Blog #9

Studying Abroad in Spain

June 3, 2023 by Ruth Misori

Summer is right around the corner, which means nice weather, no more exams, and now I actually have more time to wind down and relax. Finally! Admittedly, this school year has been tough since I completely lacked an healthy balance of school and life, as well as feeling completely burnt out from the overall responsibilities of being a commuter student as well as juggling work, assignments, and household chores. But at last, I finished my junior year strong with decent grades and a good GPA, and praise God because that was the only way I was going to get through all of this!

Actually, a few days after I started my junior year, I was planning a week-long trip to Spain with a company called, ‘EF Ultimate Tours,’ which is a travel company for individuals aged 18-35 that enables them to book fully-organized itineraries based on their choice of destination, interests, or duration. The best part was that you could even opt for arranged flights to and from your destinations, or extend your stay if you thoroughly enjoyed your trip. There’s also all sorts of discounts and the vast majority of participants were college students, so my decision to plan an EF trip after my junior year ended was a no-brainer, and would’ve been a perfect way to begin this summer. In addition, I worked hard that year and also earned a decent amount of money from my previous summer internship, so what a better way than to celebrate my hard work abroad? Unfortunately, life had other plans as I was planning this EF trip right before I had visited my student accounts office at my institution and discovered that I had to pay a large fee in order to be considered 70% financially cleared.

I had two choices: I could either pay out-of-pocket with my earnings from last summer and basically miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime trip, or take out a student loan to cover my tuition. Though I had several scholarships, I didn’t have a full-ride and had to figure out how to pay the remaining fees without putting myself in crippling debt, so I decided to pay with my internship earnings in order to be cleared. That was an extremely hard decision to make because I worked very hard for that money, and would’ve greatly benefitted from a break overseas, and just as a matter of seconds of returning to campus, that opportunity to travel was gone (Or so I thought)!

I was glad to be cleared without taking out any loans, but I definitely moped around and sobbed for days. It was an overall pity party and it was honestly pathetic. I think it hit me the hardest because of the fact that this would’ve been my first international trip since covid, and before I planned this trip, I already had a previous cancelled trip to Ghana, so when I had to pay a stupid amount of money in order to clear for school, I was super bummed out about it. That didn’t stop me from researching other travel companies or student discounts and benefits, but despite all of this, it became very apparent that this EF trip nor different programs weren’t indeed happening.

Flash-forward to December, I decide to talk with Spanish instructor/study abroad coordinator about my desire to travel to Spain for this summer. We had previously spoken about this, but I brushed off the idea because it was expensive and initially decided to wait until I graduate from college to study abroad with my institution. Though, she revealed that are several ways for me to fund my trip which also included external scholarships, fundraisers, family support, and of course, part-time jobs. Thankfully, I already had a job and was in the process of applying for scholarships, but my chances of actually receiving them were slim as they mostly prioritized students who received pell grants or came from low-income households, so I didn’t meet their criteria and had to find other ways to fund my trip. My ears perked up when my professor also informed me of a study abroad interest meeting for this upcoming summer and encouraged me to attend as there would be further information about Spain and a drawing for two round-trip prizes.

I already have a passport, so I thought that if I could win this flight trip for Spain, then all I would have to worry about is the actual tuition for the program, and I could be one more step closer to this trip. My friend Nina, who had been to Spain twice with the program had told me about her experiences, as well as another friend was also currently there for a year and enjoyed her time, and pretty much everyone else I’ve spoken with about the program, so I became really excited of the idea of going to Spain. It sounded really fun and life-changing and I desperately wanted to go. I specifically wanted to go not only to have another opportunity to travel again, but to actually have a traditional college experience since I didn’t live on campus and was basically working all the time whenever I wasn’t in classes, so this summer was a chance get to a foretaste of dorm life and being able to become a little more social without having to worry about work. Don’t get me wrong, I do have friends and try to make an effort to hang out with them when I can, but our availability doesn’t often align since we have clashing work schedules and are sometimes too tired to socialize, so that hasn’t been much fun.

So if I actually have a chance to study in Spain this summer, it would be for a month and a half, I could focus solely on learning the language instead of commuting to classes, work, juggling chores, and actually get a serious break, as well as being able to get more involved socially. I wouldn’t have to worry about driving to school because I’d stay on campus and meet new people in the dorms, and I can go out to eat or shop whenever class ends and have the evenings and weekends completely to myself without serious obligations. Ah! Now that sounds relaxing! Of course, I would still be in some form of academia since I’m studying abroad, but I thoroughly enjoy the Spanish language and don’t really consider that a draining class. In fact, that was my favorite class, and I would love to advance to the next level and maybe one day become a fluent or at least conversational Spanish-speaker.

The day of the interest meeting arrives and I’ve been praying incessantly for that flight prize since I am really serious about studying abroad and wanted that life-changing opportunity. I even printed out pictures of the Spanish flag and a tiny plane to put on my dresser that poses as a vision board, and so I could speak my plans into existence. The meeting eventually ends and now Nina and I were crossing our fingers that we could win the flight prizes for Spain. The two winners are announced (neither of us) and the audience does a loud round of applause. I was obviously disappointed that I didn’t win because I felt like I was the only one who truly wanted to go to Spain badly and the two girls who won weren’t even sure about whether or not if they’re interested in attending the program, so it felt like a slap in the face and annoyed me further. Even though I was upset, I mentally tried to remind myself that there will be other opportunities for me to still be able to go and did my best to be a good sport and attempted to approach one of the girls to congratulate them. I then tapped her shoulder and said, “Felicidades!” “Thank you,” she responded. I asked her if she was excited about going to Spain, to which she answered that she wasn’t sure if she is actually going, which made me visibly annoyed (thankfully I was wearing my mask), so I took that opportunity to end the conversation and leave.

My Spanish professor later informed me of another future interest meeting online which also included a drawing of a round-trip prize, which made me a little more hopeful. ‘Maybe this is my chance to win,’ I thought to myself. Once again, I prayed constantly and did as many Hail Mary’s as I possibly could, lol. Unfortunately, I did not win the round-trip prize and briefly panicked as the deadline to apply was approaching and my institution had a policy that students had to be 100% cleared in order to finish the program’s application (I needed proof of financial clearance & signatures) and ultimately participate. I was running out of options as I didn’t really qualify for competitive scholarships, my fundraisers were low, and I didn’t have enough money to afford this trip with my part-time job. So, my last resort was to apply for a loan, which I was extremely against initially as I didn’t want to accumulate unnecessary debt, but realized that at this point, I only have two choices: I can take the small loan and have the time of my life and gain an valuable language under my belt, or forget about the trip all together and just focus on finishing the remainder of my junior year without worrying about financial obligations.

I shortly decided to take out the small loan as I realized that while I’m still borrowing money, I am responsible and do tend to pay things back on time. So I’m am grateful that this is my first loan that I am taking out, compared to others who may be taking out hundreds of thousands of dollars for their education or to simply stay afloat. Student loans aren’t ideal, but they’re not my enemy, so if this can enable me to have an unforgettable experience in which I’ll cherish for the rest of my life, then it’s totally worth it. And I more than intend to pay it all back, and am trying to figure out ways to pay it off before I even graduate, which I feel is a good sign of financial literacy.

A few weeks after I take out the loan and receive my acceptance letter from the program to study abroad in Spain, I become ecstatic. Finally! My dreams are coming true! I went from sulking from the beginning of my junior year over a lost week-long trip to finishing my junior with the fun anticipation of a longer, life-changing trip! The best part is that one of my friends from school is also going on the trip and asked to be my roommate! Not only do I get to travel the world, but I also get to room with one of my good friends, and we’re even chatting regularly to practice our Spanish! Yay! I may not be going on an EF tour, but I’m glad that God was able to turn my disappointment around and give me something better and more fulfilling that I can one day tell my kids or grandkids about.

Now everything is set, and I will be arriving in Spain in a few weeks to have the time of my life, alongside my friend and roommate, and I absolutely look forward to it! Once I arrive, I’ll keep you posted, but until then, wish me a safe trip!