ALBA Barcelona and More!

Guest Post By: Thai Wichienwidhtaya, a Junior studying Accounting and Information Systems. He is a Global Business Center Study Abroad Scholarship Recipient, and he studied abroad through ALBA Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain, during Winter Quarter 2023.

Hi!

I studied abroad to put myself in a new environment and push myself to see the world. Not speaking any Spanish was a bit of a challenge when studying abroad in Spain (Barcelona), but it added to that aspect of just embracing something new.

While in Barcelona, I utilized the ALBA shared apartments and lived with a few friends who were also taking part in the Winter 2023 program. With these friends I was able to coordinate multiple travels to other cities of Spain, as well as other countries nearby (which is a must).

I tried to travel almost every weekend to see other places as well. I visited France, Italy, England, Morocco, Netherlands, as well as multiple other Spanish cities in the ten weeks that I was away. Seeing monuments and places that I never thought I would see in person with some amazing people made this experience so special!

At ALBA I was able to complete a couple of my remaining business core classes, which was a major help in staying on track of my graduation requirements. I also took an art and architecture class that was extremely rewarding in learning more about Barcelona and the architects/artists that have left their legacy throughout the city. Also, I felt extremely lucky to have been able to learn from professors that gave a point of view on many topics and subjects that were different from the ones I may have experienced here in the US. These views helped stretch my thinking on many subjects. The program and teachers are also very receptive and flexible to help make weekend travels possible, which was a major bonus for me as I was eager to see other parts of the world as well. Taking part in the ALBA study abroad program has given me a better global understanding in becoming a more complete student of business. 

During my time abroad, I made sure to document my memories as much as possible. I did this in form of a social media account that my close family and friends followed. I highly recommend doing something like this, as my family loved seeing all my experiences and even just a couple months after being abroad, I love going through all the pictures and reading my feelings at the time.

My favorite memory of going abroad was being able to catch a Tottenham game in February against London rivals, West Ham. I visited my girlfriend who was studying abroad in London at the time, and fitting in a lifetime goal of mine to see the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Visiting the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was a surreal feeling. COYS!