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The Dream
One of the best things you can do during your college experience is taking advantage of your school’s study abroad programs. Before I came to college I knew I wanted to study abroad. After seeing my sister live in Europe for a semester and hearing about her travels, I was inspired to take that opportunity when it was my turn.
Freshman year I remember walking out of one of my Spanish classes, and seeing a flier for a summer in Salamanca. I took a flier and looked on the University of Rhode Island’s study abroad page for more information. I figured that would be a great way for me to get more of my Spanish credits in and fit in that study abroad experience I had been longing for.
After COVID took a toll on the world, I put that idea in my back pocket and just wished for a day I would be able to travel. Come the fall of my Junior year, I decided to talk to my Spanish advisor, Susana De Los Heros, about what classes I would need to take if I wanted to go on that program this summer. She said lucky for me she was the advisor for the program I was interested in. Susana helped me schedule my classes to get me prepped in the spring, and told me a little bit about the summer program, and what to expect.
Finally I was going abroad. 
The Reality
There’s a lot more to studying abroad than what meets the eye. It’s a fun experience to be able to learn about culture and life outside the U.S. However, there’s a lot to do to prepare and there are things that I wish I knew before going.
First you have to find a program that’s right for you. For me I knew I would love a summer study program, and had the summer in Salamanca in the back of my mind for a while. But if you don’t know where you want to go, and what you want to do, more research is needed to figure out how to fit a trip abroad in your schedule. The URI abroad page has information about trips they offer.
Second, you have to figure out a budget for yourself. I had been saving for a trip abroad, so it helped me reach my goal. But I was also told about scholarships I could apply for that would help me get to my destination. I ended up being lucky and won a scholarship through my school for international study.
Something I wish I knew before going was that my experience is completely dictated by me. How much I engage in the culture, the language, and the people, is entirely up to me. I decided to take advantage of the opportunities around me and did my best to indulge myself in the local life.
If you’re going somewhere where the language is different and you’re still learning, confidence is key. Most places, like Spain, like to see effort from tourists to speak their language. I found the more I was thinking about if what I was saying was correct, the more I would trip myself up. But when I let myself just speak, the locals would understand better and kindly correct me if I made a grammatical error, or if they used a different word. For example: I always learned in school that “juice” in Spanish was “jugo.” However in Spain they use the word “zumo,” so if I wanted to ask for orange juice I would say “Me pone zumo de naranja por favor.” But I learned from the mistakes that I made.
Another thing I wish I knew was that I would make friends quickly. I was nervous about leaving, because I did not know anyone on my trip and thought I would be lonely. However within the first hour we arrived I was proven wrong. I made friends that I will hold near to my heart forever.
On the other hand, I wish I knew sooner it was okay to spend some time alone. As a very independent person I am used to a lot of alone time. I had accepted in the beginning I might not get a lot living with so many people. And for the most part there was never a problem. But I also wish I had known it was okay to let someone know you want to spend some time by yourself and go explore on your own.
On that note I will say I wish I knew that I probably wouldn’t get a lot of sleep. Since my specific program was short we had class for a lot of the hours of the day, and the rest of the time I would spend socializing, shopping or studying. So if you’re feeling especially tired and cranky, definitely spend some time alone to re-center.
I knew it was going to be an experience to change my life, but I never knew what to expect, the most I can tell you is just expect to have the time of your life.
The Experience
My month-long journey to Spain started late June. I arrived in Madrid three days before my group met. And I began to learn and get accustomed to the culture. My first three days in Madrid were spent walking through the parks with a coffee, looking up vegetarian restaurants and working on the jet-lag.
When I met my study group at the airport immediately I felt welcomed by smiling faces just happy to be there. When everyone had arrived, we got on our bus to the city of Salamanca where we would be studying for the month of July.
That first weekend I had fun getting to know people, and sight seeing. Monday we began classes, and unfortunately I tested positive for COVID. For the rest of the week I isolated and worked on getting better for our weekend excursion to Portugal. By the third day I was back on my feet and ready for more travel.
The program worked out a way I could still attend our excursion while keeping everyone else safe. But for the most part everyone was just happy to see me back.
Portugal was an amazing experience, and I am so glad I was able to go to two new countries during this trip. I didn’t know what to expect going to Portugal but they have bustling cities, beautiful beaches and cute medieval towns.
Then it was back to a week of classes. The next excursion was to Andulucia which included stops in Cordoba, Toledo, Madrid and Granada. While I was being scorched by heat, I had an amazing time learning the history of these places, and getting to see more of Spain. We saw the Alhambra, the mezquita and other breath-taking architectural views.
We returned to another week of classes. There was a Saturday excursion offered to Segovia for the day. However I stayed behind because I wanted to make up some lost time from when I had covid. I went to museums, ate good food and took the day slowly like a true Spaniard.
Nothing will stop the moment when my friends and I were in the Plaza for one of their birthdays and the mariachi band played happy birthday to her while everyone danced and sang. It was a moment to remember forever.
My last night in Spain was spent reminiscing with our friends on our favorite memories, and talking about how we were all so surprised by the kindness of the group. Bitter-sweet tears were shed as we walked home knowing it was the last time walking the streets of Salamanca together.
I am forever grateful to have this experience and I highly encourage anyone who can to go abroad while they are able to.
Ciao!
Hi Everyone! My name is Madeline Bataille. I am going into my Senior Year as a Journalism and Spanish 
Major with a Minor in Art and Gender and Women’s Studies. This will be my second semester with Campus Rec’s marketing team and my first time as a Program Assistant. I started last semester in a hybrid position as a photographer and blog writer. Now I will be helping to oversee these teams for the upcoming year. You can find me around campus drinking coffee from 193 Coffee House. Or doubling as the Photo Editor for The Good Five Cent Cigar. Over the summer, I am studying abroad in Spain to help complete my Spanish major. But for the time I will be home, I like to spend it outside with my friends, and help my sister plan her wedding!
Study Abroad – URI in the World