The city of Segovia feels like a fairytale, somewhere out of a Disney movie. While many students are moving out of this wonderful small town to continue their university journey in the metropolitan city of Madrid, many prospective students are yet to explore this ancient city.
Stepping out of your house and encountering many of your friends randomly will be one of the first things you notice. Living such a similar lifestyle is not commonly found however Segovia is not an ordinary city, it is filled with students, history, and narrow Spanish streets accompanying the wonders the city has to offer.
Those who are leaving Segovia are filled with melancholy and bittersweet excitement. I, on the other hand, have one more year in this wonderful town, as a member of the only class who gets to experience Segovia for three years — Architecture.
However, I never thought that two years would pass by so suddenly and that saying goodbye to my friends and roommates here would feel so painful. I’ve spent the last weeks in tears helping my friends starting their journey in Madrid pack. I cried while saying goodbye to my roommate of two years while loading the car with her boxes. I attended dinners and parties with the theme of “last functions in Segovia”, and the city I fell in love with quickly felt strange. I found myself hoping to take those two years back, and start it all over again, maybe make even more deep connections with the people surrounding me.
The friendships that are made in this small town are inherently intertwined lives that live within a five-minute distance from each other yet, this will be far away from my reality now. As the moving trucks filled with boxes move to Madrid, Segovia as I know it will forever cease to exist.
So dear new first years,
Enjoy this city to the fullest, since you might not encounter a place that feels so much like home. The bond of your friendships here will be strong, you will find ways to relate with your fellow peers so easily. Far away from your home country and family, you will slowly meet new ones, people with whom you share similar excitements and hardships.
Take advantage of the small city, meet as many people as you can and I promise, it will all happen so very naturally. You will have drinks and tapas with people soaking in the sun in Plaza, in one of the few grocery stores, and even in the Irish line which is a whole other experience I would not like to spoil for you.
Don’t be afraid of going out of your comfort zone, learn from others and make mistakes — trust me, it is the best time for it. I was really surprised when I decided to assume the best of people, and unlike in many big cities, I was almost never wrong.
Grow emotionally here, take control of your mental health, surround yourself with people who bring out the best in you and I promise then, Segovia will feel like a dream. Go on daily walks, and don’t limit yourself to the invisible barriers of what IE students usually experience. Explore not only the entertainment or the cafés but the nature Segovia has to offer. Go to the hills at sunset and dance around freely with your friends.
Cherish your quality time in Segovia, and try listening more. It is truly wonderful how much you can develop yourself by being around so many different cultures and people. Remember that everyone has a different story and you get to be part of it.
Long story short, get excited because this small town has a lot to offer and just might be the best university years of your life.
