This post comes to us from Ian, from Texas Tech University interning abroad in Barcelona, Spain.
I am currently interning for plastics engineering firm in Barcelona, Spain. A typical day at work usually consists of me working on various tasks that I am assigned. The tasks can range from converting a 3-D design to 2-D and labeling the diagram or simply observing what others do and ask questions. Currently, I am just finishing my research into the effects of different types of steel with different plastics.
In the future, I can see myself in the plastics industry; however, I do not see myself working with the plastic molding industry. The molding industry focuses mainly on mechanical engineering rather than chemical engineering, which I am studying to become. But this does not mean that I am not learning anything useful. In fact, I am learning quite a bit about how mechanical engineers solve problems. I am discovering how to use a common mechanical engineering program, Auto CAD and I am seeing how helpful and easy it is to design 3-D objects.
When I am not working, I occupy some of my spare time by playing chess around the city and visiting the many different sites and monuments Barcelona has to offer. In addition to seeing Barcelona’s history and culture, a group of friends and I are going to travel to Rome on the 20th of July to experience another great city and its sites.
In regards to the host culture, I find that I enjoy it greatly. The experiences I’ve had through my host family have been quite amazing. I feel as though I am more connected to the Spanish culture and it’s like I am a part of the locals. My pre-conceived notions of the host culture were met and I could not be more appreciative to get to understand the Spanish culture this closely.
