Category Archives: Study abroad

Where my Spanish major has brought me

Fran Burns graduated from our program in 2015. We are happy that he has contacted us to let us know about his UMass experience, his last two years in Mexico, and his future plans.

“So you wanna study Spanish, huh?” This moment will forever stay in my mind. I was at my grandmother’s funeral my senior year of high school, and one of my grandmother’s friend, who I didn’t know, was baffled that I wanted to study Spanish. She repeatedly said “Spanish, huh?” and was completely perplexed by the idea of me studying Spanish. It started making me second guess myself since she was so concerned. I think that was one of my first times I started questioning my major. Since then I’ve gotten asked multiple times “Well, what can you do with Spanish?” and luckily there isn’t a clear answer. As a Spanish and Italian major I’ve been able to explore and consider many job opportunities. Maybe if I were a nursing, an engineering, or accounting student I wouldn’t have considered these opportunities as being realistic or making sense for me. I’m sure that for many of you Spanish is one of your passions and I can easily say it’s one of mine. There were times when I felt guilty or maybe lost about studying Spanish, thinking I should study something more practical or with a clear career goal in mind. However, I am so happy that I was spent four years studying something that I love. If it’s something you are really passionate about, you’ll find a way to incorporate it into your work or daily life Continue reading →

Wait, Latin America Isn’t All the Same?

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Latin America is more diverse than many people think. During my travels throughout Central America, South American and the Caribbean, I’ve come to realize how greatly this is so. Latin America is not simply a part of the world marked by the Spanish language, a warm culture and the love of fútbol. It is much more, much grander… It much more unique than that.

Having had the opportunity to travel throughout the various locations mentioned above, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of what it means to be Latin American in these parts of the world and how Latin American cultural identity can differ. Although not an expert on Latin American history and culture, the experiences I’ve had while traveling throughout Spanish speaking countries have been quite impactful and insightful and have lead me to various conclusions regarding the uniqueness of the Latin American regions/countries.

Below I’ve highlighted some of the ways in which Central America, South America and the Caribbean are different and what I found to be particularly special about my time in each location. Continue reading →

Decisions as a transfer student

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Coming to UMass as a Jr Year transfer left me with a lot to figure out in an extremely short period of time. My first problem came when I noticed I would have to take on a much heavier course load to ensure that I would graduate on time. A course load that when paired up with having a job didn’t leave me with much time for anything else and in an attempt to avoid any complications, I eliminated the possibility of studying abroad. Depending on where you transfer from, all your classes might not meet UMass’ requirements and you may feel rushed and pressured to cram as many classes as possible into each semester to graduate on time. This was my biggest mistake, fortunately I was able to notice and make a change but some advice that I would like to give is to not put too much focus on the time you’re spending here because the experiences that comes with it are like none you’ll find anywhere else. Continue reading →

When your semester abroad wasn’t as amazing as you were expecting….

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Amongst foreign language majors, there’s often the expectation that your semester abroad will be so incredible that, after graduation, you’ll end up moving back to the city/country where you studied. There are visions of strolling down cobblestone streets, adopting European fashion, and traveling to breathtaking places. You’ll teach English for a while, maybe even fall in love with and marry a local, and end up staying indefinitely. Before I had even decided to study Spanish at UMass, that was how I’d always imagined my life playing out. Boy, was I wrong.

In the fall of my junior year, I spent five months in Seville, Spain. While I certainly enjoyed my time in Spain, my opinion about eventually moving overseas were turned completely around. The experience was much more of a struggle than I had originally anticipated, but ultimately helped me realize what my place within the Spanish major was. Continue reading →

How to Succeed in Spanish Without Really Trying

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So I’ve taken Spanish for a long time. 7 freaking years. But it’s occurred to me that I only recently even started trying to learn Spanish. Don’t get me wrong, I got the grades to make it here, and I had the basics down as I went. But I didn’t actually try for an inconceivably long time. Learning a language because you want to and because you have to take one for school are two very different situations, and I was a weird mix of both for a long time. That’s why study abroad is such a daunting idea for me. This idea of integrating into a culture and a language that I am not necessarily a stranger to, but is still somewhat foreign to me, is terrifying. I became a Spanish major because I was good at it. Like most people. But I could have changed my mind at any time in the past couple years on that decision. I’m tremendously happy I didn’t, of course, Continue reading →

Study Abroad as a Student Athlete

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During the Fall semester of my Junior year, I did something that may student athletes at UMass do not do. I studied abroad. Why was this such a rare occurrence, particularly for a student athlete? For one, student athletes who receive an athletic scholarship are not permitted to go abroad during their training season and/or competition season or off season. Those who do not receive athletic scholarship can go abroad, but it is discouraged. While on the onset, this may seem very restrictive and limiting, for athletes at the Division 1 level, it does make a lot of sense. Getting in one’s best shape does not happen overnight. It requires a rigorous amount of hard training and consistency, which in my opinion (this having been influenced by personal experience) is most effective and is done at its best with the guidance of a coach, the support of one’s teammates and with the right training facilities available. While I do not regret having studied abroad as a student athlete, I did make a bit of a sacrifice when it came to my athletic performance. Continue reading →

Enjoying and Taking Advantage of Span-394

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When I enrolled in Spanish 394, I really had no idea what would go on in the almost two hour long lecture class. It was the first part of the integrative experience courses that are now required for the Spanish major. The class is small enough that talking and sharing my opinions didn’t make me anxious as I might’ve been in a huge lecture, and made me feel more of a part of the class. The class meets only once a week and only requires some papers and weekly forum posts about events happening in the Latinx world. My professor, Luis Marentes, brought in different people every other week or so which was so, so helpful to me. One week he brought in a woman who knew all about Study Abroad Programs, and since I plan on studying abroad my junior year spring semester, having and hearing her in the class gave me more insight. Luis also brought in someone from career services who gave the class advice on what to do during the rest of our time here at UMass, and even after, when we’re out in the real world. She made me realize I should make an appointment with her so I can figure out/ get a better idea on what career choices I can have after graduation.
Overall, this class was way more helpful than I thought it was going to be. I especially think having guest speakers come in and advise us was super beneficial while maybe not to the seniors in my class, but to the sophomores like me. I’m glad that this class was added to the requirements because of speakers who came in and hearing about study abroad experiences from upper class men Spanish majors as well.

A Guide to Studying in Granada, Spain

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Congratulations on your decision to study abroad in Granada, Spain! Get ready to experience an exciting city in a breathtaking landscape, where there are always an endless amount of activities to do. Read on to find out more about what this gorgeous place has to offer.

About Granada:

This is the capital of the Granada Province, in the autonomous community of Andalusia (the southernmost part of Spain). It has been populated since the B.C. era, though some of the most ancient structures around today are from the Moorish conquest starting in 711 A.D. This city is known worldwide from its UNESCO World Heritage sites, most notably the fortress Alhambra, as well as for its magnificent sunsets. It is a vibrant city nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, with two small rivers cutting through. Continue reading →

Catalan at UMass

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When I enrolled at UMass, a big part of my decision was based upon the fact that the university offered courses in Catalan. I had almost no knowledge of the language prior to enrolling in the university, but was very interested in taking some courses. What I did not know was that my experience with Catalan at UMass would change my social life completely, as well as set me up with multiple career options after college. Continue reading →

Mi casa es tu casa

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There’s no place like home. Nothing can compare to finally opening my front door, taking off my shoes and knowing I can just relax now that I’m home. Home is where I am most comfortable; I can wear whatever I want (an XXL Patriots sweat shirt and Nike Shorts preferably), eat whatever is in the fridge, and do whatever I want. I’ll admit it, I love my alone time. I need time to myself to just decompress and relax without having to talk to anyone.

Who cares if have Chinese left overs for breakfast and spend a day watching Netflix? That’s the most beautiful thing about being home – no one cares.

When I was in Argentina I made the bold decision to live with a host family. It was a daunting thought not knowing what I would be arriving to once in Buenos Aires since I had relatively no information about my host family. Until a week before my departure I had no idea who my host family even was or even in what neighborhood I would be in. Continue reading →