Written by: Bella Battistoni| Fall 2022
Butler Semester in Spain(Alcala)
By writing this blog post, I am using this opportunity to rave about Butler’s Semester in Spain program. Going on this trip was definitely something that was way out of my comfort zone, but choosing to go has been the best decision of my college career.
The Semester in Spain program is set in Alcala de Henares, a city in Spain I had never heard of. After living here now for two months, I think it is definitely the best location to study abroad in. For one, Alcala’s University and Instituto Franklin are amazing and through my classes, I have met some awesome people from all different parts of the United States.
The pass/fail grade system also relieves academic stress so you can focus on enjoying your experience abroad. I was also able to join ERASMUS, a student network that hosts a bunch of activities where I was able to make friends with students from all different countries.
Alcala is also only a train ride away from Madrid, Spain’s capital where the nightlife, food, and sightseeing is amazing. This easy access to a big city made traveling a breeze; I have been able to purchase cheap plane tickets and utilize Madrid’s high-speed train system to easily travel to other parts of Spain and to other countries in Europe. Something that I love about this program is traveling with a group of Butler students and a professor. Having this support system really helps being so far away from home, and our professor has been there to help us every step of the way.
The complete language immersion was something I was very nervous about, I did not think my spanish skills were good enough. However, this complete exposure is the reason I have improved so much in my speaking ability. For all of these reasons and many more, I would highly recommend this program to any Butler student studying Spanish. With only a month left to go, I am so sad to leave but I am definitely looking forward to getting back on campus.