Before you go (Internship)
1. Get/Renew your Passport
To travel to Spain, you must have a passport valid for at least six months past the end date of your WFU program. If you do not yet have a passport, or if your passport while expire sooner than six months after the end date of your WFU program, apply for/renew your passport immediately. Please check out the GPS website with passport information.
2. Book your flights
Check with your Resident Professor for the exact dates of your program. Book a flight to Madrid (Barajas) that will arrive early in the morning. Flights from the U.S. to Spain are generally overnight flights that depart the previous evening. The Program will provide only one shuttle bus from Madrid to Salamanca that departs at 11:30am on the first day of the program. Students whose flights arrive later will travel to Salamanca on their own.
Arrange for a flight back to the States that will leave after 12:30pm from Madrid on the last day of the program. The Program shuttle will depart Salamanca at 7:30am and arrive at the Madrid airport at 10:30am. International flights require check-in two hours before departure.
3. Housing
Read here about the Residence Hall vs Homestay choice and the fill out the Housing Request Form.
4. INFO FORM
Fill out the info form that you can find below to help then Salamanca staff to organize the program.
5. US State Department
We advise that you let the State Department know you’re traveling abroad. You can register online at (http://www.travel.state.gov/). In case of political/environmental/ other disaster, the US will know where you are and can help you out. They can also send you occasional emails about things to be aware of while you’re traveling.
6. Complete all Global Programs and Studies forms
Participants are required to fill all the forms and provide accurate and up to date information. The Salamanca program will need some of your personal information with some time in advance: cell phone number, mail, passport number, health form, housing request form, flight information, passport size picture (*.jpg), your course list, etc.
7. Verification of Health Insurance
Participants will need to certify that their health insurance coverage applies outside the continental United States. There is a form that you will have to complete for the Center for Global Programs and Studies regarding your health insurance.
8. Reach out to fellow Salmantinos!
Contact the other students who will be traveling with you—perhaps you can establish travel plans, and ensure that you do not overlap on packing. It’s also a great idea to contact past students for specific advice about what to pack, what to leave home, the cost of living, etc. Last, but certainly not least, contact your Faculty Director! That’s what s/he is there for!
Cell Phones
The Center for Global Programs and Studies requires that you have a cellphone while abroad. It must, at minimum, be capable of receiving text messages and making/receiving phone calls in case of emergencies. For the Salamanca program, it is best if you also have a data plan. A data plan will enable you to use the WhatsApp app, which is the best way in Spain for you to communicate with the directors of the program and the students within our group.
You have the following four choices:
A) Keep your U.S. phone, but purchase an international plan (if available) from your provider before you leave. Check the cost. This option may be convenient, but it can also be expensive. Also, unless you purchase an international data plan, you will be unable to use the WhatApp app without a wifi connection, which will limit your communication with your fellow students.
B) Contact your cell phone provider and see whether you can have your phone unlocked before departing. This will allow you to purchase a SIM card with a Spanish phone number once you arrive in Spain. The on-site Administrative Director can provide you with information on how to purchase a Spanish SIM (with or without data) during orientation.
Do not wait to unlock your phone until the last minute to do this as it may take some time for the unlock to take effect.
C) Purchase and bring a dual sim phone with you. A dual sim phone has slots inside for two sim cards. This kind of phone permits you to have your American number and a Spanish phone number as well. With this option, too, the on-site Administrative Director can provide you with information on how to purchase a Spanish SIM (with or without data) during orientation. Take a look: your own phone may already have this feature.
D) Once in Spain, purchase a pre-paid phone with a Spanish number. Before you choose this option, be aware of the following:
- The system for prepaid phones is different from in the States. You do not buy minutes. You put money on your phone. A call of the same length may cost different amounts depending on the time of day you place it.
- To recharge your phone, you must use an ATM machine or put money on your phone at a store.
- Every time you make a call you will be charged approximately 15 cents for establishing the call and 21% tax.
- A “prepaid phone + minutes” package in Spain tends to run 50-100 Euros
To get a sense of the price for a Spanish SIM, check with these Spanish cell providers for service options:
- SIMs with data for purchase online: You2call, Pepephone, FreedomPop, Simyo, Suop…
- SIMs with data for purchase in cellphone stores in Salamanca: Movistar, Vodafone, Masmovil…
If you do not have a phone that you will be able to take abroad and would like one, please speak to your GPS abroad advisor. A limited supply of phones will be available for rent from the program. Your GPS abroad advisor will have more details on this process.
The Salamanca program requires that you set up a WhatsApp account. If you plan to bring a phone from the U.S., you will need to download the app before departing the U.S..
Within Spain, this app is the best way for you to communicate with the Directors in case of an emergency. The Salamanca directors will also create a WhatsApp group with the phone numbers of all the students in the program so that you can easily stay in touch with one another.
Packing
When you pack, keep in mind: It is better to under-pack than to take too much. You can buy almost anything you find you need in Salamanca, so don’t bring more than you can carry comfortably for a substantial distance. Do not bring more than one large suitcase, a backpack, and a carry-on. If you can bring even less, great.
Salamantinos describe the weather in their city as “nueve meses de invierno y tres de infierno.” And from May through July, the weather, indeed, oscillates between the mid-40s and the mid-90s. So bring clothes for a wide range of temperatures. Pack enough to carry you through 8 days without laundry. Your host family will do your laundry once a week. Include outfits appropriate for attending classes, for exercising, and for sight-seeing in the heat or cool. Bring clothes that you can mix and match easily, layer, and wear more than once before washing.
For your Internship:
- Professional-casual attire for 5 days
- Comfortable shoes (but not flip-flops)
- White lab coat (required for internship with Dr. Cuadrado)
- Otherwise no uniform required.
Absolutely don’t forget:
- Your passport (and a copy, packed in a separate place)
- Your WFU laptop
- Your credit cards (and copies of the fronts and backs, packed in a separate place)
- Your airline tickets and itinerary
- Your immigration documents (if applicable)
- Your phone
- Your meds (in original containers)
- Comfortable shoes
- A light coat
Additional Suggestions:
- Slippers (Spaniards don’t walk around the house barefoot)
- A small housewarming-style gift for your host family. Try to pick something that reflects who you are, your interests, or where you are from: this could be a nice set of dishtowels, a candle, candy, some decorative piece, some typical foods that can be transported, etc.
- 1-2 towels that you can use and throw out at the end of the semester and a washcloth or loofah. You can also buy them in Salamanca.
- Enough prescription medication to last for the summer term OR written prescriptions from home physician with chemical name of medications
- An extra pair of contact lenses and your glasses
- If you need them, special hair products and makeup.
- A travel-sized amount of toothpaste, shampoo, etc. for your first few days.
- A money wallet or pouch for carrying cash or traveler’s checks under your clothes.
- A bathing suit (if you like to swim)
Don’t bring:
- Uncomfortable shoes or very delicate clothes
- Anything valuable or irreplaceable
- Electric appliances (hairdryers, straighteners, shavers, etc.) It is best to purchase these in country because of different electrical systems/voltage.
