SPAIN STUDENT VISA OPTIONS

In a city as international as Barcelona, whatever you want you can find here! I'm currently taking a Jamaican dancehall class. I joined a hiking group that I found on meetup.com and that was one of the best things I could've done here. I have met several good friends through this group and I have seen so many cool parts of Spain and France that I would never have known otherwise! You'll also never get bored of eating here - they have everything!

Life in Madrid is upbeat. It reminds me of New York City, but everyone seems to be happier. It is easy to adapt here because so many people in Madrid still speak some English, especially because there are so many people from different parts of Europe living here, so if you don't know Spanish you are not completely clueless about what is going on around you. The nightlife here never ends. There are bars and discos everywhere. You can always find somewhere to go.

Living in Barcelona for 3 years, there is never a dull moment. There have been and continue to be outstanding people I have met, good and bad experiences that I treasure, food that brings nothing but pure joy to my taste buds, breathtaking and inspiration cities traveled, siestas (that often last longer than they should), festivals that have given me cultural insights, wine that flows from morning long into the next day, and much more, I'm not even exaggerating!

The culture in Madrid is generally very laid back. It offers all the excitement and hustle of a typical city, but moves much slower than its American counterparts. More priority is given to social time and meeting friends, and vacation is more abundant. Public transport is very good - Madrid has one of the best metro systems in the world! Planes, trains, and buses will get you everywhere you need to go for relatively cheap. There is also a large American expat presence in Madrid.

If you're considering Barcelona, you probably already know about its nightlife. This goes along with the culture and the food in Barcelona. It's normal to eat dinner at 10pm. In fact, if you're eating between 6-8pm, people will definitely know you are not from around there. So once you're done eating dinner, stroll to the beach for the massive nightclubs, or meander through the side streets until you find a Caribbean bar with the BEST mojitos!

The culture in Madrid is wonderful! People are very friendly and helpful. They definitely run on the Spaniard clock, so if you are meeting up with Spanish friends and they say 11, they mean 11:30. As far as nightlife (clubbing), these people are party animals! Most people do not go out until 1am and they like to stay out until 5 or 6am. Madrid is full of events and there is always something going on: intercambios, copas in the many plazas, festivals, food markets, and much more.