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thomastravels · 7 years

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UVa in Valencia Study Abroad Survival Guide

So. You’ve taken the jump and decided to study abroad! You’re probably feeling thrilled, maybe a bit apprehensive. Leaving the US to study in another country can be intimidating, but you can be sure that stepping out of your comfort zone is a very rewarding experience. To wrap up my blog, I’ve compiled some of the things I learned from my semester abroad with the UVa in Valencia program that will hopefully make your transition to life in Spain a bit easier.

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES:

One of the most difficult obstacles many students face while studying abroad is culture shock, or adapting to a lifestyle that may be quite different from what you’re accustomed to in the US. The following is list of aspects of Spanish culture that will be helpful to know before you go to Spain. I make no guarantee that these statements are 100% accurate – they are just based off of my own observations. Some are serious while others are more humorous. It is not my intent to stereotype or offend.

Meals

A typical Spanish meal schedule is very different from what you might be used to in the US.

Breakfast or “desayuno” in the morning is normally very, very light. Typical breakfast could be a coffee, café con leche (coffee with added milk), or cola-cao. Sometimes there’s a pastry or muffin thrown in there. Many Spaniards just skip breakfast altogether.

Mid-morning snack or “almuerzo” is from around 10:30am to noon. It could consist of another hot beverage or something a bit more substantial like a pastry or small sandwich. Like breakfast, this meal is also optional. *NOTE* In Latin American Spanish, almuerzo means lunch. In Spain, the word for lunch is simply “comida”

Lunch or “comida” (which literally just means “food”) is by far the most important meal in Spain, and can be anywhere from 2-3:30pm. This was a big culture shock for me – I found it difficult to last until the afternoon without having eaten a big meal.

“Merienda” or afternoon snack is around the time when most Americans would typically think about dinner, normally from around 5-7pm, and can be anything to tide you over before a late supper. I normally munched on some Galletas Príncipe while I worked on homework.

Dinner or “cena” is not as important as it is in the US, and is also very late. Most Spaniards won’t even think about eating dinner until at least 9pm!

No eating on the go: I think it’s safe to say that in Spain, mealtimes are more sacred then they are in the US. Meals (lunch especially) are a time to sit down and unwind with family, eat slowly and chit-chat. Spain even has a word with no translation in English, “sobremesa,” that describes the conversation that takes place at the table after a meal is finished. Eating while walking or on public transportation isn’t necessarily rude, but will definitely make it obvious that you’re a foreigner.

Dessert: In Spain, dessert or “postre” is normally not ice cream, cake, or the like… if there is even a dessert, it’s usually fruit! I’m not complaining though… oranges from Valencia are basically candy anyways.

Less obesity: I could probably count on one hand the number of seriously overweight people I saw this semester. Although some of the aspects of Spanish meals I mentioned earlier might seem odd to an American, they have their health-related benefits. In fact, Spain has the highest life expectancy in all of Europe (83), which is 4 whole years greater than in the US, so I guess those Spaniards are doing something right!

Good morning/afternoon/night: In Spain, these greetings revolve around mealtimes. You say “Buenos días” or good morning until you eat “comida” or lunch. After you eat lunch at around 2 or 3pm, you switch over to good afternoon or “buenas tardes.” In most cases, you would use “buenas tardes” to say good evening as well. You would only say “buenas noches” or goodnight after dinner is over (which remember, starts very late) so I rarely ever said it to anyone besides my host family.

Coffee: In Spain (and most of Europe), coffee is basically an espresso shot. Similar amount of caffeine, just without the frills. If you want a more familiar looking coffee when you go out, ask for “café americano,” though you may get made fun of for drinking coffee that most Spaniards think is very watered-down.

Drinks in restaurants: In Spain (and the other places I traveled in Europe), sodas and water come in glass bottles. This basically means you get no free refills – if you want more, you buy another bottle. The American concept of free water cups does not exist in Europe.

Bread: The bread for sandwiches in Spain typically comes from a bread store or “panadería” and is quality – so much better than the pre-sliced bread you get from an American grocery store. For my meals at home, my host mom always cut up a baguette into slices and had a bread basket at the table – and trust me, I miss that a lot!

Driving: At least by my standards, lanes and other lines drawn on roads seem to be more of a suggestion in Spain. Seeing people merge across multiple lanes all at once with no warning is pretty common. Turn signals were also not used as often as I would have liked. But hey, at least in Spain they tend to use smaller, more fuel efficient cars, so there’s that!

Departure Gates: I noticed throughout my travels that airports and train stations announced departure gates/platforms relatively last-minute, at least by American standards. Many times, I had hardly figured out what gate I needed to go to before they started boarding, which was a bit annoying.

Siestas: Many historians believe the Spanish tradition of “siestas” or naps originated out of necessity in the south of Spain, where laborers frequently had little choice but to take a midday break if they wanted to escape the scorching summer heat. Siestas still exist in Spain, but don’t think that Spaniards are lazy. It’s quite normal to start work at 9am and not end until around 7pm, with a break from 2-4pm (which, in the end, is actually more hours spent working overall than the daily average for an American). During this two-hour window, many workers go home if they can to have lunch and potentially enjoy a siesta if they have time. However, according to my host mom, the siesta is a luxury few can afford in this day and age, given the poor state of Spain’s economy.

Store Hours: Due to the late timing of Spanish lunch, business may be closed for an awkward 2-3 hour period around midday to give workers the opportunity to go home for a lunch break/siesta. This can be quite inconvenient if you want to run errands around that time, but eventually you’ll get used to it.

“Green habits” You’ll probably notice pretty quickly that Spain is much more eco-friendly than the US. Toilets have different settings to dispose of solid and liquid waste. Everyone is very good at shutting off lights when they leave rooms. You normally unplug anything you aren’t using. People generate less personal waste in general. It might be a bit of an adjustment at first, but studying in Spain helped me develop some “green habits” that are practical for life in general, whatever country you’re in.

Bathrooms: Tragically, public bathrooms in Spain (and Europe in general) usually charge an entry fee. There are also about a million ways to refer to the bathroom in Spanish, depending on context and formality. Baño, lavabo, aseo, retrete, servicio, WC (water closet), and the list goes on.

Dress: In the US, especially during college, I normally allow myself at least one “bum day” per week. This means a comfy shirt, sweat pants, and glasses instead of my contacts. In Spain, dressing in comfortable clothes isn’t really a thing, and what I would wear for a “bum day” in the US might not be as socially acceptable in Spain. From my observations, most Spaniards will wear “street clothes” every day, and then swap to pajamas the moment they are back in the comfort of their own home. In the beginning, I tried to dress according to the Spanish style, but eventually I just stopped caring what people thought (no one messes with me and my sweat pants!)

Smoking: Many communal buildings and public areas smell quite strongly of cigarette smoke. I also noticed a general disregard for others by smokers who light up in public spaces without a care in the world. While waiting for fireworks during fallas, many spectators smoked in tight crowds with children present, which I found extremely rude but I suppose is just the norm there.

University: Public universities tend to outperform the private ones in Spain. At least the way my host mother described it, public schools can usually be selective and chose the students who did best in high school. Everyone wants to go to the public universities because they cost less. Private schools are usually more expensive, the price of not performing as well in high school.

Miscellaneous:

Spaniards don’t shake hands – they kiss cheeks. Left first, then right! From my observations, Spaniards are also just more touchy-feely in general when greeting each other than Americans.

There are virtually no doorknobs in Spain – almost every door has a handle, even in houses

I didn’t see carpeting once while I was in Spain – even in houses, the tendency is to use tile

My host mom’s apartment didn’t have a dishwasher, which I understand is quite common. Even though we had a dryer, we almost always hung our clothes out on the line to dry

Printer paper in Spain is a bit longer than in the US, with an awkward extra inch or so. This means if you bring folders from the US, expect the top of all your papers from school to get bent in your backpack

Light switches to me seemed aggressively large, seeing as I was accustomed to itty-bitty American ones

For hotels, you have to stick your key-card in a weird box on the wall to turn on the electricity. I now understand that this is actually really smart – you almost always remember to take your key with you when you leave your room, and it conserves electricity by turning everything off while you’re gone. However, it made me feel like an idiot the first time I stayed in a hotel when I had to go down to the lobby and ask why my lights weren’t working. The more you know…

In Spain, street signs are not on posts, they’re flat against the walls of buildings. Unfortunately, not all streets are labeled, especially minor ones.

ADVICE & SUGGESTIONS

Phones: A word on cell phones – most people purchase a Spanish SIM card for their phone once they arrive from one of the four main providers: Orange, Movistar, Yoigo, or Vodafone. These plans give you about 2 gigabytes of data a month and are pretty pricey. I purchased this SIM card off of Amazon before arrival, and it paid for itself at least three times over. It gives you 12 gigabytes of data that don’t expire until a year after you start using them. Best of all, you get data in any country in the EU (although this may be less significant now because roaming charges in the EU are about to become illegal) for when you travel. The only downside is that you don’t get calls, but for that you can just use FaceTime audio, Whatsapp voice, or Skype.

WhatsApp: In Spain (and really, the majority of the rest of the world), everyone uses WhatsApp. It’s a free service that allows you to send text messages and make phone calls. If a Spaniard gives you their number and says to message them, they really mean send them a WhatsApp (no one actually uses regular text messaging because it costs money).

Phone Number Formats: Phone numbers are formatted differently in the rest of the world than they are in the US! We use the country code +1 and then ten numbers (ie. +1 123 456 7890), while Spain uses the country code +34 and nine numbers (ie. +34 123 456 789). When a Spaniard gives you their phone number, they will most likely give you just the last nine numbers without the country code. However, if you don’t put the country code in with the number (and don’t forget the plus!) they won’t show up in WhatsApp on your phone. The same goes for if you give a Spaniard your number - they have to put in the plus one.

This brings me to my next point: regardless of your phone plan, you can always call 112 (the European equivalent of 911) anywhere in the EU for free in case of an emergency!

Banks: As far as banks go, I did not have the need to open a Spanish bank account for my semester abroad. In my opinion, unless you’re staying for the whole year, opening an account is more trouble than it’s worth. You’ll want to research what Spanish bank partners with your home bank, and then look up where that bank’s nearest ATM is. For example, I use Bank of America, which has an agreement with Deutsche Bank that gave me the best deal and minimized my fees. I recommend having at least €100 hidden somewhere safely in your room at home in case you’re ever in a pinch!

Branch Out: Get an intercambio! UVA has an exchange program that partners you up with a student studying English at the Universitat de València. You arrange to meet up once or twice a week, chatting in Spanish half the time and English the other half so you can both practice speaking with a native. This is not only a great way to improve your fluency, it’s also a way to get connected with someone who can show you around the city.

You can also apply to be placed in an internship, or “práctica,” once you arrive in Valencia. I worked at the Universitat de València translating academic journals, but there are many more options, like working at elementary schools or helping design fallas!

Host Families: With host families, communication is key. Spaniards are very direct. If you try to “politely” convey that you don’t like something by insinuating and not just coming out and saying it explicitly, chances are they won’t pick up on it. Make sure to have an open mind and make an active effort to get to know your family and show them that you care – you don’t want to stay a stranger to them for the whole semester. It can feel weird to be living in someone else’s house, but remember, it’s probably odd for them to be living with a foreigner too! Living with a family is one of the best parts of the study abroad experience if you know how to take advantage of it. Conversations not only help you get to know one another, they build fluency and are a great opportunity to ask cultural questions. I miss talking to my host mom terribly, and we still Whatsapp each other daily. And of course, in the very unlikely event that you’re completely incompatible with your host family, the program will switch you to a new one.

AWESOME APPS

Since you’re lucky enough to be studying abroad in the 21st century, you might as well capitalize on the fact by downloading some of these apps to make your life easier.

WordReference: Putting this one at the very top because it’s the BEST! Pocket dictionary and verb conjugator – absolutely indispensable

WhatsApp: A free service that allows you to send text messages and make phone calls. All you need is a cell/wifi connection. You can also download it to your Mac or PC as well!

EMTValencia: The bus app for Valencia. However, it’s really not that great (just like the bus system).

MetroVLC: Not only is this app better than the bus app, the metro is also better than the bus system in general. Because the school pays for both metro and bus rides, I would recommend using this app to plan your routes/check times. This app also lets you check and see how many metro rides you have left on your mobilis card!

MyTaxi: Pay for and hail a taxi directly from your phone. Basically the equivalent of Über in Spain (Über is only available in Madrid).

CityMapper: Absolutely essential for mapping out public transportation systems when visiting another city. You put in your beginning and ending location, and it will tell you the cheapest and quickest ways to get there. It has all the big cities students like to visit in its database: Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, London, Rome, Lisbon, Copenhagen, Berlin, etc. It is also quite useful in the US!

RenfeTicket: The app you can use to purchase train tickets or load a mobile pass on your phone.

BusBud: Purchase tickets for busses and load mobile boarding passes on your phone

Hostelworld: Traveling on a budget? Sleep in bunk beds in rooms with multiple people to cut down on costs.

AirBnB: Not trying to stay in a hostel? You can rent a room in someone else’s home during trips. It sounds scary, but it’s really not that bad – I did it for two whole weeks!

Momondo: Hands down, the best website to find the cheapest flights

Xceed: Although I have to confess I never really used it, I’ve heard this is the go-to app to explore nightlife in Valencia and other cities.

And my final piece of advice is - don’t be afraid to try new things! You’d be surprised what you’re willing to do when you’re already out of your comfort zone. Keeping an open mind will help you maximize what you get out of your study abroad experience (and have fun while doing it!)

¡Buen viaje!

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