By: Sophia Dunstan

¡Hola, soy Sophia! I’m in my final semester of a BSc in chemistry and Spanish at the University of Alicante in Spain, and overall, I’m really glad I decided to spend this semester abroad. The end of A semester at Waikato aligned really well with making the most of travelling such a distance, and for soaking up summer in Europe, which I definitely did! Before the autumn semester started in Spain in September, I was able to spend two months between New York, Ireland, the UK, France, Italy, Portugal and Spain. But Spain has by far been my favourite; I knew it would be as soon as I flew into Madrid, which is the nicest and cleanest capital city I’ve visited so far.

About a four-hour train ride from Madrid is Alicante, a coastal city that stretches along the Costa Blanca and is full of rich cultural and historical connections. In a way, Alicante in particular reminds me of NZ – they honour the Catalan language similarly to NZ with Te Reo; the area feels safe to explore alone; and the people are approachable and friendly. Within my classes at the university, I’m the only non-Spaniard, but that hasn’t stopped my classmates from welcoming me like their own. My teachers have also been really helpful, making sure to check in to make sure I’m understanding the content since my classes are taught in Spanish.

The Erasmus Student Network (ESN) programme is a great way to branch out to more people and to explore the country while you’re here. So far, they have run trips to Valencia, Tabarca, Fonts de L’algar, Altea & Culpe, and they have trips planned to Cartagena, Almería, Murcia and Granada. They also have regular activities throughout the week, such as a social run along the beachfront, beer pong, bowling, and workshops that relate to some aspect of Spanish culture. If you plan on filling your exchange with new experiences, I’d recommend joining their activities. You can also buy an ESN card, which gets you discounts on trips and certain activities, but you can still take part in the activities without it. The university also organises frequent cultural events, like art exhibitions, plays, and concerts for free, which I’d suggest checking out to get a taste of the creative side of Spain.

Classes at the UA run from 8 am until 9 pm, and I’ve found that timetables aren’t necessarily constant, but more of an estimation of what sort of time class will be each week. This means sometimes you’ll get long weekends, which are perfect for travelling somewhere new for the weekend! I’d definitely recommend travelling in September and October while your workload is manageable, though having a weekend away is a nice way to break up the weeks. 

I think Alicante is a great spot to live because of all it has to offer, but also for how accessible domestic and international travel is. But with all the travelling abroad, don’t forget to put time aside to tour Alicante itself. There are multiple municipalities, all with their own offerings. Roam the esplanade, stop by the beach (especially San Juan), and try Alicante’s famous paella, followed by their turrón de Jijona ice cream, and enjoy your time away!