Advice for Freshman that Want to Travel on a Winter/Summer Session Study Tour

January of my freshman year, I went to Madrid for three weeks with my school and it was one of the best experiences.

Even if you don’t know anyone going you should still go

When I went to Spain, I didn’t know a single person going and everyone was either a junior or senior. At first it was a little nerve wracking but it was such a small group that we became very close and I ended up with twelve new friends.

Even though you take classes, it’s not that bad

Since my trip was three credits, we were required to take two classes, a language (Spanish) and a culture class. The language class was helpful since we were in Spain. The culture class was exciting and involved many trips to different places in Spain.There was a Spanish final and a final for the culture class but it wasn’t bad at all.

You have a lot of free time 

We weren’t in class for many hours each week so there was a lot of free time given to us. We had the opportunity to get lunch in between classes and always had nights free.

You will need to bring a lot of spending $$

There isn’t a dining hall or meal plan at the school we studied at and in our hotel there was no kitchens so most of the time we ate out or ordered food. We also went out to clubs and bars, went shopping and bought souvenirs so money for all that is needed. We were there for three weeks so the amount you may need may vary. 

We went on a lot of weekend trips

With the culture class, we went on 2 day trips on the weekends to Segovia and Toledo, Spain and on the second weekend we went on an overnight trip to Cordoba and Seville in Southern Spain. 

Prepare for the weather

The weather will depend on the month you go but be prepared for weather changes. We spent most of the time in Madrid which was around 40 degrees fahrenheit in January but when we went to Cordoba and Seville in southern Spain, the temperature was a lot warmer.

Bring going out clothes

Packing clothes for class and weekend trips is important and so are clothes for going out if that’s something you’re interested in.

Be prepared for changes

On our way back to Boston, we missed our connecting flight in Germany. We ended up staying an extra night at a hotel in Munic. While it was frustrating, it ended up being a fun experience and an added night to our trip. 

 

You’ll have the time of your life!

Going on a trip to a foreign country with your classmates will be one of the best experiences and is so much fun!

Here are some of my pictures from Spain:

Madrid, Spain

Segovia, Spain​

Toledo, Spain

Cordoba, Spain​

Seville, Spain​

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