The Program

The Ithaca College/University of Valencia exchange began in 1998. Valencia is an affiliated program for Ithaca College students, which means that students pay tuition at the home university and take classes abroad as a guest international student. Credits and grades transfer, and scholarships can still be used to cover the cost of the program.

University of Valencia Semesters

The semesters at the University of Valencia run a little differently than those at Ithaca College. This difference in semester can offer some difficulty for Ithaca College students in aligning schedules, but if you choose to study in Valencia for the whole year, or during the second semester (February through June), participating in the exchange should be a possibility.

Plaza de la Virgin, Valencia

Feeding doves in a Spanish plaza, Sevilla

I went to Spain knowing practically nothing about the country or its people. Now, the food, fiesta, attitude about life, and history will always make me smile when I hear the word 'Valencia.' If you have a relatively good knowledge of Spanish, are ready to be independent and challenged in a foreign country, and wouldn't mind spending a semester in a Mediterranean city, I would enthusiastically encourage you to study at the University of Valencia. With a little work, I have no doubt you will improve your Spanish immensely, meet many wonderful people, see amazing sights, and have the semester of your life. And more importantly, you will perhaps gain an insight and appreciation of life, travel, cultures, and the world that you never before had, and that you will never ever forget.

The Overall Experience

Study at the University of Valencia is an intensive Spanish immersion experience. As a foreign student in Valencia through the IC program, you will be like any other Spanish student, taking the same classes, exams, etc. Support programs at the University of Valencia are nothing like those you might be used to at Ithaca College. Some guidance is offered by the international relations office in Valencia and by advisors, but for the most part, participants in the exchange must be very independent, patient, and creative in figuring out the system. Finding housing, choosing classes, keeping up in your coursework, and mastering the language will all be your responsibility as a student at the University of Valencia.

While the need for complete self-sufficiency in a foreign country makes a program like this more challenging (I wanted to give up and come home at first!), it also made the experience more gratifying and rewarding for me. I found my way all on my own and had a successful study abroad experience all due to my own enterprise. After this experience, I know I can face any challenge with more confidence. There are not a lot of Americans in Valencia, which sometimes created a feeling of isolation for me, but this encouraged me to make friends with Spanish people, and practice the language more. In addition, there are tons of international students from all over Europe studying in Valencia, and for this reason I made lots of friends from many different countries. I therefore got to learn not only about the culture and way of life in Spain, but also increased my knowledge of the way other people think and live in many different cultures. It was a definite international experience for me, and now I have friends all over Europe to visit!