{"id":12198,"date":"2025-07-03T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/preprod.sts-education.com\/blog\/2026\/03\/05\/mathilde-was-on-an-exchange-year-in-spain\/"},"modified":"2026-04-14T10:26:39","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T10:26:39","slug":"mathilde-was-on-an-exchange-year-in-spain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sts-education.com\/fr-ch\/high-school\/nos-etudiants-dechange\/temoignages\/mathilde-was-on-an-exchange-year-in-spain\/","title":{"rendered":"Mathilde Was On An Exchange Year In Spain"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Mathilde was on an exchange year in Spain<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Mathilde<\/picture><\/div><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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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.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Why I chose an exchange year<\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

A new life in Spain<\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Overcoming the language barrier<\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Learning Spanish<\/h2>\n

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 \u2014 and still say \u2014 things wrong sometimes. Although I didn\u2019t always understand and had to ask many times, even feeling a little uncomfortable, you do learn it. I\u2019ve really seen a difference in my Spanish and now communicate with so many people. That\u2019s what I came for, and I hope to learn even more in the future.<\/p>\n

Discovering Spanish culture through dance<\/h2>\n

To include myself and learn as much as I could about the culture, I started dancing Sevillanas in my spare time. That\u2019s a type of flamenco dance that\u2019s typical in Andaluc\u00eda. It\u2019s something I really enjoy, and I\u2019ve gotten to know many others who go to the same dance school. Thanks to learning the dance, I was able to participate in La Romer\u00eda, 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.<\/p>\n

A life-changing experience<\/h2>\n

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 \u2014 all the way from the start until now at the end.<\/p>\n

Find out more<\/h2>\n