Before studying abroad, I thought that I wanted to go to a city that spoke English, or somewhere that was touristy so that it would be easy for me to get by without learning the language. Once I arrived in Bilbao, I realized how grateful I was that I

did not follow through with that first idea. I knew almost no Spanish before studying in Bilbao, but after my first few weeks of Spanish class there I could easily communicate with locals because of how helpful my professors were. This experience even inspired me to add a Spanish minor once I returned home. Bilbao is a beautiful city with very kind people, and even after traveling to other cities on the weekends I would always be excited to return home to Bilbao. The USAC staff at Universidad del Pais Vasco are extremely helpful and will assist you with anything you might need while you are abroad. I could not be more thankful to have chosen Bilbao as my city to Study Abroad in!

Everything about this program, from the initial application to the very last day in Spain, was absolutely phenomenal. The USAC staff, both in the US and on-site in Bilbao, are super nice and very helpful. The program sets you up with the basics and provides

plenty of advice and guidance while still allowing you the freedom to venture on your own and study abroad the way you want to study abroad. You can have as much independence from the other students and staff as you want, or you can be fully immersed in the program offerings. With that being said, there is an excellent excursion included in the price that allows you to tour parts of the area and learn about the culture and history. In addition, there are many smaller activities (such as touring the local bullring) that occur on an almost weekly basis. Bilbao and the Basque Country is an absolutely amazing area of Spain and along with the assistance, support, and fun offerings from USAC, makes for the perfect study abroad experience.

I had an absolutely incredible time studying abroad in Bilbao and am looking forward to the opportunity to return some day. I was able to take a Spanish class, which lead to the addition of a Spanish minor, an Operations Management class that meant I

did not have to take that back at my home university and a surfing class. The professors for my classes were fantastic and the opportunity to leave class and go out on the street to cafes, restaurants and bars and interact directly with locals made my Spanish speaking skills grow immensely. Bilbao and Getxo(nearby suburb where I lived) are both gorgeous and not very touristy so it is easy to truly immerse yourself in the culture. I highly recommend exploring all parts of the city and surrounding areas as around every corner and over every mountain is something new and amazing. This program gives the best of both worlds as classes are located in the middle of a large city while housing is in a nearby beach town suburb. I was able to walk to two different beaches within 15 minutes of my apartment that I shared with two other American students. Studying in Bilbao was easily the greatest choice I made throughout my college career and I recommend everyone do the same.

My semester abroad with USAC in the amazing city of Bilbao, Spain is one that I would recommend to any student. I loved living in the small, quaint town of Algorta with a wonderful host family and commuting to the beautiful and vivacious city of Bilbao.

I attended school in UPV which is in the center of the city and the USAC staff made all of us feel so welcome and oriented to their home. The USAC course offering was perfect for continuing my degree while abroad; I was able to take a bunch of Spanish courses towards my minor within one track that chronologically made sense and improved my skills. I got to then immediately put the learned material to test on the streets and in my homestay. I also had a very engaging International Marketing class that contributed to my experience. Beyond the classroom, USAC helped to set up an internship opportunity for me as well as excursions and cultural field trips. There is plenty to do and see in Bilbao with beaches, mountains, old and new city, and an abundance of nightlife, I never got bored. When I did want to get away for the weekend, the airport in Bilbao was very manageable and offered me great travel opportunities. Northern Spain, particularly the Basque region is extremely unique and now, very close to my heart.