A semester of #studyabroad is just not enough!

Siobhan Neela-Stock is an API student contributor to our Tumblr blog, and will regularly report on her adventures in Granada, Spain.

The first time the thought to study abroad popped into my mind I was a junior in high school. The wonderful language of Spanish had been introduced to me only a mere year ago. I had already tried my high school’s first two options of languages to study (Latin and French) but they did not catch my attention long enough. The third option was Spanish and I had no choice but to sign up for a beginning Spanish class. My Spanish teacher would describe the wonderful sights and things she had done during her time abroad in Salamanca, Spain which motivated me to start my own study abroad research.

 When it came to my entry into college one of the first things I did was research my options for study abroad. Originally, I was only contemplating a semester abroad. I figured it was enough and it was a more common choice than a full academic year abroad. The thought only dawned on me to study abroad for a full year during my sophomore year in college. I reevaluated my options and with much research, visa applying and cajoling my parents I was set for a full academic year in Granada, Spain!

 I am so glad I took those extra steps to do so! My first semester in Granada was more of what I like to call an “experimental” semester. I was just getting my bearings, figuring out classes and making friends. The hardest thing (and most rewarding!) during my first semester was making Spanish friends. This is no exaggeration when I state that it was only until the last two weeks of the fall semester that I truly had made non-American friends. It was a hard road and I gave up often throughout it. The fact that I was taking classes with almost all Americans made it hard to interact with locals my age. However, with persistence and a willingness to make a fool out of myself speaking a different language it happened. Now with just a week back in Granada I am much more ready to make the most out of my time here now that I understand how things operate. If you can, and I recognize with money and transferring credits it can be difficult, take that extra step and commit yourself to a full academic year abroad! You’ll be glad you did (I know I am)!