When I thought about going abroad and studying in Spain, I thought about studying in Madrid, Barcelona, or even Valencia. I didn't even know about Alicante, or that it was even Spain. Well, I found out that I couldn't study in Madrid because you had to had taken Spanish classes, so the Marist abroad office helped me find the program in Alicante where you don't need any experience in Spanish. I was a little nervous about going just because when I talked about going to Alicante, people would tell me that they had never heard of it, but now that I've had the chance to live here over 5 months, and it was one of the best decisions I've made.
Studying in Alicante has given me the chance to learn Spanish, which has been something that I have always wanted to do. For me, taking Spanish classes in the U.S. was always boring because you really couldn't practice it. Living in Spain, you are forced to speak it. The program makes you take 3 mandatory classes: grammar, conversation, and lecture. Then you have the options of taking electives in Spanish or English. The 3 Spanish classes are really good, and allow you to develop the skills to communicate. Also, you can take business courses in English, which allowed me to fill my requirements at Marist. The cool thing about these classes is you mixed with Erasmus students, which are students from all over Europe.
The city of Alicante isn't the biggest city, or the best looking but it has a lot to offer. First off, the weather here is unbelievable. I was still going to beach until December. Now, it has been a little colder, but they say within the next month that it will be beach weather. Last semester, I would go to my morning classes, and afterwards I would head to the beach the rest of the day. The thing about Spain, and Alicante, is that there is always something going on. Whether it is a parade, or some type of religious celebration. You can always find something to do. The nightlife in Alicante speaks for itself. The so-called barrio has about 60 to 70 bars with many different themes, from hip-hop, to salsa, or just to a good Irish pub. Than there's the port which has all different types of dance clubs.
Living in Alicante has been a great experience. The thing I like the most about it, is that I have really had to chance to get to know other cultures and be with different types of people. Of course, I go out with my Americans friends here, but I get to spend a lot of time with people all over Europe. You really get to experience things that you would never have thought you would. So, if you're thinking about studying abroad, and really want to learn Spanish, Alicante is a good place to do it.
