Today university students are given so many opportunities, and one of the most important ones has to be the chance to spend a semester, or a year, abroad. Although this is of most benefit to people studying languages, many other students can also greatly benefit from the chance to expand their horizons by working or studying in a foreign country.
As a student of Spanish and Portuguese I am spending my third year of university working and studying in Spain and Portugal to improve my spoken and written language skills in everyday situations, and to learn more about the modern cultures of these two countries.
So far, I am 3 months into my year abroad having flown out to Spain at the start of July to work for a holiday lettings company in the small town of Moraira on the Costa Blanca. In the middle of September I relocated to the incredible city of Valencia to continue working for the same company. When I finish this placement in January I will be moving to Portugal to study for a semester in the University of Porto. Already this year abroad has given me some amazing opportunities to see new places and meet new people, making it a year I and many other year abroad students, will definitely not forget.
Over the coming year I will be sharing my experiences of being a student abroad as well as giving advice for anybody planning to spend a year or semester of their studies in a different country, including topics such as how to make the most of your time abroad and how to deal with any challenges that you may face in a positive manner.
Look out for more of Hannah’s articles over the year with Impact Travel!
Hannah Kitching
Featured image and Embedded image: Hannah Kitching
