Orientatiton

July 12, 2017

My first impression of Tarragona was a pleasant surprise. I was not sure of what to expect but I had this lurking idea of it being very remote and secluded. Remote, it is somewhat but it has a very unique vibe to it. The people seem very relaxed and move with a different pace than I’m used to. And wine seem to be the most readily available beverage here. Traffic rules are obeyed. No jaywalking, people are patient in waiting their turn to cross the street.

For the orientation, after we arrived and settled in, we went around town to get sim cards for whoever needed it, then to some ATMs to get cash. Some people had some difficulty with the ATMs for reasons unbeknownst to me but I had no such difficulty. I was worried that I might not understand the instructions and was going to try to go mechanically from my experience with ATMs in US but to my surprise, when I inserted my bankcard, the instructions were in English. Next, we went to buy bus passes. The process was streamlined such that, the personnel at the counters had all our information so all we had to do was identify ourselves, smile for the camera and pay the fee and voila! The one thing that I think should be done better for future students is making access to a gym/fitness center a part of the program. The hostel we reside is very beautiful but it has no gym. There is a gym right outside of it but the gym is not affiliated with the hostel nor URV so in other to have access, we are pretty much required to sign up for membership, which they promised a discounted rate if we are able to provide a proof of our affiliation with URV.

Overall, I think it will be a great time. Every one in this group is amazing and we all get along very well so I am very excited to start this amazing experience with them.

Written By

Faisal Usman

I’m a rising junior studying chemical engineering. My program while on this DOC is Process Safety & Chemical Engineering Abroad. I chose this program because it offered courses that count towards my degree program, obviously, and also because it will offer me an opportunity to see and feel other cultures. I believe knowing other cultures will help me be a better engineer. My goal for the program is to immerse myself in the culture and explore it. I know a little bit about the history of the region during the Islamic conquest but now I want to see how that affected the culture and architecture. A fun fact: I listen to a lot of audiobooks.