Tips on How to Blend In When Studying Abroad In Spain
When going to do an overseas program in Spain, whether it is an internship opportunity, or a study abroad program, there are a couple of things you should keep in mind to stay safe. It’s always good to plan ahead when you go abroad, short term or long term, and prepare so that you can expect the unexpected! The first thing that most websites and blogs advise to prepare for is pick pocketing, scams, and mostly anything someone will do to try and steal your possessions. If you go study or intern abroad in Spain, the most widely committed offense is petty crime such as pick pocketing.
As a first piece of advice when on an international study in Spain, be careful about your possessions in public. When you are walking in a crowded place in Spain, such as Las Ramblas in Barcelona or Plaza del Sol in Madrid, just keep in your mind “Don’t act like a tourist.” Doing simple things to not act like one will save you lots of headaches and money. The first and most important is to be confident, don’t take out your map in public, walk past people trying to ‘sell’ you things, and try to look like you know where you’re going, even if you don’t. What’s the first thing you think of when Americans talk in a loud place? They are loud. If you can try to keep your voice down if you are speaking English in a crowded place. English tends to stand out louder than Spanish does. And if people around you can hear you, then scammers and pick pocketers can too.
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Next, don’t fall for scams, schemes, or scenes that will leave you with nothing in your pockets! The skilled robbers will come up to you in groups, create a scene that distracts and leaves you with empty purses and pockets. Your number one priority should be to keep your hands over your possessions as much as possible and to not let them into the sight of whomever you are talking to, if he or she is a stranger. This is not meant to scare you from going to Spain or anywhere, but everyone should be careful when they are a visitor in a touristy place.
However, even with all of this caution, a student should stay open to meeting new friends, and try to make companions in Spain. The best way to become acclimated in Spain is to make Spanish friends. Adjust to the culture, go out, have fun! That is the best advice anyone can give you when studying, interning, or volunteering abroad, to adjust and become a part of the culture. That would be the upmost thing to keep in mind, to become a part of the Spanish culture; it’s a vibrant, beautiful thing that is the hardest thing to leave once your trip is over.
In conclusion, the best strategy when you go abroad to Spain is to be a smart, open-minded traveler. Be cautious of your surroundings and possessions, while being out going and trying your utmost to not be a tourist. Recently, in Barcelona, there has been an anti-tourist movement with slogans such as “tourism = cancer”. It is up to people studying abroad and doing overseas programs to change this perception by not being outrageous at night, becoming a part of the culture, and showing Spain that not all foreigners are bad.