Bianca Martinez

 Studying abroad was an experience I thought I would never have but I always wanted to do. After attending workshops, info sessions, and peer advising, I learned that it was something possible for me. Immersing myself in different cultures has always been important to me to understand that all communities are different although there may be some similarities to each other. I choose Berkeley Summer Abroad because I was very interested in the course topic and had already taken and liked a course with the professor who was teaching it. I chose the country of Spain, because for my first time going abroad, I wanted to have a sense of familiarity. A Spanish speaking country I thought would allow me to experience the feelings of a new place while still having a similar language than the one I speak at home. Recognizing the difference between Spanish spoken in the U.S./Mexico and Spanish spoken in Spain, I had the comfort of somewhat knowing the language but still having to learn different words and pronunciation.

 On a typical day while studying abroad, I would start my day by getting ready for the day as soon as I woke up. Once I was ready, my friends and I would walk to a local cafe to get some coffee, eat breakfast, and work on any class assignments. Then, I would explore the city and local shops for a bit before heading to class. After class, I would go back to the residency and leave my stuff in my room to continue my day to visit a local city tourist attraction. At the end of the day, I would get dinner with my friends and we would either chat outside or explore the local night life.

 While abroad, I took Chicano N180: El Otro Lado. Since my program was through Berkeley Summer Abroad, the structure of the course was similar to other classes I have taken, but it was by far one of my favorite classes. Though the content of the class was heavy and the summer semester was short, I was able to learn so much which has since changed my view things, including a global perspective. This course was more interactive than Berkeley classes as we would learn from guest speakers every week and understand how the material we were learning applied to their field of work. By doing this, I was able to connect more with the material inside and outside of the classroom.

 I would recommend students to have an open-minded and approach every new experience with a positive attitude! Being in a new place and trying new things can be intimidating but a positive attitude can make all the difference. With that also comes knowing your limits, it is okay to sometimes take a break in order to refresh yourself.