LEARNING ABROAD

My host family became my second family and I can't wait to return to Oviedo and visit them again!

My experience was exceptional and I know that a good deal of that is pure dumb luck. My host family could not have been better. The Oviedo professors were wonderful and the excursions were fantastic. I really liked our professors from the U or I would not have gone. I learned a lot about Spain and the people that I did not know before. I always have loved history and there is no country richer in history. Their civil war was horrific and not only that but there were about six of them and that does not include the Reconquista. Every day in every city you will see Ramones t-shirts and hear your favorite music from home. These people are my people and I never got tired of them. They have the second best life expectancy in the world and that is with a smoking rate of 30%. To give you an idea only Kentucky and West Virginia in the U.S. are comparable. Our overall rate is 17%, but they eat a very healthy diet, walk a lot and are close with family. They love their dogs so watch where you step. They love their seafood so know that the veggie salad probably has tuna. They smoke by the doors and windows of public buildings, but I see the same thing in the states. Breakfast and dinner are light. Lunch is big. Snacks are important. The vegetarian fare is sparse in Asturias, but you can manage and in the big cities there are many vegan restaurants. The food in general is much better than ours. I suppose that it is their standards. Like they have Coca Cola, but there is no high fructose corn syrup. Their cattle are grass fed. Their pigs are acorn fed, many of them. The egg yolks are bright yellow and really fresh. The fish, cheese, fruits and vegetables are the best that I have eaten. You do not lack for good domestic wine and beer. You have the world wide web so you are not isolated. The mountains were a pleasant surprise for me. It is the second most mountainous country in Europe. They are always cleaning. The city cleaners work day and night. The transportation is very good. Taxis are cheap. Buses and trains are very good. One word of advice: do not take a train through Madrid Atocha station if you can help it, unless you have at least an hour to find the next train. It is a huge station and the platform schedule goes up about 20 minutes in advance and the floor entrance where you queue for ticket check is sometimes different than the platform. I missed two trains there, because the trains often go through Madrid. I say the bus is better. You have comfortable seats, a toilet and storage underneath. Overall, you will like traveling in Spain without a car, especially if you pack light. The one thing I wished that I had had was a tablet. My laptop weighs a bloody ton and of course you need to keep that secure in a backpack. I learned how to travel light this trip and how little I really need. It was a long two months from home, but I have no regrets. I would definitely do it all over if I have the chance.

I loved this program. I just feel like there would have been more cultural immersion if the people who are taking the upper level classes were in the same class as native Spanish speakers.

This program was absolutely amazing and I loved every minute of it. The city of Oviedo is a perfect place to study abroad because you can walk everywhere, few people speak English so you get to practice Spanish all the time, and it is extremely clean and safe. Best experience ever!

This was an absolutely life-changing opportunity to live within the community of Oviedo, Spain. I would highly recommend this program to any student wishing to further their Spanish-speaking abilities abroad!

The summer program to Oviedo is a wonderful program that really allows you to have the opportunity to gain a new level of Spanish while also becoming immersed within the Spanish culture. I learned so much from everyone I met, from the professors and students to the random store owners I met. I constantly felt like I was learning and becoming a new person. Being in Oviedo, allowed me to see a new culture while also getting the chance to be apart of it. I will always remember my time in that beautiful Spanish city.

Oviedo was a wonderful experience. I made a great deal of progress with my Spanish while I was abroad, and I loved getting to know a new place and a new culture. I would go out and explore the city with my friends, and I loved seeing all of the old, historical buildings. Living with a host family was a great way to see true Spanish culture, and even though it was intimidating at first it was very rewarding in the end. I hope that I can go back to Oviedo one day, and enjoy some tapas while getting to practice my Spanish again with the locals.

This program was the best experience I have ever had. I loved every minute of it and immersing myself in the Spanish Culture helped me learn more about Spanish than ever before. During my experience, I ended up having to switch host families to have a better experience. Never be afraid to let someone know if you want to switch host families because it can change everything in such a positive way. Going to Spain, I wanted to have the best experience possible in and out of school. Be bold and make sure you are doing all you can to make your experience worthwhile.

This program was truly life-changing. The language and cultural immersion were exactly what I needed at this point in my academic career to help supplement everything I have learned so far. The classes only helped me to improve my skills, and I was matched with the most incredible host family. I would recommend a language immersion program to anyone who is interested in learning or improving in a foreign language!

The Oviedo learning abroad program is a great opportunity for anyone who would like to learn about Spanish culture, improve language skills, and connect with locals. I loved the host family that I stayed with, they made me feel at home the whole time and we became great friends. The weekly excursions were great and I was surprised how much of Spain I was able to see in a couple of months. Be ready to walk around because that is a big part of any European trip but there are cool sights to see that make the walking fun. Oviedo is a smaller city so you don't have to worry about getting lost in a massive city and I always felt safe walking around the town. Overall I'd recommend the program to anyone, I had a great time and I learned a ton!

This program was an amazing way to learn Spanish while gaining a new perspective on how other people live their lives in another part of the world!

I have nothing but good things to say about this program. First of all, I loved the whole group. I met some great people and will continue to be good friends with them outside of the program. The professors were amazing (the ones directing the program and the ones at the University of Oviedo). My host family was so generous and so kind and I hope to keep in contact with them. And the city was perfect. It wasn't too big, but it wasn't too small. It was so historic and there were markets every Sunday, which I loved. I'm so glad I participated in this program. It helped with my language skills and showed me what there is outside of my comfort zone.

I really enjoyed this program. I felt supported by both the locals in Spain and the other students in my cohort at the University of Utah. Oviedo and the excursion locations in northern Spain were all stunning and great places to learn about Spanish history and culture.

We going into this program you need to have a very open mind and be willing to adapt to change. The hardest thing for me was my host mom. I struggled with her cooking and sometimes understanding her. She was very kind, patient, and understanding so I had to learn to be the same way.

When people think about Spain, Madrid and Barcelona often come to mind. The lush green hills and mountains of Asturias do not, but they should. This program provides a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in true Spanish culture and truly improve your Spanish-speaking skills in one of the most beautiful parts of Spain. I cannot recommend it enough.