Reflecting on studying abroad during the fall of my junior year at Fordham University in Granada, Spain, it is one of my favorite decisions that I have made for myself.
In my sophomore year, my best friend Vesa Prevalla, FCRH ’25, suggested we study abroad together. I would never consider myself to be an adventurous person. However, I felt burnt out by the middle of my sophomore year. So, why not study abroad? It was a fresh start, and I had never been out of the country. With a strong study abroad program, Fordham reports that 40% of undergraduates elect to study abroad. I decided to go through a Fordham program for ease of application and credit transfer, so I looked at both the Fordham in London and Fordham in Granada programs. I decided against London as I was already attending college in New York — another major, diverse metropolitan area and I already spoke English.
Fordham in Granada had caught my eye. I had been studying Spanish as part of the core curriculum and my international studies major, so I wanted to challenge myself. With its rich culture and history, Granada seemed like the perfect place to immerse myself and grow in a completely different culture. Prevalla and I had both applied to study abroad in the spring, but we were selected for fall. This was an inconvenience, as I had been selected as Senior Captain for Urban Plunge, a pre-orientation program for first-year students. I had to fly up from St. Louis for Urban Plunge, head home for a month and then fly to Spain in September rather than starting the fall semester at Fordham. I was fortunate enough that everything worked out.
I went in with zero expectations. In September, I boarded my first international flight alone, landed in Madrid, got my pink sparkly scissors confiscated at security, had a layover and then boarded a 45-minute flight to Granada where I was picked up and subsequently dropped off at my apartment-style living at la residencia or “La Resi.” La Resi was full of students from Lincoln Center, Rose Hill and Spanish students who studied at the University of Granada. It was a great environment for making new friends — Fordham and non-Fordham students alike.
Attending school while abroad was a lot of fun. I went on field trips to a farm and a garden near the Alhambra, practiced and improved my Spanish and learned things in the classroom that I would not have learned at Fordham. I advise saving the electives from your major and minors to fulfill during study abroad. At the University of Granada’s Centro de Lenguas Modernas program, I took Spanish grammar and speaking classes, Arab World and the West, Sustainability in the Mediterranean and Islamic Culture in Spain. In my free time, I volunteered through my program at a local elementary school where I mentored a grade school student, helped with homework and spent time playing soccer and doing crafts.
I did not travel as much as students who studied abroad in bigger cities. My program took us on trips around Spain to the Alhambra, Las Alpujarras, Córdoba, Sevilla, Ronda and a few cities in Morocco. On my own time, I visited Prague and London. I do not regret my decision to spend most of my time in Granada and recommend maximizing your time exploring the city while living there. A semester abroad flies by, and Granada has so much to offer. Not every day was perfect. Spain is not perfect. Whether it was odd Fordham students or the racist microaggressions of a random Spaniard, there were tough days. But, the negative moments pale in comparison to the good.
One thing I look back on fondly was my routine, especially my Sundays. Every Sunday, Prevalla and I would wake up, walk to a little cafe called Josephina, order orange juice and a sandwich, and eat it on the steps in the plaza in front of the Granada Cathedral, chatting and people-watching.
The rest of my week was filled with exploring new cafes, walking around the University of Granada’s campus, taking siestas, thrifting at Mosaico and spending time with our new Spanish friends. My friends and I would oftentimes aimlessly wander the city, finding new things to do, gossiping over tapas and sometimes ending an evening with a shawarma that tasted even better because the owners, without fail, would wave us ahead to skip the line and serve us tea while we waited for our orders. Because it never really got cold in the fall, my friends and I would take the bus to the beach on weekends, even into October. Unlike New York, Granada was not fast-paced. It was a time when I could savor every moment as it unfolded, embracing the slower rhythm of life.
It is difficult to summarize all the reasons why one should study abroad, but you don’t have to hear it from just me. When I asked Prevalla her thoughts on our semester abroad she said, “Studying abroad in Granada was the best decision I’ve ever made. Across the Atlantic, I met Fordham friends I otherwise would have never known, deepened friendships I already had, and, perhaps most of all, truly got to know myself.” She added that “New York is a great place to be a college student, but it is easy to lose yourself in the high energy. Taking the time to fully immerse myself in a slower way of life was truly what I needed to become an independent young adult. To this day, if I catch myself feeling too overwhelmed, I reflect on that familiar calmness of Fall 2023, and immediately am reminded that the world is much bigger than New York.”
And I agree with her — I developed as a person and student, traveled and met some of my closest friends. You get out of it what you put into it. Studying abroad holds an annoyingly dear space in my heart, and if you have the opportunity and privilege to study abroad, I highly recommend it.
Indira Kar, FCRH ’25, is an international studies major from St. Louis, Missouri.
