USAC Spain: San Sebastián- Spanish Language & Psychology

I had the most wonderful time studying abroad in San Sebastián. I was extremely nervous before arriving, but once I got to the city everyone was so kind and welcoming and I knew this place could feel like home. I made so many new friends and experienced so many things I never could have even imagined. My two favorite classes were cooking and surfing. I felt as though I was able to immerse myself into the culture and learn about life in San Sebastián. I also loved my Spanish classes. I learned so much and still use my Spanish speaking skills when I can. The apartment I lived in was amazing! It was directly next to the beach and I was able to walk down every chance I got. I loved walking everywhere and enjoying the beautiful city everywhere I went. I grew so much as a person and I will forever be so grateful for my time abroad. I cannot wait to go back and visit soon!

Wow! This was truly the most amazing experience of my life. We were fully immersed in the city and had the most wonderful apartment overlooking a world class surf beach. The academic instruction was amazing and pushed me to improve and further develop my Spanish language skills as well as pushed me out of my comfort zone and into cultural immersion and greatly improved my cultural competency and ability to throw myself into brand new situations. We explored all across Spain and were able to make the short trip to France as well for another completely new adventure. The access to educational resources combined with phenomenal access to extracurricular activities such as paddle boarding, surfing, exploring historical cities, hiking mountains, and getting to know my wonderful group mates created a supportive and fun environment with lifelong friendships. I will always remember this experience for decades to come and can not recommend the study abroad experience enough!

Seriously, the months I spent in San Sebastián are going to be very hard to beat. I cannot say enough good things about this place, I was wary about studying abroad and leaving home, as I am born and raised and go to college in the same place. However right when I saw my beachfront apartment, barefoot surfers walking by, multiple coffee and pastry shops surrounding my neighborhood, and the amazing staff and people I was going to be studying with, all of my fears went away. The city is both very diverse, yet very walkable. I am a very outdoorsy person, so the plentiful hikes, beaches, and places to walk was the highlight of my time. My group and I would spend after class days (after studying español of course), eating the best gelato, traveling to the island, watching the great Real Sociedad soccer team play, hiking to the top of mountains, playing beach volleyball and jumping into the ocean off the far pier. The speed of life in San Sebastian was something else that I truly admired. I would always see people genuinely having conversations, getting coffee together, walking, and very rarely with a screen in front of their faces. I embraced this speed and was able to prioritize my mental health with reading, sunrise beach yoga and sunset beach picnics with friends, all things I would never have time for in America. The only complaint would be that it is a little difficult to travel out of, as you have to for affordable options, bus to the nearby Bilbao, however that did not stop me, as the ride is fairly short. I travelled to many other countries but was always so excited to return home to Donostia! I would recommend this program to anyone!