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Mathilde was on an exchange year in Spain

Mathilde was on an exchange year in Spain

Hi, my name is Mathilde and I am 18 years old. Right now, I am living in Corrales, Huelva, a city in the south of Spain. I am spending 10 months here as an exchange student with STS, and I'm now in the last month of my amazing experience.

Why I chose an exchange year

My motive for doing an exchange year was to learn about a new culture, learn a new language, get to know new people, and experience a totally new life. I chose Spain as my host country because their culture and way of living are so much more different from where I come from in Norway.

A new life in Spain

I have built a whole new life here, and I am so happy with how it has been. First of all, I have gotten an incredible family that has taken me into their home and made me feel like a part of them and their culture. Getting to know them has been a big part of the exchange because they become your family for the year.

Overcoming the language barrier

Even though the language barrier was hard at the start, we have made a really great connection. I have also made friends for life. I have been really lucky with the people I have met. My friends welcomed me into their group from the beginning, and being able to get to know people my age has been really cool. They have also played a big role in helping me learn the language.

Learning Spanish

One of the most important reasons I chose to do the exchange was to learn the language. The biggest thing for me was to try my best to listen and participate in conversations, even though I said — and still say — things wrong sometimes. Although I didn’t always understand and had to ask many times, even feeling a little uncomfortable, you do learn it. I’ve really seen a difference in my Spanish and now communicate with so many people. That’s what I came for, and I hope to learn even more in the future.

Discovering Spanish culture through dance

To include myself and learn as much as I could about the culture, I started dancing Sevillanas in my spare time. That’s a type of flamenco dance that’s typical in Andalucía. It’s something I really enjoy, and I’ve gotten to know many others who go to the same dance school. Thanks to learning the dance, I was able to participate in La Romería, which is one of my best memories. I dressed up in my flamencodress with my friends from the town. I really, really loved that experience.

A life-changing experience

I would 100% recommend doing an exchange year. I have learned so many things about a different culture, but also so much about myself and what I can accomplish. I truly believe this year will benefit me a lot in the future. Having STS as support has been great — all the way from the start until now at the end.

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Muki chose to study in Spain

Muki chose to study in Spain

My name is Muki, I'm 16 years old and I'm from Austria. I am right now spending 5 months in Spain in a smaller city near Madrid called Rivas Vaciamadrid.

I've been here for almost 2 months now and it's been absolutely great. I had almost no expectations going into this but all the ones I had were exceeded. I think it was the best decision to step out of my comfort zone and decide to live in a foreign country and family where I know absolutely no one and nothing. I am already sure that I will always remember these 5 months as a great time, if not the best.

Why Spain?

I love the summer and all the things you can do when it's warm, so it sounded great to me to live in a country where it stays warm and sunny way longer than it does in mine. This was probably one of the main reasons why I chose to go to Spain.

Friends and school

From the first day in Spain with the welcome camp, until now, every day has been great. I met new friends pretty quickly, both other exchange students who live in my city and locals, especially from my school. School, my classmates, and teachers are all nice.

The host family

My family is really nice, and I love spending time with my 3 host siblings and dog. I have a nice room and my family cares about me. I live here as if I were part of their family.

Spanish language

My Spanish has improved a lot! I understand more and more every day. By now, after only two months, I understand a lot and can communicate pretty well.

Free time

In the afternoons, I mostly go to the gym or meet with my friends to hang out or play football. On the weekends, we love to go to Madrid, which is around 40 minutes away by metro. We explore the city, shop, and have fun. This is probably my favorite thing to do, and I always look forward to it. Me and my friends absolutely love Madrid and everything you can see and do there.

My recommendation

I can only recommend going on an exchange, and STS has been great. Everything has been well and comfortably organized. I have nothing to complain about! If you decide to go on an exchange year yourself, my advice is to expect as little as possible before you start and let yourself be surprised by the things you experience. Then you can't be disappointed!

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Emma studied abroad in Spain

Emma studied abroad in Spain

I love traveling and new experiences, so I decided to go on an exchange year in Spain, which has given me a fantastic opportunity to learn and improve my Spanish.

Friends and family

Of course, it was quite challenging in the beginning, as my Spanish was very limited. However, the people around me have been incredibly supportive. I was fortunate to be placed with a wonderful family and to attend the same school as three other exchange students, who quickly became my friends. I also made some friends in my class who help me translate and understand various subjects. I am truly grateful for every new person I meet and spend time with. I already know I have made lifelong friends from many different countries, which has also allowed me to learn and try so many new things.

School

The school was tough at first, as I could barely follow what the teachers were saying. Even now, there are subjects I still struggle to understand. But, most teachers are patient, and my classmates are friendly and helpful. I have fewer subjects and a lot fewer hours of school than I’m used to in Austria, which I think is great because it gives me time to study in the afternoons or spend time with my family and friends. My school is quite large but only about a five-minute walk from my house, which I really appreciate.

Madrid is a beautiful place

I also love exploring the city with friends or family. There is so much to learn, try, and see, and Madrid never fails to impress me. It is a truly beautiful place, and I couldn’t be happier with my placement.

My advice

Don’t overthink it, and don’t compare yourself to others. Focus on yourself; it will be worth it. Always be open to trying new things. Every single day here has given me incredible memories that will last a lifetime, and I genuinely believe it has helped me become a better version of myself in many ways. I am very excited for the next few months and all the new experiences that await me.

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Alba was on exchange in Spain

Alba was on exchange in Spain

My name is Alba, I am 16 years old and I am from Sweden. I spent 10 months in Seville, Spain, a city I had never heard of before, but which quickly became my absolute favourite city in the whole world.

Spain was the perfect country

I've always loved travelling and learning about new cultures, so going on an exchange year was something I decided on early. At first, I chose between many different countries, but in the end I decided that Spain, more specifically Andalusia, was the perfect country for me. I wanted to learn Spanish and found Spain and Andalusia to have a very interesting culture. I am very happy with my choice!

A new language

Moving to a country where you don't speak the language is a big challenge. Especially because neither my host family nor anyone else from the small village I lived in knew any English. I had to try to survive on the little Spanish I had learnt on ‘Duolingo’ in the months before I left. But already in the first weeks I learnt more than I had thought and after that it went fast. Without realising it, you learn new words and phrases every day. Suddenly I went from barely understanding anything to understanding almost everything in just four months!

My family was really amazing!

I think the host family you get during your exchange year sets the tone for the whole year. My family consisted of my mum, dad, a brother one year older and a sister one year younger. My family was truly amazing! They were so welcoming and throughout the year they did everything they could to make me feel at home. When I was sick, they took care of me, they took me on trips and even organised a surprise party for my birthday! Without them, my exchange year would not have been as good as it actually was and I will never be able to thank them enough for giving me the opportunity to become part of their family. My host family was not only my family for the ten months I spent in Spain, they will always be my second family and I am eternally grateful that I was placed with them.

Feria de Sevilla – the best days of the year

I have so many amazing memories from Seville, it's hard to pick just one favourite memory. But if I really had to choose one, I would say that Feria de Sevilla was the best days of the year. I had, together with some other friends of mine, bought a flamenco dress (in the picture it's me in the purple dress) and we really got to experience true Andalusian culture. During the days I tried new traditional food, looked at everyone's beautiful dresses and, perhaps most fun of all, rode lots of roller coasters!

The best year of my life

Being on an exchange year will always consist of highs and lows, of course it's not easy to live a completely new life in a completely different country. But the good really outweighs the bad and I would have done my exchange year any day of the week. The year I spent in Spain was absolutely the best year of my life. I met so many new people, got to know a whole new culture and, best of all, I can now boast that I am fluent in Spanish 🙂

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Albin went on high school in Spain

Albin went on high school in Spain

I had always wanted to go on a high school exchange to experience a different way of life. I chose Spain because I knew some Spanish. I preferred to live in Madrid and luckily I found a host family just an hour away, in the city of Zaragoza.

My host family couldn't have been better. They were always there for me. They chose to host because they wanted their seven-year-old son to have a "big brother". In return, I got such a cool "little brother"!

My school was a private Catholic school (where the artist Goya went!) and had a slightly stricter style than what I was used to in Sweden. Sure, it was hard at first, but pretty soon the language fell into place. It was a huge boost when I understood what was being said and could explain what I wanted and how I felt!

I'm really proud that I actually dared to go. I grew a lot because it was a bit like moving away from home. And I will carry the experience with me forever!

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