Student Spotlight: Elias’s Spring Semester Abroad in Granada, Spain

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Eager to step into the footsteps of a college student who studied abroad in Spain? We recently caught up with AIFS Abroad program participant Elias from the University of Vermont. He spent a spring semester studying abroad in the Andalusian city of Granada. 

Read on to learn more about his study abroad experience with AIFS Abroad and the impact of being an international student in Granada.

Brett: Hi, welcome back. My name is Brett. I’m a senior at Flagler College studying Spanish and International Studies, and I studied abroad in the spring of 2024 in Granada. 

Elias: Hi, my name is Elias. I’m also a senior. I’m at the University of Vermont. I’m studying Political Science and Environmental Studies. I was lucky to be in the same program as Brett. So that’s actually how we met. 

The Advantages & Challenges of Studying Abroad 

Brett: How was your overall study abroad experience? Did you overcome obstacles pre-departure? 

Elias: First of all, it was just an amazing experience. Going into it, I had pretty high expectations for studying abroad because I’ve known since high school this is something I wanted to do. So I really wanted it to be a great experience, but it even surpassed everything that I was expecting — I mean, really, really amazing.

I definitely had some concerns beforehand going in. I think it’s something that probably a lot of people worry about — the whole kind of culture shock and getting used to living in a foreign country is really challenging. So I wasn’t really sure how I was going to adapt to that once I got there, especially because I was in a homestay. I got to stay with a host mom who only spoke Spanish. And I was nervous about how strong my Spanish would be and how that would hold up there. I hadn’t taken a Spanish class since high school until I got in there.  

The most stressful part of leading up to actually studying abroad would be getting a visa. 

I know that for a lot of people that are in the application process right now, you probably know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s not easy, it’s a lot of paperwork, but it’s absolutely worth it. Once you actually get there and experience what study abroad really is, it makes all the stress leading up to the program worth it. 

Brett: The paperwork and the visa are intimidating, but it’s worth it for four to five months [of] being able to travel wherever you want. 

Elias: One of the things that helped me with trying to get through all the annoying paperwork and logistics and everything beforehand are the resources and people you can reach out to at AIFS, and I highly recommend doing that, especially with visa stuff. I had a lot of questions about that like, “When am I going to get my visa back?” and “Am I doing this paperwork right?” Don’t be afraid to reach out to the people that are there to help you because they usually have the answers to your questions. 

Brett: Knowing that AIFS was there during the application process and also on the ground in Granada was comforting. We could send them an e-mail and they’d respond within an hour. 

Elias: They were definitely more involved with our program and directly supporting us when we arrived in Spain, more than I was expecting. Having all the orientation activities was really helpful, getting to meet people in our program helps you get to know the city and where you live and everything. It made it a lot easier to adjust to living there. 

Academic & Professional Development Abroad 

Brett: So you said you’re studying Environmental Science and Environmental Studies. How did studying abroad impact your academic and career goals? 

Elias: Yeah, in many ways. So to start off with I was lucky enough to be able to study at one of the more prestigious universities in Europe. So right off the bat that’s a huge opportunity. I was able to take a few Political Science classes while I was there, one of them was an “Environmental Politics of the [European Union]” class. The other one was the “Political Systems of Spain and the [European Union],” which are not topics you would get to study back in the US. It’s also being taught from the perspectives of professors that are directly impacted by those things and have grown up learning about it and studying it. So that was really cool. It was a chance to learn about things within my major in niches that I wouldn’t usually find here at [an American] college. 

I was required to take a Spanish grammar and a Spanish speaking and writing class. That was amazing as well because for part of my program here at UVM — it’s probably like this for a lot of schools as well — I’m required to take a certain amount of foreign language courses. So it helped me fulfill that, but also it just helped me get a lot better at speaking Spanish, which was one of my biggest goals. Probably my number one goal for studying abroad was to try to become fluent in Spanish. Part of that was through taking those classes and part of it was also just through being in a homestay and living in a city where everyone speaks Spanish. So that cultural exposure is a big part of it too. 

Brett: I agree, I think having a Spanish professor teach you Spanish history from their point of view… sure, you can study political system of Spain and the US, but is that really what the Spanish people think about their political system? And I think the majority of the professors at our university knew that we were coming from other countries, so they knew we had different perspectives and they were willing to share their [perspective] with us. 

Elias: That Spanish speaking class, which I know that you had to take as well… the ability to learn conversational Spanish — some slang and some other phrases that are local they actually use, so you’re not always talking like a robot. It helps you blend in when you’re having conversations with native speakers. That’s a really cool thing that you’re probably less likely to get here. There’re so many things that are different about getting an education there. 

How Does Studying Abroad Impact Your Worldview? 

Brett: How has your perspective or your worldview changed as a result of studying in Spain? 

Elias: It’s definitely changed a lot. Part of it was that I got to learn a lot about other cultures. 
There were a lot of students there that were not just from the US but from other countries, too. Having the chance to meet people from all around the world helps to develop that broader worldview. Also having the ability to travel during that time helps a lot. It changes a lot about the way that you view your life when you come back to the US, right? There [are] a lot of things about living here that we either just take for granted or assume are universal. And it’s really different when you when you come back here. And I think part of that difference is a work life balance. That’s something that’s very different culturally between the US and the rest of the world. So being exposed to things like that and just seeing what the style of living is like in another country can really change how you view your own life when you come back here. And it can change, you know, how you go about your daily life.  

I think that’s kind of the lifestyle I was looking for… there’s more to life than just school and work. I think that one thing I noticed, especially in Europe in general, is that there’s more of an emphasis on just quality of life and happiness over making money. 

I guess the best way to put it is there are other ways to find success. And that was a really big way that my perspective changed. I miss living in that kind of environment now that I’m back here. 

Elias’s Advice for Studying Abroad 

Brett: What advice would you give to someone that’s considering studying abroad, maybe in Spain, maybe somewhere else? 

Elias: To start with, if there is a student who is kind of on the fence about studying abroad and you’re not really sure, take that leap of faith. I was very nervous about [studying abroad] and just felt unsure to begin with when I was looking at some programs… I was like, I don’t know what’s quite right for me. You know, you’re not going to have all the answers right away and you’re not going to know exactly what a study abroad program will look like or interning abroad. But sometimes it’s good to just find a program that you think will suit you and just take that leap of faith and just go for it. Because a lot of things you’ll figure out when you get there… you don’t have to have everything planned out. A lot of things will just fall into place and you’ll figure it out as you go. That’s part of the journey and part of the whole beauty of, you know, getting to do this. If you think it’s something that you could do and you’re on the fence about it, go for it. Just go for it. I hear a lot more people say that they regret not doing it than regret doing it. It’s worth the risk. 

Just be very open to meeting new people and learning new things and experiencing new cultures. The more new opportunities you can open yourself up to, the better off you’ll be. 

Brett: There’s a lot of fear because people don’t know what they’re getting themselves into and you’re far away from your family and friends. But there’s always a plane ticket home. If you don’t like it — which I think you will — it’s not forever, it’s not the rest of your life. You can turn around and go home. But you’ll never know you want to go home unless you leave. I will say that the first few days are scary, but I don’t know, I feel like I saw all of these posts and things before I left, like people crying, saying goodbye to their families and then you’re crying for a whole separate reason when you’re leaving. And that’s exactly what I experienced. I was very uncertain, a little nervous leaving. And when I left Granada, I was like, I want to stay. I don’t want to go back. Just go for it, try it. It’s scary, but it’s so worth it. 

Elias: And when you’re there, squeeze everything out of it that you can, because I know people say like, “Oh, it’s going to fly by” and you’re kind of like, “Oh yeah, I know.” But no, seriously, I cannot believe I was there for four months. It felt like probably four weeks. It goes by so quickly, you know, for a lot of people that are really excited about it and are planning out, like, I want to go see this. I want to go to this place. I want to try this — time’s going to fly by. 

So seriously, take advantage of the time you have there. Enjoy it as much as possible. Try as many new things as you can. Just know that… you can always go back. 

Brett: Enjoy it. It flies. It’s crazy how fast it went. I feel like I was just planning to go and now it’s over. I’m so grateful to have had the experience. I feel like it’s kind of cheesy to [say], “Oh, it changed my life.” But it really does… I always heard these people say, “Going abroad changed my life.” And then you do it and it’s much deeper than you would ever think. It’s not just like I ran around Europe for four months. It’s a lot of academic growth, but personal growth too. I feel like it does change you as a person. 

Elias: And it’s not like you take your life at home and transplant it into a new country and you’re just doing the same thing in another country. It’s seriously like your life literally changes. You change. So it’s kind of scary, but it’s also such an amazing thing at the same time. 

What Makes Studying Abroad So Special? 

Brett: Is there a memory that stands out? What makes Granada so special? 

Elias: There’s two answers to it. I would say one of them being the immersion that you have in living there makes it so amazing. You get to feel like you’re just like a local there. [You adapt] so quickly and you become a Granadino, you know what I mean? Like you just kind of settle in and once you get used to it, it’s so cool. 

Just getting to experience the culture there and you know, it’s the kind of thing that you can never learn the same way out of a textbook. Like you can learn about what a ‘sobremesa’ is, but you don’t really know what it is until you do it, which is, getting to have a long conversation with your family and friends after dinner and it can be hours long. But it’s just things like that are so different when you get to experience it firsthand. And those are the kinds of things that really stick with you and it’ll be different in every place that you go to.

But the other big thing is obviously getting to meet people there. I mean me and you and our other friend Diana became very, very close there and we got to meet so many amazing, amazing people… And whether it’s owners of the local coffee shop or local bar, I think the biggest memories that still stick with me today when I think about Granada are actually going around and thinking about how we’re going to say goodbye to those people within the last few weeks of studying abroad there. And I mean, it’s crazy to think we were only there like four months. Like how in four months can you become so settled into a place, so attached to a place that then leaving feels like you’re saying goodbye to a place you’ve known your whole life? So I think about the last night there and kind of going around and just seeing all of our favorite spots again. See, I think part of it’s the people and part of it’s the culture. 

Brett: When I talk about Granada, I get goosebumps because that’s how much I love it. I hope we’ve convinced you to go to Granada because that’s the best option. 

Elias: All study abroad is great, but Granada is the best. 

Brett: There’s study abroad and that’s one level, and then there’s Granada — it’s just a little bit higher. Thank you so much for sharing your experience. 

Elias: Thank you for having me on. 

Brett: I feel like that’s pretty much it. So go apply and start your applications for Granada! 

Are you a student who’s ready to take the leap and study abroad like Elias did in Granada? We’d love to help you start your journey! 

Here at AIFS Abroad, we know a thing or two about helping college students and pre-professionals study and intern abroad. Our programs are incredibly inclusive, which takes a lot of the stress out of planning. From coordinating your housing to providing things like cultural and social activities, excursions, comprehensive insurance, 24/7 emergency support, on-site staff, and more, you’ll take comfort in knowing you’ll have support throughout your entire experience abroad. 

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