随着经济的发展,留学已经不是什么新鲜事了。留学生活有苦有乐,在拓展知识和视野的同时,留学生还要面对文化差异、忍受思乡之情等一系列问题。但不管怎样,出国留学总是宝贵的人生经验。本期“花季故事”请来英国大学生多姆·马丁讲讲他在西班牙的留学经历。
As part of my Spanish degree, I had to spend the third year of my course studying in Spain or Latin America. At the start of second year, we were given a talk on studying abroad and a list of possible destinations. I wanted to go to a big city with a lively nightlife and a beach, so the University of Valencia, which was my first choice, sounded like the perfect option. I soon began to find out as much about Valencia as I could and I got in touch with a girl from my university who was living in Valencia to get a few tips. She was very helpful, telling me where the best places to live were.
Arriving in Valencia 抵达巴伦西亚
My course didn’t actually start until the end of September, but I flew out to Valencia a few weeks in advance[预先] to sort out[挑出] my accommodation[住处].
The first thing I did on arrival was to go to the International Students Office. They gave me a welcome pack and told me the things I needed to do in the next few days, such as contacting my personal tutor[指导教师] and getting a copy of the module list[课程表].
The most important thing was to find somewhere to live. I bought myself a Spanish mobile, and equipped with the flat list from the university accommodation office, I began to make some calls to landlords.
I was very lucky with my accommodation. The second flat I looked at was perfect. It was a modern, well-furnished flat a five-minute walk from uni[即university], and I’d be living with a Spanish brother and sister, Alejandro and Paula. It was also just around the corner from the Valencia football ground, so I had very much landed on my feet[幸运,安然脱险].
I moved in two days later and it was a good feeling to have a place sorted out without too much hassle[麻烦].
It was strange at first living with people I didn’t know, and we were all dealing with new circumstances[环境] as Alejandro and Paula were both in their first year of university. They were both a bit younger than me; Paula was 18 and Alejandro 19, but we still got along well. They were very friendly and welcoming.
Alejandro and Paula were also very forgiving of my numerous mistakes with the language, but the more and more I practised, the better my language became.
实际上,我的课要到九月底才开始,但我提前几周坐飞机到达巴伦西亚,好安排住宿。抵达后的第一件事情是前往留学生办公室。他们给了我一个欢迎礼包,并告诉我接下来几天要做的事情,比如联系我的个人导师、索取课程表等。最重要的事情是找到住的地方。我买了一个西班牙手机,拿着从学校住宿办公室取来的公寓表,开始给房东打电话。
我很幸运地找到了住处。我看的第二套公寓很不错。那是一间装修得体的现代化公寓,步行到大学只要5分钟。我要与一对西班牙兄妹——亚力杭德罗和保拉一起住。另外,这所公寓就在巴伦西亚足球场附近,我的运气真不错。
两天后我就搬进去了。没费多少周折就选到住处的感觉真好。起初,跟不认识的人一起住确实有点怪。我们三个人都在适应新环境,因为亚力杭德罗和保拉刚刚升上大学。他们比我小一点——保拉当时18岁,亚力杭德罗19岁,但我们相处得很好。他们很友善热情。亚力杭德罗和保拉也对我那一大堆语法错误很宽容。但随着不断练习,我的西班牙语越来越好了。
Starting My Course 课程开始
Two weeks later, I registered[登记] for my course and started going to lectures. It was really difficult to concentrate at first, and I could only really pick up on bits and pieces[零碎]. Over time though, as my Spanish improved, it became a lot easier and a lot more interesting. I made friends with the other Erasmus注1 students in my classes. It was difficult to get to know the Spanish students, as most of them had already formed their own groups of friends and stuck to them. I did meet a few friendly Spanish people, but the vast majority of my friends were other exchange students. On reflection, I think the best way to make friends with the local students is either to involve yourself in one of the sports teams, or to go to the Erasmus society at your uni and meet locals from your destination before you go.
两个星期后,我登记好自己的课程,开始去听课。刚开始时真的很难集中精神,我只能够听懂一些零零碎碎的内容。但久而久之,随着我的西班牙语不断进步,(上课)变得轻松有趣多了。我和班上另外一些参加伊拉斯谟计划的交换生交上了朋友。要结识西班牙学生可不是一件容易的事,因为他们大多数都形成了自己的朋友圈,只和圈内人来往。虽然我遇到过一些友好的西班牙人,但我的大部分朋友还是交换生。现在想想,我觉得和当地人交朋友最好的方式是参加某个运动队,或者在留学前到学校的伊拉斯谟协会认识来自留学目的地的当地人。
Coping Whilst Abroad 人在他乡
I didn’t really experience too much of a culture shock as I learnt a lot about the country through my degree, but there were a few things that still took me by surprise, such as the laid-back[懒散的] attitude of the people. It meant life moved in general at a slower pace, which could be frustrating at times, but I soon grew to love it.
I didn’t miss home too much as I kept in contact with family and friends online through Skype注2. It was also easy to get a cheap flight back for the weekend if I fancied[想象] a weekend of home comforts. However, I was almost always busy, so I never really dwelled on[细想] homesickness for long. My family came over a few times to visit, and it was always good to have a fresh perspective[看法,观点] on the city, as they would appreciate things about Valencia I hadn’t noticed or took for granted.
I have many fond memories of Valencia: the days spent sunbathing on the beach, the gorgeous food and the festivals. I’ll definitely go back for a weekend with all the friends I made out there, and I hope to keep in touch with my Spanish friends too. I thoroughly recommend[推荐] studying abroad. Although it may seem tough early on, the chances are you’ll have a great time.
由于在攻读学位时已经学习了很多有关西班牙的知识,所以我在留学期间并没有感到太多文化冲击,但仍然有一些事情让我很惊讶,比如说当地人悠闲的态度。这意味着总体上说,人们的生活节奏比较慢——这有时确实让人很泄气,但我很快就爱上这种生活方式了。
我也不太想家,因为我通过Skype与亲友保持联系。如果我想回家享受一个舒适的周末,很容易就能买到便宜的机票回去。但是我经常很忙,所以也没有多少心思去想家了。家人来西班牙看过我几次。他们会发现一些我从来没注意到或觉得理所当然的事物——能够以全新的角度看巴伦西亚这个城市,感觉总是不错的。
我在巴伦西亚有很多愉快的记忆:在海滩上晒太阳的日子,美味的食物,还有各种节日。我一定会在周末约上在那里结交的朋友重游旧地,也希望和我的西班牙朋友保持联系。我强烈建议大家到国外留学。也许初期会比较辛苦,但你很有可能拥有一段快活无比的时光。
注1:伊拉斯谟计划(Erasmus Programme)是欧盟在20世纪80年代中期实施的一项高等教育交流与合作计划,该计划旨在促进高等院校的师生交流,推动欧盟高等教育区的形成。伊拉斯谟(1466-1536)是中世纪尼德兰(今
荷兰和比利时)著名的人文主义思想家和神学家。
注2:Skype是一种网络即时语音沟通工具。