains arrive, you realize how efficient the system actually is – because you a lost college student conquered it with relative ease on 2 hours sleep. Finding a place to stand with your hefty baggage is troubling, regardless; you’re on your way. Here is where the point of this section becomes most relevant: http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=52.067029,4.324622&hl=en&sll=52.068625,4.323367&sspn=
0.003759,0.009645&geocode=FaiAGgMdD_NBAA%3BFdV6GgMdDv1BAA&dirflg=w&mra=dme&mrsp=0&sz=17&t=m&z=17
that url is the extent of your walk from the train station to the university, and the Red Tower – where I recommend to stay – is only about 2 minutes from there. Not having to leave the airport in order to catch a train and being dropped off within in minutes walking to your final destination is about the greatest thing that could happen at this point in the journey.
ii. Bike travel is extremely popular in the Netherlands and is probably the best means of permanent transportation once your settled. However, while you are getting used to things and haven’t scoped out the best deal for a bike, the tram system in The Hague is pretty intuitive. There are detailed maps at each stop that tell you the path each travels. The beauty of it all is, OV Chip Cards can be purchased at the train station and preloaded with money, thus it’s on a need to use basis. You just swipe the card when getting on and off, never really paying more than 1.50 euro to get anywhere in the city.
2. Language
a. Pretty much all Dutch people speaking English well, which can be inferred from the airport staff’s fluency. It’s possible to run into a few problems with immigrants running convenient stores and restaurants – but it always works without you feeling too stupid. I’m not saying living somewhere with a higher language barrier isn’t rewarding, it’s just not as easy. Also, this benefit is quite fruitful when asking for directions before you’re acquainted with the city.
b. The university offers a course in Survival Dutch that helps you get through most binds. It doesn’t pretend that a language can be learned in 5 months, so you get what you need. And, you leave feeling at least a little more cultured.
3. Learning
a. One great thing about The Hague University is that U of L COB students are eligible to do a full exchange. Meaning, all of your approved credits transfer with ease. Also, for finance and marketing majors, there is a plethora of advanced courses available that don’t impede on your path to graduation.
b. Have you seen the campus? Imagine a completely indoor campus that houses 22,000 students as an outdoor one would. For lack of better words, it’s pretty incredible. If you haven’t checked it out, use Google images or take a virtual tour on their website – hhs.nl – before you finish this paragraph. My diction or prose really can’t do this complex justice.
c. The IBMS (International Business and Management Studies) program has many exceptional professors. Also, the learning environment is different. First of all, group work is a staple. Love it or hate it you need exposure to working in teams – even if it’s difficult. Once you enter the workforce there is no doubt that teamwork is necessary and you might not always see eye to eye with your partners, that’s just life. Second, in most courses, the teacher-student ratio is much smaller than that of U of L – which expands upon the way you are used to viewing the classroom. Third, professors are genuinely helpful to exchange students. For example, two of my books were given on loan from a professor to avoid paying high retail costs.
4. Location
a. If you are planning to travel, there is really no better place to set as home base. Besides the fact you live right next to a train station that goes directly to the airport, the Netherlands is a pretty central location to travel from. In turn, this allows for you to find cheap flights to many destinations across Europe. Websites like easyjet, skyscanner, and edreams are extremely helpful.
b. If you want to take buses or trains destinations like England, Spain, or France aren’t out of the question. In the end, flying is almost always the most practical way to get around.
5. Leisure
a. You’re first thought when thinking about studying at The Hague probably isn’t that there is a beach. I know for a fact it wasn’t mine. In actuality though, there is a beach and its quite scenic. The temperature is a moderate, and there isn’t typical beach weather you are accustomed to. Albeit, there is a special feeling when you visit this particular beach. I don’t know if it’s because it’s so different than what you have seen – didn’t even know beaches could have that much variety or a distinctive and special aura. Overall, the atmosphere is just relaxing…the people are very relaxed in demeanor and the whole area just seems to have a slow pace. As if time it self ceases to exist.
b. Biking is extremely efficient in The Hague. Pretty much every road has a path to separate bikers from traffic and make travel hassle free. And, if you forgot how much fun riding a bike is you’re missing out. For me, it’s one of those basic thrills that take you back to innocent childhood fun. Even better, you can bike to the beach in about 25 minutes – which lets you take in the scenery and get some exercise.
c. There are tons of movie theaters if you are having a slow night. All movies are shown in English, which – as you can imagine — is a plus. Typically, I want to understand what’s happening in a film I pay to see – could just be a personal thing.
d. Amsterdam City Center is about a 45-minute train ride. Of course, being a massive city, it provides for extensive means of entertainment. And, the city itself is an architectural playground. If you like cool buildings, Amsterdam has pretty much every type. Not to mention the city, like many places in the Netherlands, has its own special vibe.

Ghent

First stop, Ghent! I did a little background on the city before our departure and found that Ghent is the 3rd largest city in Belgium (almost 600,000) and displays the largest “automobile free” zone in the entire country that is directly within the city. Naturally, I came to anticipate a great deal of walking, but I was interested at how such a large city (larger than within the Louisville limits) can operate with no cars!
It was in the Antwerp Centraal train station (connecting train from Holland to Ghent) that I experienced my first Belgian waffle with my Canadian friend, Kate. Only having to pay €1.50 at a track-side concession stand, my expectations were not all that high but it was still incredible and very delicious. I can only imagine these things made fresh for breakfast.

Arriving in Ghent on a bleak, rainy day, we soon realized that we should’ve gotten off at the previous station. Nevertheless, we trudged up towards the city center for around an hour, sightseeing the entire way. Immediately we began drawing comparisons to Den Haag, back in Holland. It’s incredible how you can travel 90 minutes and see how the landscape, the people, and the architecture all completely change! Much wealthier than Holland, I instantly recognized the luxurious, past lifestyle of the city’s inhabitants. Signs of deep, personal, stone engravings marked many of the shops’ cornerstones. The buildings were pleasantly adorned with gothic-styled charibums and ornate fixtures that proclaim their once-significant stature. One in every four stores would be a jewelry store or boutique that overlooked the canals that line the city (Antwerp, Brussels is known as the diamond capital of the world). As we neared the city you could gradually see the buildings as though you were stepping into a time machine. Three imposing cathedrals, dating the 17th century, tower over all as they guard the city center. Everywhere we turned reminded us of something from Medieval era…not in a touristy, Disney World way. After we had enough pictures we made our way to our hostel that was a 10 minute walk from the city center. That is when we met Gravensteen. What we toured was the castle that defended the city from the late 12th century from against foreign invaders. Remarkably intact, we were able to walk around and learn about the warfare, weaponry, and population of that time period. The view that over looked the city, even on a rainy day, was truly breathtaking (see photo album: Ghent, Belgium). That night we enjoyed some fine Ghent dining and our first steak of the trip. Meals here, as I’ve heard about in Southern Europe, are meant to last a while. Tipping is not common; therefore, servers take their time and work in a very slow pace. After dinner we went to this famous bar called Bierhuis, “Beer House”. This place was AWESOME. The beer menu was leather-bound and roughly 13-15 pages. By the end of the night we were asking for shots of strange liquor kept in a ceramic jug, poured by none other than Santa Claus himself. I may never drink Bud Light again. After a few hours of sleep we somehow boarded a train to Brussels the next morning.

Brussels

Arriving in Belgium’s capital city, Brussels was a sharp change of contrast from the quiet, picturesque Ghent. Brussels was a booming metropolitan area full of automation, industry, and history. Again, the vast buildings spoke volumes of their history, but much more modern than Ghent. We visited a number of monuments as we criss-crossed our way to our room to check in.
Cool Fact: Our hostel was the old workshop/home of Vincent Van Gogh during his time in Belgium.

That afternoon we met in the classical town square in the middle of the city for the highlight of our trip, the Belgian Beer Tour! Now there are very few things that Belgium is known for on a national scale. Beer is definitely one of them. Our tour guide, Alberto (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150578855539185&set=a.10150578821279185.399649.758734184&type=3&theater), was one of the most intelligent, fun-loving people that I’ve ever met. When signing up for this tour we expected to drink, and learn about beer. What we did not expect was to get detailed historical account of the city Brussels AND Belgian national history as we passed all the important landmarks! Our first stop was the world renowned bar, Delirium. Claiming to hold stock to 2,000+ beer, Delirium offers a collection that can be found in no other bar or pub in all the land. It was decorated in true American Picker-style with hundreds of antique beer memorabilia and porcelain signs littering the walls. It reminded me a lot of The Tavern just….a lot nicer and a little more touristy. To the second stop we traveled to the edge of the city and visited famous Cantillon Brewery. This is the oldest, and still operating, brewery in Belgium, still passionately managed by the same family for 4 generations. Narrowly escaping bombing during WWII, the brewery almost resorted to closing its doors forever when business became so slow. Only after adding a museum to the brewery did numbers slowly begin picking up. They let us try a few types of their famous brew. So lets go back and think of your favorite beer. Is it Blue Moon? Maybe Stella Artios? Guinness? Amberbock? If all of these wanna-bes mated and their offspring were gently fed the sweet nectar of Zeus until the age of 6, this would be the delicate, most perfect result. I cannot paint a picture worthy of portraying the grandeur of this flavor so I will move on. The final stop came to a place (I forget the name after many 10-12% beers) where there were no brands. No signs, no labels, nada. This was a true beer-lovers establishment that did not wish to influence you with propaganda or advertisement. Instead, a menu was given to you that had different tastes that were vividly descriptive with an appropriate summary of this mystery beer. Only when you received the beer did they reveal the blind date’s identity. It was a very cool place that ended our fieldtrip in style.

The next morning we toured the scenic area of downtown, stopping by the large St. Michael’s and St. Gudula’s Cathedral before we skipped town. Talk about a very eerie mystique. This massive structure took 300 years to build! Very reverently, we tip toed around and snapped pictures of the dozens of stained glass windows that depicted biblical scenes. The Gothic architecture of pointed arches, high, vaulted ceilings, and flying buttresses that became so famous in the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries was on full display, showing the true youth of the United States. In these days, commoners were feared or fooled into religion by priests who promised forgiveness and acceptance to heaven for payments. The Church quickly grew into the most powerful entity around, as shown in their buildings in which not one expense was left to consider. We left in a very majestic-feeling state.
We were very exhausted after only three days and couldn’t wait to get home to The Hague. We have trips planned soon for Amsterdam and Germany!

Random stories that don’t belong anywhere:
• My Australian friend, Nick, is taking me to a local rugby practice this week and teaching me how to play.
• Nambi tried to jump out of a moving taxi at 5am. If you ask him, he’ll claim that you know as much as he does about the night.
• The meat here isn’t real meat. I’m not sure exactly what it is, but something just isn’t quite right. I’ll need to examine the problem further as I’ve only found one decent burger since arriving.

CIAO FROM FLORENCE!

I started my study abroad on August 18th along with Regina Amundson. Before arriving in our city of study, we made our own plans to travel to Ireland and London. Ireland was amazing and one of my favorite countries that I have visited. We stayed in Dublin at the Fleet Street Hotel, it was nice and in the CENTER of everything that we wanted to do. We also stayed in Galway for a night, in order to visit the Cliffs of Moher, a.ka. the most beautiful place I have ever seen. London was a very big city so we used one of those very touristy tour busses to see things and get around. This was the first time I had ever experienced the Metro and we successfully mastered it in the first try. It seems confusing at first but you just have to figure out which line goes to where you are going, and change lines when needed to do that.

The program that I chose to go through was ISA-International Studies Abroad. This is because UofL doesn’t have an exchange program in Florence, Italy. The staff is amazing and goes out of their way to help you do anything and everything. We arrived at the Rome airport where they picked us up. We stayed in Rome for a few days for our first excursion with the program and then moved on to Florence where we stay. I really liked Rome and would have also had an amazing time if I had studied there. Top three things that I did there: made a wish in the Trevi Fountian, climbed the Spanish Steps and looked at Rome from the top, and visited the Colosseum!

They had our apartments picked out for us which is pretty nice because I know that some people who study abroad have to find their own. My apartment was a surprise because it is much bigger than expected! It also has air conditioning and a washer which not many Italians have. There are seven girls in total in our apartment. We have three bedrooms and three bathrooms, and a kitchen. What we don’t have is a living room but we have all gotten over that fact because we don’t really like to lounge around in the apartment much, we would rather be out enjoying the beautiful city. Italians like to conserve energy, so we have to keep in mind to turn off lights, take short showers, and we hang our clothes up to dry considering we don’t even have a dryer to use.

The only class that is mandatory to take is Italian. I didn’t, but I recommend you taking a year or two before you come abroad. I am in the beginner’s class and it isn’t too much of a challenge but would have liked to know some before I came. It is incredible how many Italians can speak English. Some are more fluent than others but almost everyone can understand some. It makes me so jealous. All of my teachers in my other classes also speak English pretty well; I haven’t had any barriers with the language difference at all. The other classes that I am taking are: Love, Sex, and Marriage in the Renaissance Italy, Italian Culture through Festivals and Feasting, Wine Appreciation I, and Fashion, Media, and Culture. I absolutely love my Food class! If I could go back– I would have taken a lot of different cooking classes instead of taking a variety of things (even though I do enjoy all of my classes).

Besides Rome, ISA has also taken us on many different excursions, and have events planned for us throughout the semester. They’ve taken us to museums, on day trips to other places in Florence, a soccer game, had cooking lessons, and then we also have a Thanksgiving dinner planned and we are going to an opera! All of these things are optional but I have done most of them and they were great experiences. My favorite was the soccer game and a visit to Cinque Terre beach-another one of the most beautiful places that I have been!

We have already had a few visitors from home, Matthew Case and Jacob Huff which are friends of ours from UofL. We are also going to have Regina’s sister visit us and Jenny Blake, who also went to UofL. Having them come makes it feel like a little piece of home is here for a week! While Matt and Jacob were here we visited Venice. This place is absolutely amazing! While there we took the obvious gondola ride and I even got to get up with the gondola man and help drive it!

In the past few weeks a lot has happened- Midterms and Fall Break! Midterms all went well as planned. AND FALL BREAK WAS AMAZING! During the break some of my roommates and I planned to go to Barcelona, Paris, and Interlaken. You might not be as familiar with Interlaken as the other cities, but it is in Switzerland and is the adventure capital! It looked like a post card and was so pretty! I went canyoning in melted glacier water–cold but totally worth it! You can youtube it, but basically you hike up to the top of some canyons and then make your way down them by jumping in pools of water and sliding down rocks–forwards and backwards! I was so much fun. The highlight was SKYDIVING over the Swiss Alps. It cost a small fortune but I do not care in the least bit and want to go again. While in Paris I did the usual….sat on the lawn of the Eiffel tower and climbed it, saw the MONA LISA, etc. In Barcelona I saw a lot of Gaudi architecture and went to his park, which was awesome. I did more things in this one week than I have done in my entire life!

So now it’s back to school mode! Thinking about the papers and presentations that I’m going to be working on over the next month and lastly the finals! Then moving back home–so sad. Time has been passing by WAY too quick for me. It seems like yesterday when I was just arriving in Ireland. The environment over here is so much more laid back than in the states. I’ve been taking the time to sit back and enjoy the atmosphere while waiting on the check at dinner rather than wondering how fast it is going to come. I feel as though I have been more lucky than others because yea I miss my friends and family, but I haven’t had or taken the time to even think about it. This is a once in a lifetime experience and I am trying to do everything possible to make it the most amazing time of my life. When am I ever going to live in Florence, Italy again? Probably never. I LOVE THIS PLACE!! Thanks to the COB for giving me this experience.

Greetings!!

I have always wanted to travel to Croatia! Studying in Europe this fall semester has really given me the opportunity to travel!! At the beginning of October, myself and two other exchange students from the Hague went to Zadar, Croatia!

It was quite an experience getting there though I must say. We actually did not fly out of Amsterdam, we scheduled a flight out of Brussles, Belgium because the flights for RYANAIR airlines were MUCH cheaper! Sitting here in Holland waiting for a train to Brussles, we hear an announcement saying that the train to Brussles was cancelled! We began to panic and started hopping on any trains heading that way! We somehow ended up in Rotterdam (which has a lot more international trains passing through) and found a Thalys train (which is a French train) that was heading to Paris but stopping in Brussles. We begged the conductor to let us on even though we did not have the correct train tickets. After explaing about our cancelled train and about how we have a flight to catch, out of the kindness of his own heart, he said we could get on but we had to sit on the floor in the back by the luggage! We all sat there for the 2 hour train ride to Brussles! After literally running to catch out plane we sat down and looked at eachother and just laughed! WHAT AN EXPERIENCE!

Croatia was absolutely beautiful. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. We visited Plitvice Lakes which is the National Park with mountains, lakes, rivers, and WATERFALLS! Such a site! I will remember this trip for the rest of my life!

Hopefully my pictures will be available to see on the B-Blogger dashboard! 🙂

I knew since middle school I wanted to study abroad someday. On June 8^th that little kid dream of mine became a reality. Stepping off of the plane, I knew I had to adjust fast to my new environment.

I had decided in the fall of 2010 that I would study abroad this summer in Prague, Czech Republic. I chose it from the stories I heard of other travelers, its cosmopolitan way of life and its history with a temporary rule by the Soviet Union. I wanted something different and unique, and that is exactly what I received.

Prague is a city for everyone. From the first night hanging out with my university-assigned Czech “buddy,” I knew that the Czech culture was something I could really get used to. After kindly picking me up from the airport, he took me to his favorite Czech pub were we enjoyed goulash while arguing over Eastern European economics.

One of my favorite parts about my study abroad in Prague was the diversity of students enrolled in the program. There were kids from France, Austria, Lithuania, Belarus, Russia, Canada, and Brazil. And of course because of the proximity, each one had a couple friends visit them over the course of the program. At the very least it was quite a cultural experience for me. I gained lifelong friends that I am planning to visit already.

With these great new friends I was able to explore a city like never before. Being near the heart of the city and on the main tram line, we could travel all over the city every day. Of course we saw the famous Prague Castle and Charles Bridge, the Jewish quarter and Old Town Square. But those weren’t the best places. The places that I will never forget will be our dorm, where we meet to start an adventure or play a game or two of soccer; the pubs where we shared stories about our varying cultures; the bowling alley in South Moravia, Czech Republic where we all enjoyed a night together celebrating the 4^th of July; or the hidden diners that our “buddies” would show us, helping us discover the real Prague.

Finally, one of the great things that I will never stop telling people is how much I learned not only from the classes but from first-hand experiences and stories shared by my fellow students. Taking classes on Post-Soviet Economics are much easier to comprehend and fully grasp when you have students and professors who were there and lived it day in and day out. I am confident that I learned more about international business in that one month in Prague than I would have if I had taken 4 years of classes in the States.

I fell in love with Prague and will be back there many more times to keep exploring the countless undiscovered parts. If you ever have the opportunity, please do yourself a favor and just do it.

I have spent the last four weeks exploring the city of Prague in the Czech Republic. It is considered Central Europe and I now see why. The best thing about studying abroad here has been how easy it is to take weekend trips to some other great cities!

The second weekend I was here a group from my program went to Berlin and Dresden in Germany. The five hour train ride was well worth it. Berlin had lots of sites that I’d always dreamed of seeing especially since I’ve always been very interested in WWII. Dresden was almost the opposite. A smaller city with beautiful buildings all located in the same area. Although we kept reminding ourselves that the buildings were really only about 20 years old because Dresden was thoroughly bombed in the war.

I also had the opportunity to travel to Vienna. This is my new favorite city in Europe. Everyone was very friendly, the public transportation was easy to navigate, and they had tons of things to see and do. I especially loved all the parks and also a free Film Festival that the Town Hall was hosting.

All these cities are beautiful but living in a European city has been an adjustment. I won’t lie, sometimes I crave familiarity and look for American things like TGI Friday’s. Prague has positive and negative points about it like any city. I love all the history and just walking through the cobblestone streets for hours, the shopping, the prices, and the weather has been great as well. While here I feel like I’ve learned a lot about being on your own and pushing through uncomfortable situations. That’s what study abroad is all about and why every single person should get to experience at least a summer abroad. If you choose Prague as your destination, take a weekend trip to see another country or city. Take advantage of every minute of your experience because it goes by a lot faster than you think.

Hola, Que Pasa Contigo Tios!!

I am Kamero Amani Neblett, a rising Junior, a Finance major and I am currently studying in Sevilla Spain which is absolutely one of the most beautiful experience I have ever had!!

I am studying abroad with the International Studies Abroad (ISA) program for two summer sessions. So I’ve been here since the end of May and I will return to Kentucky at the end of July! The first summer session group has left and the second group has recently arrived so I want to tell you about my amazing experience with ISA in Sevilla.

Great Decisions before Leaving

Before leaving for Spain, I did a little studying on the culture and history. Also, I tried not to develop many expectations but to only have an open mind to the differences of the Spanish culture. It has turn out to be a great decision. The Spanish people love to teach willing students or travelers about their way of life. I also chose home stay for the very reason of immersing myself into the culture, and it was an “Perfecto” decision. And lastly before I left I signed up for mostly Spanish courses. These teachers have been the best Spanish professors I have ever had and my knowledge of Spanish has increased dramatically.

Learning Spanish

It is important to have purpose or an idea of what you want to get out of your study abroad experience. Many of the American students here want to accomplish the ultimate goals of Fun and more Traveling. Those are great goals and I have accomplished both, but if you want to learn Spanish it can create a trade off. I thought it would be easy to learn Spanish in Spain, however, I definitely have to make daily and special effort to avoid speaking in English. Weird right? But this study abroad program is mostly American students and the staff are able to speak English therefore the students rather speak it to converse efficiently. So, unless you make a special effort to immerse yourself with the local people you may find it difficult to improve your Spanish, especially if your staying only a short time.

This is how to do it:

• First sign up for home stay! Out of the 150 students (over two sessions) in ISA, I’ve only heard of one family  who knew English. It may be rough at first, but you quickly learn how to survive.
• Sign up for Spanish Courses! I have had three Courses in Spanish and two professors. (I have also taken an International Finacnce course). I’ve taken beginning Spanish and I am now in intermediate Spanish. My schedule is a little crazy this month with one class for Four & Half hours with breaks, but its worth it. Both professors have been amazing! The classes are small and they know how to teach Spanish not “Spanglish”. It is also a lot of fun because you also learn a ton about the culture through the language. Also, they often gives us homework that requires us to talk with locals and go to certain places in the city to use what we learned. If your plan to come for a semester and not a summer your schedule would be more civilized.
• Solo en Español! Tell all the directors and the people you see often to only speak with you in Spanish. The directors speak English to run to program more efficiently, but after the important things are covered use them to practice your Spanish. Also, have them let you know about more things around the city you can get into.
• ¡Intercambios! These are the best! Basically, ISA pairs you up with a willing student to help you with Spanish and you help them with English. My intercambio already knows English so we mostly talk in Spanish. The cool thing about it is that there isn’t anything formal about it. You basically become friends who hang out and talk. My intercambio has introduced me to her friends, taken me to parties and beaches, and taught me more about Sevilla. A friend of for a lifetime.
• ¡Estudia! The classes aren’t hard but to really understand the language you need to study a little every day. At least that’s how it is for me. However, it can be very difficult to study when there are so many things to do. Espically at night, I believe Spaniards don’t sleep.
• Get involved! Make sure you attend as many events the program sets up for and ask them about other jobs or volunteer work you can do in the city. This is really good because you have responsibilities that you will have to conduct in Spanish.

Home Stay!

Home Stay is the bomb! Many students got apartments instead of home stay for various reasons I do not understand. I am living Fabulously! My family lives in an apartment with 3 rooms, 2 bathrooms, a living room and a kitchen. My family consist of an Señora, Señor y dos los perros. They have no children unlike other families and they housing my roommate from Nebraska and I. My Señora cooks the best Spanish dishes three times a day (which is my favorite part). She makes us bocadillos and other snacks every excursion we go on. She washes, folds and irons our clothes! Once a week she changes our sheets and towels. She gives us ultimate privacy! Our Señor mostly watches T.V. and always willing to talk if we have questions. Honestly I feel spoiled living like this.

It sounds all Fun but come Prepared!

A few students have had unfortunate things happen to them and even I received diarrhea by eating all the food from an excursion to Morocco. Spain is pretty safe for the most part, but there is theft. In Madrid, one student got his bag stolen by a cab driver who drove off with it. Other things you should think about is the exchange rate and phone calling, because many student have lost a lot money by not dealing with those things wisely. Females should stay very cautions toward the very aggressive Spaniard guys, especially when drinking at bars or at clubs. You can have a lot of fun but don’t become careless or let your guard down.

Paz

Kamero Amani Neblett