The prospect of moving abroad to study, work or volunteer can be a bit scary, but it is also a great opportunity for personal growth and to have some new experiences (before things get too serious post-uni). But with rising living costs and other concerns, you might be asking – is it worth doing a year abroad?
Drawing from my personal experience as a BA French and Spanish student who spent six months each in Paris and Madrid, I’ll share the highs and lows to help you decide if it is really worth doing a year abroad. Ultimately, I think a year abroad is so worth doing, but here are the reasons why along with some extra things to consider before making the big move.
1. It offers a broader academic outlook
Language skills
My primary motivation for moving abroad was to immerse myself in the languages and cultures of my studies. Attending universities in Paris and Madrid, and studying alongside native French and Spanish speakers was both enriching and rewarding. At first, I did find the transition from my mother tongue significantly daunting and it did take a few weeks of adjustment, but it ultimately boosted my fluency and taught me colloquial and idiomatic phrases that I wouldn’t have learnt within the walls of the lecture theatre.
Greater academic opportunities
One thing that I didn’t realise before going abroad was the diverse areas of study available at different universities. In Madrid I studied at the Facultad de Humanidades, Comunicación y Documentación (Faculty of Humanities, Communication and Documentation) where I focused on journalism, an area of study which I had not previously encountered in an academic setting. This included a module in television journalism, where the final exam involved airing our news channel in a newsroom simulator. This experience was absolutely unforgettable and highlighted the broader academic opportunities a year abroad can offer, providing useful and enriching knowledge that aligns with my future career goals.
That’s not to say there weren’t challenges. Being the only exchange student in a class of 91 made it difficult to make friends initially. Additionally, Spanish universities place a strong emphasis on group work, which was a significant adjustment. However, I do believe these challenges ultimately shaped and enriched my experience.
2. It offers professional and career benefits
For those keen on networking, studying abroad offers plenty of opportunities to build a global network. Whether connecting with your fellow classmates or professors on LinkedIn or attending a finance networking event in Paris, you won’t lack opportunities to expand your professional connections.
While not directly a networking opportunity, I enjoyed connecting with writers and creators at an English-language bookstore in Madrid, Secret Kingdoms. Once a week, I would go to insightful talks, mostly free, and mingle with creatives and other students. Plus, free wine and tapas were always a bonus on a student budget!
3. It provides an opportunity for personal growth and development
Independence
Aside from the academic/professional focus of the year abroad, I really felt that the experience of living away from home fostered a newfound self-confidence. The process of finding accommodation and liaising with landlords is tough but this temporary anxiety resulted in not only a greatly expanded vocabulary but also a deeper understanding of administrative processes in different countries. Contrary to popular opinion, the siesta culture in Spain is still very much a thing!
Cultural awareness
I truly believe that in order to live comfortably in a different country, you must immerse yourself in all the culture that it has to offer. This proved particularly true for me in Madrid where I attended the ‘Semana Santa’ parades and visited numerous cultural hotspots. What is so great about Madrid is that most places are walkable, meaning that exploring the city is mostly free!
Overcoming adversity
I am not going to sugar-coat my whole experience by saying that it was so great the whole time. In particular, in Paris I did encounter lots of issues during my stay involving homesickness, culture shock and even disasters – our whole apartment building flooded one morning and we had to evacuate! These experiences, though unpleasant, were valuable in teaching me independence and resilience. They also make for great stories.
4.It is a refreshing change of lifestyle
Travel opportunities
Madrid is once again an amazing city due to its prices; travel is exceptionally cheap both within the Comunidad de Madrid and elsewhere. The study abroad opportunity allowed me to travel to a range of different Spanish cities when I wasn’t at university. I went to Seville, Alcalá de Henares, Valencia and even Barcelona for the day; all whilst learning about cultural and linguistic differences within Spain. Not to mention the delicious food and wine!
Lifelong friendships
My year abroad was honestly punctuated by the amazing individuals that I met, who I am sure will be lifelong friends. In Paris, we spent lots of fun nights at our watering hole ‘La Marguerite’ in Bastille drinking €6-Aperol’s and then hitting the local McDonalds afterwards. On weeknights we would huddle in my tiny studio flat and cook cosy dinners together. This experience reminded me also how lucky I was to have English as my mother tongue; as I can’t imagine the effort it must have taken to communicate all night in a different language. Truly inspiring!
5.Final thoughts and reflections
Financial considerations
Financial planning was a big factor for me when evaluating the viability of the year abroad and more specifically, where I would go. I chose two European cities yet was surprised when I read about how greatly price levels differ between them. The good thing about my choice of Paris and Madrid was that I had a lot of information online surrounding the cost of living and also could read up about the experiences of other individuals who have lived there on student forums, such as The Student Room.
Cost of living
From my personal experience, Paris proved so much more expensive than Madrid. As a Londoner, I was eager to escape the expensive prices of living in the city but Paris almost paralleled them. That being said, as I became more familiar with the city and the area in which I lived, I was able to opt for cheaper options for food and drink.
Transport, however, is one thing you can’t escape if you are going to university or work. What struck me when I first arrived in Paris and Madrid was how far their main universities were from the centre; requiring you to travel everyday to the outskirts. This definitely is a financial consideration and also a consideration for the location of your accommodation. Paris is particularly expensive on the transport front, with an annual metro transport pass costing the steep price of €382.40. Although Paris is definitely on the more pricey side; there are many much cheaper European cities where you can spend your year abroad.
Savings
In Madrid, I saved significantly. At my university, UCL, students on their year abroad are required to pay only 15% of tuition fees. My friendly landlord also offered affordable accommodation right in the heart of the literary district, opposite the house of Miguel de Cervantes, making my rent half of what it was in London. Online tutoring jobs via the platform MyTutor also provided additional income and language practice, an option which I would highly recommend for students on their year abroad.
Reflecting on my year abroad within this article brings a perfect wave of nostalgia, affirming its worth. If you are eager to listen, learn and embrace diverse new experiences, doing a year abroad is definitely worth it. Just remember to thoroughly consider your finances before choosing where you would like to spend the year or half year and be prepared to keep working to earn some extra money.
Last Updated on August 12, 2024
Published on August 6, 2024
I am a final year student at University College London (UCL) studying BA French and Spanish. I have just returned from an amazing Year abroad in Paris and Madrid. However, there really is no place like home and I am excited to return home to London and explore more exciting opportunities!
