{"id":70312,"date":"2026-08-13T23:22:24","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T23:22:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/70312\/"},"modified":"2026-08-13T23:22:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T23:22:24","slug":"everyday-experiences-in-valencia-las-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/70312\/","title":{"rendered":"Everyday experiences in Valencia – LAS News"},"content":{"rendered":"

For some College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) students, summer isn\u2019t just a break, but an adventure around the world. Megan Johnson (\u201927 Spanish education<\/a>) is one of the many LAS students who studied abroad this summer. In her own words, Johnson shares why her expectations for study abroad were \u201cmet in every possible way\u201d and how she plans to take her experiences with her into her future teaching career.<\/p>\n

\"StudentMegan Johnson. (Submitted photo)
\nWhere did you study abroad, and what courses did you pursue during your program?<\/p>\n

\u201cFor my study abroad trip, I chose the Summer on the Mediterranean: Valencia program<\/a>. During my time studying the culture, I also took three classes at the University of Valencia. They included Introduction to Spanish-English Translation (SPAN 3510), Spain Today (SPAN 3230) and Spanish Civilization (SPAN 3210).\u201d<\/p>\n

When you arrived in Valencia, how familiar were you with the local language? How did your language skills evolve during your time there?<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the start of the program, I had four years of high school Spanish and two years of college-level Spanish. When I first arrived, I was very nervous that I would not be able to communicate with the locals, but I have been able to communicate well with others. However, the local language, Catalan-Valenciano, is a little different from Castellano-Spanish. While it seemed jarring at first, the more time I was there, the easier navigation became. Also, during my stay in Valencia, I have significantly improved my communication skills and my confidence in speaking Spanish with others. I have even developed (a little) understanding of the Catalan dialect.\u201d<\/p>\n

What motivated you to study abroad? How did your expectations compare to your actual experience?<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to go to Valencia to expand my understanding of the Spanish language, the culture, and the history of the country and city. My expectations were met in every aspect! With the classes I took at the University of Valencia, I was able to learn directly from someone who speaks the language every day. It was so helpful to be able to ask the professor questions about how certain phrases, words, and tones are interpreted in Spain. I also had a lot of free time after my classes, which allowed me to explore Valencia and the surrounding cities. I was able to visit many historical churches, palace walls, aqueducts, and museums.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlong with the extraordinary architecture within the city, I was also able to immerse myself in the everyday culture. On my way to class, I would take the public transport, which allowed me to see everyday life for Spaniards and opened opportunities to meet people along the way. Not only that, but there are also many parks within the city where I was able to sit and fully take in the experience of being somewhere outside the United States. My expectations of the trip to Spain were met in every possible way, and I am so fortunate to participate in the program!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AA glimpse of the extraordinary architecture Johnson explored while abroad in Spain. (Submitted photo)
\nLooking back, what stands out from your summer abroad?<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most memorable aspect of my study abroad program was visiting the park next to my host family\u2019s apartment. Like most apartments in Spain, they are not very far from a park and are easily accessible via walking. I went to the park and sat on a bench underneath a flowering tree. I sat there for hours watching the foot traffic, listening to the birds and wildlife and the bustle of the busy city around me. It was an awesome experience to just take in the world around me, creating the perfect environment to think. It was a refreshing experience to be in the moment, experiencing the world around me, without technology, in a different country.\u201d<\/p>\n

You plan to become a teacher. Is there anything you\u2019ll take with you into your future classroom?<\/p>\n

\u201cMy time in Valencia has dramatically influenced my future career. Since I want to become a Spanish teacher, I feel it is my responsibility to bring my future students the best information on cultures and people who speak Spanish. My trip to Valencia has provided me with everything and more than I could ask for! I have learned so much about the history of Spain that I can teach my future students. I have learned how Spaniards live their everyday life and how that differs from a rural town in Iowa. Along with that, my future students will have accurate information about the cultural history of Spain\/Valencia rather than reading from a book. I have also increased my ability to speak and understand the language, which will then help my future students learn different aspects of the language that cannot be found in a textbook.\u201d<\/p>\n

What are your best tips for Cyclones interested in study abroad?<\/p>\n

\u201cMy trip to Valencia was not my first time traveling, but it did reinforce the skills and information I have learned throughout my travels. My first advice to students who want to travel is to be very aware of your surroundings. In the United States (especially Iowa), the need to be aware in public spaces is not really needed. However, when you go to another country where the culture is very different than your own, the best thing you can do for yourself is to be aware of your surroundings, whether that be the direction you started walking with your friends, remembering what bus\/train you took, and even just walking around without your face staring at your phone. It will save you a lot of backtracking and the possibility of becoming lost.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe next piece of advice I would give is to remember that the country you are visiting has a different culture than your own. The restaurants are not going to function the same way as they do in Iowa, the public transportation is very different, the types of food are different, etc. It\u2019s very important to keep an open mind and remember that it is different; you\u2019re not going to get the same experience as in the states.\u201d<\/p>\n

If a student is hesitant about study abroad, do you have any encouraging words or advice? <\/p>\n

\u201cIf you are feeling unsure or nervous about traveling, I would say just do it. It will seem scary, nerve-wracking, and intimidating, but the experiences and the friends you will make will overpower all of those other feelings. It won\u2019t be easy and you will probably get homesick, but those feelings are temporary, while the experiences will stay with you for a lifetime. Not only that, but the programs are put together so well by the directors that you will never feel like you are stranded.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe directors are always there for you no matter what you need; you are always with other people from the program and the professors are the nicest people you will ever meet. You will learn so much about yourself and the world around you that it is worth all of the nerves you might be feeling. Just do it!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For some College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) students, summer isn\u2019t just a break, but an adventure…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":70313,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[27570,27571,1152,95],"class_list":["post-70312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-valencia","tag-department-of-world-languages-and-cultures","tag-las-study-abroad","tag-spanish","tag-valencia"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70312","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70312"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70312\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/70313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70312"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}