FINALLY! You may have been holding your breath for the past couple of months since being allocated your region, and now you've been assigned your school. There are a few things that you need to do once you've been placed.
1. Google search!
Don’t be fooled by the written address of your school. I had little knowledge of the HUGE size of some Spanish provinces and thought I was placed in Cádiz the city… before I Google Mapped it. In fact, I was placed in a small town on the outskirts of the province of Cadiz, in the mountains. It's also a good time to see what type of school you'll be working in and any news on the school's website.
2. Don’t panic
Is your school in the middle of nowhere? Have you been placed hours away from the dreamy shores of the Costa del Sol? You know that the area you wanted to be placed wasn’t guaranteed, but that knowledge doesn’t help so much in the moment. You. Will. Be. Fine. If you’ve been allocated a school, chances are that they’ve had multiple english language assistants over the years. Hopefully you can get in touch with past assistants using social media for tips on living in the area.
3. Contact your co-ordinator
The co-ordinator of your school (your mum for the year) is the person who will be helping you to get settled in the town and the school. Contacting them the moment you’ve received your placement will place you on a good footing with them, as they’ll be your first port of call if you’re struggling. Spanish schools break up for the holidays around June/July, so the sooner you contact them, the better. You’ll also likely be told that you’re the new language assistant before the school has been informed, so it’s unlikely they’ll reach out to you first.
4. Connect with other language assistants
Facebook groups are a great tool to locate language assistants near you. If you are placed in a rural area, you may want to meet up with someone in the same situation as you. It’s also great to have a contact throughout the year to help with recommendations for things to do in the area, such as hiking spots, the best bakeries and coolest bars.
5. Get planning
What’s the local transport network like? Will you be driving? Bear in mind any new driving legislation following the UK’s departure from the European Union. If you’re looking to travel on your year abroad then see what cities are nearby. Spain’s rail network is pretty good, with high-speed lines going to Madrid from other Spanish cities. Now is also the time to book your outbound flight. I recommend checking out British Airways as they offer flexible fares in case you need to change your flight date last minute due to visa delays
It’s an exciting time! You probably have lots of paperwork to do now, but once the long slog of the visa process is completed you can let loose on all of Spain’s cultural offerings. Hasta pronto!