Advice for Studying in Alicante, Spain!

 Hi everyone! My name is Kayleigh Mosher and I studied abroad in Alicante, Spain this past Spring 2023 semester. I was in Alicante for 5 months, and I traveled around Europe for a month before coming home. In this post I will be sharing some advice that would have saved me SO much trouble before going abroad, mostly specific to Alicante, but also some general advice for traveling Europe. Although these are things that I would have been better off knowing before I left for Spain, I would not change any part of my experience. I had the greatest 5 months abroad and I highly recommend considering Alicante for your study abroad. 

THE AREA

Explanada de España 

Alicante, Spain is a beautiful coastal town in the south of Spain. It has the perfect combination of activities for those who love nature, history, gastronomy, and nightlife. It has beautiful beaches, mountains, and castles. I arrived in January when the weather was in the late 50s. It warmed up quickly though, and by April it was hot and sunny, perfect beach weather!  One of Alicante's most popular tourist attractions is the Castillo de Santa Barbara. This is a castle at the very top of a mountain that looks over the whole city and neighboring cities as well. You can see the castle from almost every point in the city and it is a great navigation tool if you get lost in the many small streets. There is also Playa Del Postiguet, the local beach that exchange students would meet up at on weekends and play volleyball, frisbee, or spikeball. Nightlife in Alicante is SO fun! The exchange student organization for the University of Alicante has events at different coffee shops, bars, and clubs throughout the week, and hosts different events for meeting new people. My favorite bar was called Parabarap, and this organization holds events there every wednesday night. If you are planning on studying abroad in Alicante, you should make it a point to go here. It was SO FUN!

Walking through Old Town, Alicante in front of Castillo de Santa Barbara

ERASMUS STUDENT NETWORK ALICANTE (ESN)

Formentera Island, Spain

If you are planning on studying in Alicante, you will want to be connected with ESN. This is an organization all throughout Europe that supports and develops student exchange programs. When I first heard of it, I thought it was only for EU students, but anyone can attend their events. Some of the most notable events/trips I attended through ESN were beach volleyball, board game nights, and trips to Ibiza and other islands/beach towns in Spain. Some advice I would have for future students going on this program would be to sign up for any and all events/trips possible with 'Erasmus Student Network Alicante(ESN)'. I met people from all over the world, and some of my best friends by going to events planned by this organization. It is also a great source of information/help if you are worried, scared, having a hard time, etc. 

HOUSING

University of Alicante

I chose to live in an apartment complex through an organization called MICAMPUS. I applied through the University of Alicante website and it was a great option! The building is right across from the university campus. I didn’t have to walk more than 15 minutes to get to my classes from my front door. I lived with 4 other people: 3 girls from Spain and 1 boy from China. We each had our own bedroom with a twin bed, drawers, a closet, a desk, full body mirror, and shelves. We also each had our own full bathroom. We shared a decent sized living room and kitchen. I would recommend living here because it was a great community of students from all over the world. I met so many people living here that I will be friends with forever. While living at MICAMPUS is great, the only downside is that it is a little ways away from the city center of Alicante. The University of Alicante is in a town right outside of the city called San Vicente Del Raspeig. It has restaurants, bars, grocery stores, a pharmacy, and everything else you might need.

TRANSPORTATION

Public transportation in Europe is amazing! When I arrived in Alicante, one of the first things I did was get a TAM card (TRANSPORTE ALICANTE METROPOLITANO). This is a card that allows you to take the public bus and Tram. Every student is eligible for a free TRAM card that is valid from the time you arrive, until the time you leave. The tram was my main form of transportation. It is a set of railways that run from the University of Alicante, to the city center of Alicante, and to neighboring towns such as Benidorm and Murcia. Other than Alicante, I used public transportation to get everywhere in Europe. On weekends, I commonly took trips to other cities/countries, and navigated my way through trains, buses, metros, etc. As a female solo traveler, I felt safe using the bus and metro at night in most places as well. 

VISA

The process of applying for my visa was LONG, difficult, and tedious. There was a lot of information and paperwork required, which had to be sourced from many different locations. I could not have gotten this done without the help of my study abroad counselor, the financial aid office, and my mother. If you have any questions at all about how to apply, obtain, pick up your visa, etc., please don't hesitate to reach out because I know it can be stressful and confusing!

SPENDING MONEY

Before going abroad, I signed up for a credit card with no international fees. I had a Southwest Chase Visa and this worked everywhere I traveled. I also have a Discover card but alot of places did not accept it. I also brought my debit card, however, this card would have had international fees. I chose to charge almost everything to my Southwest Chase Visa and then immediately go online and pay the credit card bill. BONUS POINTS: I received credit card miles and points for all the money spent and earned enough to pay for a couple trips to/from Hawai’i. I would recommend setting aside about $1000 per month during study abroad. I know this sounds like a lot, but if you want to have extra money to go on weekend trips and planned trips with 'Erasmus Student Network Alicante (ESN)', then this is definitely a good amount!

Paella - A classic Spanish rice dish

SPEAK THE LANGUAGE EVERYWHERE!

The number one thing I tell people is to try speaking the language EVERYWHERE you go! It is common for people to hear you talking and immediately start talking to you in English, but locals appreciate the effort and will teach you more than you could imagine. Talking to waiters and cashiers at the grocery stores is how I practiced the most and learned new words.

WHAT TO BRING

• Nice clothes - People dress nicely when they go out, and I used this as an excuse to dress up everywhere I went
• Comfortable backpack for weekend trips - Most flights in Europe will charge extra for a carry-on suitcase, so I got around using only a backpack (counts as a personal item on flight).
• Comfortable sneakers for walking around cities - In Europe you will be walking everywhere. When I went on trips to new cities I would be averaging 10 miles a day. Having comfortable shoes is a must!
• A good water bottle - Most places will not give you water unless you ask, and even if they do, almost all places will serve room temperature water because ice is not common.
• Advil/Ibuprofen - I read before studying abroad that you cannot find over the counter medicine/vitamins in Spain, so I brought 2 whole bottles of Ibuprofen. I am so happy I listened to that person because I could not find any kind of Advil anywhere!
• SUNSCREEN
• Umbrella
• Portable charger
• Journal
• Travel adaptor 
• Copies of travel documents - I thought my mom was crazy for making me take paper copies of all of my travel documents, but it was actually a genius idea. Pickpocketing and theft is very common in Europe, especially in big cities like Barcelona or Madrid. I have friends that had their wallets, phones, passports, etc, stolen, and while I was never pickpocketed or robbed, I felt an extra sense of security having those extra copies of my documents.

I would definitely recommend this program, and I encourage you to choose Alicante for your study abroad. As someone who is not a big city person, Alicante was perfect because it has many things to do, while not feeling too big or too small. I have met so many people from all around the world, and  connected with people who I never would have had the opportunity with otherwise. This experience broadened my horizons in more ways than I could have ever imagined. Taking the big leap of moving halfway across the world to a foreign country, making a life for myself outside of any person I had ever met, making lifelong friends, and seeing the world made me realize that I am capable of doing anything I set my mind to. You are just as capable, and I highly encourage you to study abroad!

Stay tuned for my next post about my experience as a female solo traveler! 

- Kayleigh :)