Arcadia Spain

When I first moved to the US to do a Master’s Degree in the Teaching of Foreign Languages, I went through countless “orientation” sessions about University policies, banking, visas, rules and breaking rules, academics, insurance, etc. When I moved yet again to start my Ph.D. somewhere else in the US, I went through the same: even though I already had a bank account, insurance, and everything in between, I had all these things explained to me again. These exhausting days are a blur today, except for a couple of sessions with current students or alumni who had been exactly where I was, only some time earlier. Learning from other Teaching Assistants about their working experience, the language barriers, being immersed in an education system completely different from their own, or hearing from other Ph.D. students about the rollercoaster my life was about to become, were truly useful and valuable insights into my own study abroad experience.

Last week, we received a visit from Jordan Katz (Macalester College, 2016), a former Arcadia Granada student who is about to start a graduate program at the London School of Economics. Jordan was traveling a bit before moving to London, and Granada is always on his list. I asked him to come meet our current students, and tell them about his personal experience in Granada in 2015.

Jordan did a great job, and I think his talk was inspiring and motivating for our group. He explained how he ended up studying in Granada (many times the best things happen almost by chance), and how this experience has made a long-lasting impact on him on personal and academic levels.

Jordan gave our students some advice on how to make the most of their semester abroad, by making little efforts and adjustments to their daily life that will most definitely make a difference:

- Put effort into learning Spanish even if only to communicate and live within the community. The more Spanish you learn, the more enriching your experience will be. 

- Find activities you like to do back home and pursue them in Granada.  This is a great way to originally immerse yourself in the culture and community. 

- Make sure to spend some of your weekends in Granada and not always on the road in other countries. Try checking out other cities in Spain and see how they compare to Granada/Andalusia. 

Jordan also explained how this semester abroad gave him a broader perspective, which helped him better shape his career and define his goals. Even though he is not an education major, upon graduating he applied for the Program for Language and Culture Assistants in Spain offered by the Spanish Ministry of Education, which led him to spend one year as an instructor of English at a public school in the North of Spain (La Rioja). Needless to say, Jordan took this opportunity to further improve his language skills and intercultural competence. Any experience abroad is an opportunity to continue learning.

Finally, students wanted to know his favorite spots in the city, must-do things in Granada and surrounding areas, and the best tapas places around.  We all learned a lot, and I am sure he was an inspiration for our students.

Thanks Jordan for visiting! We wish you all the best in your next endeavor. Being that London is just a cheap flight away, I take it you will be visiting very soon! HASTA PRONTO!