Anything and everything that can go wrong on your year abroad

I embarked on my year abroad for my third year at uni, and although I really did not want to leave the safety of Jesmond and all my friends, I did (somehow) end up loving it despite all my mishaps. So don’t let this article put you off, absolutely do a year abroad if you want to, but try not to fall victim to my misfortune.

(This article is also biased towards Madrid in particular, sorry Spanish students)

1. You don’t always get to choose where you live

Word of warning for people looking to be a language assistant specifically, the British Council can place you anywhere and you don’t have a choice in the matter. For me a least, I chose the region of Madrid and was placed in Alcala de Henares, which was a small town on the outskirts of Madrid. The town itself wasn’t awful but it took a lot of time to get used to (think three clubs, two supermarkets and a handful of restaurants), and I was always quite jealous of my friends who got to live in the centre. But at least they let me stay on their sofas.

It also meant getting the last train home after a night out which is less than ideal, especially when you fall asleep on said train and wake up at the last stop which is technically in another region of Spain. Although now at least I can say I’ve explored Castilla-la Mancha.

2. Freak flatmates are universal

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Although I was one of the lucky ones and didn’t have to apply for a visa (thank you Irish passport), I was subject to the hell which is trying to rent a room from a country you don’t currently live in. And when I did eventually find a room, it was actually smaller than my first room in Castle Leazes. Never thought I’d be reminiscing about Leazes but here we are.

Extra special shout outs go to the very stylish bedding they provided me, and the fact that my estate agent lived in the room next door to me and asked me to smoke weed with him. Thanks for the offer Douglas but I’ll politely decline that one x

3. Getting scammed out of your deposit

Granted, this is not uniquely a Spanish experience, I just felt I had to mention it. Not only did I have to pay my rent IN CASH every month (hello money laundering), the estate agency I lived with then just didn’t return my 380 euro deposit to me and enjoyed stringing me along for months. Can we all just take a moment to admire my dedication here and to feel sorry for me (I still have not had this money back and it has consumed 6 months of my life).

4. Medical emergencies

Okay so this may be a niche one, but I did have a few friends in similar situations who had to fly back for hospital appointments etc. It’s worth looking into healthcare in your region to avoid having to try and articulate in broken Spanish that you do have insurance but you are not part of the EU.

In my case I knocked my tooth out after a particularly heavy night out in Madrid and subsequently had to spend hundreds of pounds flying back to London to get one replaced, and an awkward conversation to my mum explaining that it totally wasn’t my fault I fell out of an uber, it just stopped suddenly right?

5. Not keeping up to date with your tutor posts

Word of advice – REMEMBER WHEN YOUR TUTOR POSTS ARE DUE. If you go on a year abroad with Newcastle Uni, they do require you to check in with your personal tutor every few months and if you, like me, thought why would I bother with that if its not marked, you have to bother with it unless you want the university down the phone to you asking if you’ve died.

6. Getting mugged/ losing phones etc

Again not a unique experience to Madrid, but I unfortunately was the victim to a few pickpockets during my year (and a few losses which were also my fault- I don’t want to talk about it) and let me tell you, buying a new sim card in Spain is the equivalent of signing your life away. You need a passport, address, multiple forms of id – the lot. Where’s a Vodafone when you need them?

Additionally, making a police report in a foreign country may be the most effective way of humbling your language skills. I forgot the word purse and was just miming my way through the report whilst 2 officers looked at me like I was mental. And I never got the purse back. Yay.

Anyway, in conclusion, despite all these misfortunes I actually ended up loving my year abroad. I got to travel all around Spain, I actually enjoyed my job, made amazing friends and did better my Spanish in the end. And all these things meant I could really hammer home to my personal tutor how resilient I am and get praised for that, so hey, small wins.