Hi,
I am going to be studying in Ronda this coming year for my 1st semester of my senior year of HS. Has anyone spent any length of time there or have been in my situation? I don't know what to expect and hoping it will be easy to make some friends(My host family only has older children).
Thanks for the input,
adam

anyone

adam

Hi! Ronda is a beautiful city, I have only spent a day there but I think it is the perfect spot for a high school student to study. You are not going to have the large amounts of american study abroad students you might find in other cities like Salamanca, and its small enough that you should be able to find your way around and meet people without too much trouble. I studied abroad in Granada and Bilbao in college....it was the best thing I have ever done!! I think that its really neat that you will have that opportunity as a high school student!!!!! Obviously college and high school are 2 different things but here his my 2 cents for what its worth

-1st, I think its great you are living with a host family!! I did that both times I studied abroad...the 1st time I got a WONDERFUL family, really felt like a part of it, and have kept in close touch with them, we have even visited eachother since then. It was just a perfect fit. the 2nd time I wasnt so lucky, the family I had was doing it just for the money and it was pretty much like living in a hostel, and we didnt get along so great, I felt very uncomfortable with things that went on in the house, and in sum it was a bad situation. That said, I really should have requested to change families 2 weeks into that when I knew I was uncomfortable....i didnt however thinking that it would get better, or that i was just being too picky. So. My host family advice: it can be wonderful...or not so wonderful. Whatever the case if you are unhappy, PLEASE, dont be afraid to change families and get someplace you are happy with...give it two weeks and if its not working change!!!

-As far as going to high school. I'm not all that familiar with high schools in Spain, but if you do a search on this board I think you will find lots of good info. My experience with taking classes at the University level was that it is very different than in the USA. A quick sum of the differences: you have to take tests in ink, not pencil... the profs pretty much just straight lecture, you take notes, and then take one final exam at the end and thats your grade...there really isnt the campus environment you find at big US universities....most people are still living at home... it took some getting used to having all my classes in my 2nd language and being the only american in my classes. Sometimes it felt as if the prof was singling me out in certain classes (ie international relations...i was there during the Iraq war).
You will probably meet people through the high school.... but if thats not working, find some other community group to join up with, or volunteer to tutor English or something, there are lots of ways to meet people...i started taking flamenco dance at a local academy and thats where i met most of my friends.

Sorry this post got so long! In sum, just relax and enjoy the experience....it will all be worth any hard times you encounter. Stay away from other americans and hang out with Spaniards...dont be afraid of mistakes with the languge....that is afterall why you are there!

Good Luck!
Kelly

I've spent lots of time there - I have a house in the old town. It's a delightful place to be - it's very picturesque and, as pointed out, small enough to find your way round. If you're in school there you should have no trouble making friends. Is there anything specific you'd like to know?

Thanks for all of the info.
I have been in contact with my host family and they seem to be really nice. I will get the chance to meet them next week, so hopefully i can get a feel for them before I go to live with them for 5 months.
About Ronda, what are some nice places to eat or spend time? What is there to do for fun? Where do the locals hang out?
It sounds really nice in Ronda and i am very excited, and and at the same time doubt my spanish abilities(haha.. to late now)

Thanks for the input,
adam

also, Has anyone had any experience with IES Perez de Guzman? I can't seem to find any info on it.
thanks
adam

Hi,
well I am leaving in about 3 weeks now. I guess the pre study abroad jitters are really starting to set in! If anyone can answer any of my questions from before I would appreciate it. Also, is it possible to recharge my movistar SIM card online? I have been looking on the site, but it never seems to work consistently...ok i have one more question, if I need to get to Totana from Ronda, what is the best way to do it?
Thanks for all of the help,
Adam

Hi Adam
Try these links for information on IES Perez de Guzman:
link 1
link 2

Have a great time. I envy you and weel done for opting to study abroad.
Regards
Robbieroy

Adam,

As the earlier posters said, Ronda is an ideal place for you to be for 5 months. Small enough where you won't be intimidated by size and sheer number of people. You will really learn the city and I've found that when you are in that kind of environment making friends comes far easier than in a city the size of Madrid or Barca.

Ronda's beautiful and historic - when I was there last it wasn't overwhelmed with foreigners which is a huge plus in your favor. Easy distance for seeing all of Southenr Spain - Sevilla, Granada, Cadiz, etc . plus all the 'white villages'.

The benefit to having older young people in your host family is that their freinds have younger sisters and brothers - easy to meet people that way as well as in school.

The very best advice you'll get is to spend your time with Spaniards not other exchange students.

Guaranteed - you will fall in love with Spain; your language skills will improve dramatically; you will learn even more to laugh at your mistakes; and you will form friendships that will last forever.

Let us know how it goes!

Thanks for all of your help. I will be sure let you know how my trip goes. Hopefully it will be easier once I am there, than it is waiting now. Is there anything that i shouldn't leave home without? I am starting to put together a list and don't want to forget anything.
thanks
adam

Adam,
Where are you from - that will help on your question as to what you can't get -

Sites to explore - have tried to give you a bunch w/ photos:

http://www.andalucia.com/ronda/home.htm

http://www.in-spain.info/special-features/photos-of-ronda.htm

http://www.fotosearch.com/MDG198/wt2018/

http://www.photovault.com/Link/Cities/Europe/oSpain/Places/Ronda.html

wow,
thanks for all of the links. I live in Chapel Hill, NC if that helps. I am not sure what else to bring beside clothes.
thanks
adam

Okay -

If you like peanut butter - take a couple of jars - almost impossible to find in Madrid - let alone Ronda! Be warned - the Spaniards think peanut butter is about on par w/ Vegemite or poi -in other words you are crazy to eat that stuff!!!
But cravings are cravings ..

There are a couple of threads somewhere in search discussing "what to pack" - you might want to take a look. Deoderant - which, of course, is available - the contents differ.

Also, you might want to condsider taking small gifts for your host family - again - lots of threads on this so be sure to do a search.

And, of course, a camera - if your family gives you any one item - get a good and small camera. Not the Kodak debvelope the whole thing c**p. And if you get really lucky - take two small cameras - one loaded with colour film; the other w/ black 'n white.

Hi Adam
If you use any medicines on a (fairly) regular basis, then make sure that you pack them. For example you might find that a particular painkiller works well for you if you have a headache or if you are prone to colds or coughs, take the appropriate remedy that works for you.
There are some useful internet sites to help you crate a packing list. Try these:
http://upl.codeq.info/index.jsp
and
http://www.travellers-tale.com/hints.htm
Robbieroy

No need to bring peanut butter anymore... it is now readily available in any big supermarket--even some American brands, though we buy Capitan Mani. Chinese and Latin American grocers also usually carry it.

I would recommend bringing some Pepto Bismol or whatever medicine you take when your "stomach" gets upset. Hopefully you won't need it, but that's one of those situations when you might really want to take medicine that you are familiar with.

Also, I recommend bringing reading material in English. It's a nice escape to be able to read in your own language when you are inundated by another. Maybe you can find out what books you'll be reading in school and bring them along in English, so you can read both versions. If you can't do this, then I recommend the new translation on Don Quixote.

Hmmmm things to bring... Well when I studied abroad, I did bring peanut butter. That was like 2 years ago, and while they did have it in stores like Corte Ingles, it just didnt taste the same. Besides, it was kinda fun to see the look on my host mom's face when i made myself a peanut butter sandwhich.... priceless
-on the camera issue... i good camera is a MUST. Its worth the investment, I actually ended up developing my photos there so that I didnt come home with 12 undeveloped rolls Another idea on the camera thing, I didnt have one, but my sister just got back from study abroad and she had brought a digital camera, the kind that allows you record short little video clips with sound. It was so fun to be able to share her experience "live" with sound!

Kelly