Victor Schimmel, a Dutch business student who has chosen to follow a Spanish course in Valencia. Victor is 23 years old and because of the delay with his study he had some spare time to do a Spanish course at Hispania for half a year. We talked with Victor to find out more about his experience with the Spanish course abroad and his life in Valencia.
What it’s like to do a Spanish course abroad.
You will have an amazing time! According to Victor. He began his Spanish course in September and follows the lessons of the course 20 hours a week. Read beneath the interview we had with him and see how it is to follow a Spanish course abroad!
Why did you want to do a Spanish course to start in the first place?
Well, first of all, it is really handy to learn Spanish because it is one of the most common languages around the world. But I’m also really fond of the Spanish language. My mother also followed a language course but then in Madrid, and she recommended me to do the same!
And why did you choose for Valencia and not another city?
I‘ve already been in Valencia two times before and I liked it so much. It’s a big city but not too big. You can easily meet new people and the nightlife in Valencia is great.
What’s your experience with the Spanish course so far?
The school itself is really good. People are friendly and the lessons are great, but I have to say the lessons are quite intensive. The teachers only speak in Spanish. You can ask something in English if you really don’t get it but overall you will speak the whole lessons Spanish. That’s quite exhausting sometimes.
What do you like the most about Hispania?
I find it really comfy that you can plan your own schedule. If you want to follow a lesson in the morning, you can schedule your lessons in the morning on their website. The same goes for the afternoon classes. What I also really like, the teachers are quite young so the interaction within the classes is great.
What do you do after class?
After school I hang out with classmates at the beach. I’m going a lot to the beach because of the beautiful weather. If I’m not at the beach I’ll go for a run or go shopping with my female roommates (You know how girls are..) No joke it’s mostly for me haha. I also often sit on a nice terrace drinking a beer with friends. ‘’Terassje pakken’’ as we say in Dutch. That’s what I love about Spain, the relaxed atmosphere.
Do you have recommendations for students who want to follow a Spanish course?
When I started the Spanish course, I thought I would speak with the inhabitants fluently within a few weeks, but it takes some time. You need to put some effort in learning the Spanish language, even after school. If you will practice it a lot you will easily speak with Spanish people and learn it quick.
Do you want to read more experiences of students? Click on this link!