USAC Spain: San Sebastián - Spanish Language & Psychology

San Sebastián is a great place to study abroad if you live diverse cultures and languages, great food, great wine and cider, and many more factors. Right in the heart of the Basque Country, it has much to offer. You can go out for a nice night with your friends and have Pintxos and drinks, or visit the nearby towns that hold much cultural significance. No matter what you decide to do, you won’t be disappointed!

This was the best summer and possibly expierience I have had in my life. I studied in San sebastian for 2 sessions over the summer and loved it. Met the best people who I can consider my friends for life now while learning so much. I got fully immursed in the culture here while attending so many cool events I never thought I would be able to like participating in the running of the bulls and being in spain to see the spain soccer team make it to the finals in the world cup. I learned how to surf and more importantly speak more fluent in another language. I highly recommend this program!!!

I had the best time abroad last summer, session 2 of the USAC San Sebastián program. I specifically participated in the psychology portion of the program taking a positive psychology class during my time there. Although the class had some critiques, San Sebastián is the most amazing city to study abroad in. It is small enough to not feel overwhelmed but still has all the aspects of a big city that you may desire. Plus, it’s right on the beach!!

I learned how to surf, which has always been a bucket list item for me. Our surf instructors were amazing and were amazing to learn from. I also got to practice my Spanish with them. They are trilingual, as are many people in the area; they know Spanish, Basque, and English. The weather was absolutely beautiful for the month of July. I got to take weekend trips to beautiful nearby areas and got to go see the running of the bulls. My Spanish class was very well taught, and my professor was amazing.

I went abroad Spring 2024 and genuinely have not stopped talking about my experience since. Studying abroad in Spain was life-changing and I grew in ways I didn’t know I needed to. I was born and raised in Nevada, and had only been out of the country to Mexico once before my experience. Moving to Spain, being immersed in the Basque culture, changed my life. I was able to use and practice my Spanish daily, learn about an entire new culture, become self-sustaining and independent, and truly gain an immense appreciation for the world. I recommend this experience to every one I meet. In San Sebastián, I got to live 30 steps from the ocean, surf in between classes, participate in cultural activities like Día de San Sebastián, and eat some of the best food of my life. The area is so extremely walkable, I got to live in Gros, which is actually the neighborhood furthest from the school. I walked to school every day, along the ocean, past the beautiful buildings and architecture, and past the student’s favorite school snack, tortilla from Bar Nestor! I could not recommend studying abroad more, especially if you want to completely grow as a person and truly appreciate time independently. My USAC group still plans trips together until this day, and those relationships will last a lifetime! Thank you USAC!

I was the only Japanese student participating in USAC's San Sebastian program. Living in Spain with English-speaking friends and facing a language barrier was a difficult experience at the time, but I also learned a lot, and I can say that those were the days I worked hardest and felt the most confident of my life. Everything was new during my time in Spain, and I studied hard every day and communicated with many different people. My time in Spain influenced my career path and way of thinking, and I began to dream of becoming someone who can be active internationally. Even after returning home from Spain, I continue to keep in touch with my friends and teachers. I used to be shy, but now I can speak three or more languages and I feel like I've discovered a new side of myself. I'm grateful to have been able to spend such wonderful days in the beautiful city of San Sebastian. I'm glad I chose USAC's program!

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Donostia is the most charming city, it has the best people, the oldest language in Europe, it’s the cleanest, the public transportation is like no other, I was able to play on a local soccer team and make local friends, my apartment was on the top floor and had a balcony overlooking the ocean. Everyone that chose to study in Donostia also had very similar aspirations, and they were in the same sort of place in their life as me, so it was very easy to make friends with everyone. It was also so immersive and forced me to speak in Spanish everywhere I went, which was exactly what I wanted!

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Studying abroad in Donosti (San Sebastian) was one of the greatest experiences of my life. The USAC faculty in Donosti are the best people who truly care about educating and sharing Donosti // the Basque country with others. I learned so much during my short time abroad, not only in terms of the course materials, but also in terms of self-exploration and the exploration of a new place. The program had a great work-life balance, the city is beautiful and safe, and there is always something new and exciting occurring. The Basque Country is full of incredible, welcoming people, and I am honored I had the chance to study here.

I had an incredible experience in San Sebastián. I studied there Spring 2025. If you are looking for a study abroad experience to learn about Spain and learn Spanish, San Sebastián is the perfect place. I had family meals with my host family and went to lots of futbol games with them. I learned so much Spanish from my host parents including how and why to say things.

I never knew anyone that studied abroad. My hometown is very small and rural, and my college is made up of students with similar backgrounds. USAC made the process so easy and seamless - especially for someone who had no idea what to expect. USAC offered immense support from the application process to getting settled in our house. This study abroad experience was life changing and I recommend USAC to everyone who is considering studying abroad, especially if you don’t know anything about the process.

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Honestly great. Living by the coast was amazing. Classes were hard but manageable. Loved it! Our apartment was very nice as well. Located right on the water and very clean. There is honestly nothing I would change about this course.

I studied abroad a few summers ago in San Sebastián and I think about my experience at least once a day. The program was so helpful and I feel like I learned so much Spanish. The four field trips I went on were so fun and interesting, and my random roommates I was placed with, are now some of my closest friends. This experience also convinced me to teach abroad in Madrid once I graduated. To anyone considering this opportunity, please do it!

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I had the most wonderful time studying abroad in San Sebastián. I was extremely nervous before arriving, but once I got to the city everyone was so kind and welcoming and I knew this place could feel like home. I made so many new friends and experienced so many things I never could have even imagined. My two favorite classes were cooking and surfing. I felt as though I was able to immerse myself into the culture and learn about life in San Sebastián. I also loved my Spanish classes. I learned so much and still use my Spanish speaking skills when I can. The apartment I lived in was amazing! It was directly next to the beach and I was able to walk down every chance I got. I loved walking everywhere and enjoying the beautiful city everywhere I went. I grew so much as a person and I will forever be so grateful for my time abroad. I cannot wait to go back and visit soon!

Wow! This was truly the most amazing experience of my life. We were fully immersed in the city and had the most wonderful apartment overlooking a world class surf beach. The academic instruction was amazing and pushed me to improve and further develop my Spanish language skills as well as pushed me out of my comfort zone and into cultural immersion and greatly improved my cultural competency and ability to throw myself into brand new situations. We explored all across Spain and were able to make the short trip to France as well for another completely new adventure. The access to educational resources combined with phenomenal access to extracurricular activities such as paddle boarding, surfing, exploring historical cities, hiking mountains, and getting to know my wonderful group mates created a supportive and fun environment with lifelong friendships. I will always remember this experience for decades to come and can not recommend the study abroad experience enough!

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Seriously, the months I spent in San Sebastián are going to be very hard to beat. I cannot say enough good things about this place, I was wary about studying abroad and leaving home, as I am born and raised and go to college in the same place. However right when I saw my beachfront apartment, barefoot surfers walking by, multiple coffee and pastry shops surrounding my neighborhood, and the amazing staff and people I was going to be studying with, all of my fears went away. The city is both very diverse, yet very walkable. I am a very outdoorsy person, so the plentiful hikes, beaches, and places to walk was the highlight of my time. My group and I would spend after class days (after studying español of course), eating the best gelato, traveling to the island, watching the great Real Sociedad soccer team play, hiking to the top of mountains, playing beach volleyball and jumping into the ocean off the far pier. The speed of life in San Sebastian was something else that I truly admired. I would always see people genuinely having conversations, getting coffee together, walking, and very rarely with a screen in front of their faces. I embraced this speed and was able to prioritize my mental health with reading, sunrise beach yoga and sunset beach picnics with friends, all things I would never have time for in America. The only complaint would be that it is a little difficult to travel out of, as you have to for affordable options, bus to the nearby Bilbao, however that did not stop me, as the ride is fairly short. I travelled to many other countries but was always so excited to return home to Donostia! I would recommend this program to anyone!

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I adored San Sebastián! I went in the summer of 2022 and loved it so much that I went back in the Fall of 2023. I loved all my teachers and the classes I took. I felt like I became fluent in Spanish and learned everything from grammar to vocabulary which I never felt like I was able to do back here in the US. The teachers know how to teach Americans and their lesson plans are amazing. They also offer really fun classes like surfing, basque dancing, cooking, and basque culture. I took the surfing class both times and had a blast. I learned how to stand up on a board and safety in the water. We got to go on two excursions through the awesome program. We ate great food, went to niche authentic restaurants, and visited cool museums and caves. My apartments were always close to the beach and in great locations. I walked to school every day from my apartment and got to see the beautiful view of the ocean every time. The only thing I would recommend is to have a survey about people's interests and living habits so that you are paired with people who are similar in some way to you rather than it being random. If I could go back in time and stay longer I 10000% would have. I loved San Sebastián and USAC.

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I had a wonderful time in San Sebastián, Spain! USAC created an organized, educational, fun and welcoming program. The city is absolutely amazing. I learned lots in the classes I took. My favorite class was the Basque Language and Culture class!

San Sebastián was by far the best experience I have ever had. My time in San Sebastián started off rough with me having immense home sickness. However I decided to live every day one day at a time. And by doing that I was truly able to enjoy my journey. I believe that San Sebastian is a wonderful location to study abroad, it provides a vibrant Basque cultural, some fantastic food, and its a city that is not too big but also not too small. The city itself is unique because of the different sections within it. There is a old part of town (Parte Vieja), a newer center (Centro), and three wonderful unique beaches, this city truly has it all! The size of the city made me feel at home, because it reminded me of the hometown Reno "The biggest Little City in the World". I believe that studying abroad is the best time to travel the world, because it offers a long length of time in a foreign country, and by being young you have the energy to travel all Europe. I've met many people who have studied abroad through out my time in college, and not one has regretted studying abroad, and Im proud to say that I didn't regret it either. Take this big step and enjoy this once of a lifetime experience!

I found myself studying abroad in san sebastián. before coming, I was in this constant cycle and I was lost in who I wanted to be. I will be graduating this year so the feelings most likely came from the fact that I was losing a part of my freedom and the fear of going out into the real world was dragging me down. When I spent my time abroad I found a type of independence that I was longing for and desiring. It was truly an experience that I will never forget and will NEVER stop sharing. I was able to form connections with people in one short month which I never thought was possible. I immersed myself into a culture and learned so much about a new country. and I reassured myself that I am going to be just fine. This was the best thing that has ever happened to me.

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I was nervous about going abroad since I was only 19 at the time and had only an elementary level in Spanish, but within the first 48 hours, I realized I made the best decision of my life. My days were spent in small sized, engaging classes with phenomenal professors, then studying at the beach or in local coffee shops, and evenings were spent surfing with my peers. I made two of my best friends, who I know will be lifelong friendships. I could not recommend this program more. 10000/10.

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