AIFS Abroad in Valencia, Spain: Semester

I had the most amazing experience in Valencia. The city had amazing weather, was not as hustle and bustle as Barcelona or Madrid, had a beautiful beach just a short walk from where I lived, and had so many things to do. Even after 5 months of studying abroad, there were still things that I hadn’t done in Valencia. I met the best people and got very close to people in my program and in other programs like Erasmus. AIFS was great about organizing social events to meet people and get close to people in the program. Our program director, Janan, was the best person for the job. She was so helpful and energetic and really loved both València and her students. I loved having three meals a day included with my host family but I didn’t have the best experience with my host family in general. Our meals were not very authentic and there were some other issues but it seemed that everyone else in my program had perfect host families. So I think it was just my situation that wasn’t ideal. I also struggled in one class that I took due to a difficult accent and unusual grading systems. I almost failed that class even tho I have been a straight A student all my life. Again I think it was just an issue was that one class because my other classes went very well. I got to see so many other places in Spain as well as seven other countries. Getting to the València airport was so simple and traveling on the weekends was so easy. I did not learn much Spanish in my host family but I did learn some from fellow students who had good experiences with their host family teaching them as well as my Spanish class. Despite the issues with my host family and one class, I had a perfect time in Valencia. Locals are so kind and the city is like no other. I miss everyone I met there dearly and can’t wait to return back one day. Thank you AIFS!

Going to Valencia, Spain through AIFS was a really good decision. I went in the fall of my junior year, which was the perfect time for me. I was immersed in the culture and met so many amazing, like-minded individuals along the way. AIFS provided me with an incredible program advisor, Janan, who acted like a mother to all of us. The pre-departure assignments were organized thoroughly on the portal but communication could be improved. By this I mean the time it took to get assistance to questions through email. Overall, I am very satisfied.

I absolutely loved my time in Valencia! The Resident Director of my program, Janan, was amazing! She helped us get connected in the community and never failed to plan a fun event. I’ll never forget my experience there!