Your first three days in Salamanca (neuroscience program)

 Day 1

On Day 1, the Program Directors will pick you up at the Madrid Airport and take you to Salamanca on a shuttle bus with WIFI. To take advantage of this shuttle, your flight needs to land in Madrid more or less before 10:00am. It takes around 1h to 1.30h to pass customs, get your luggage and make your way to Terminal 1 before 11:30am, when the shuttle leaves for Salamanca. If you don’t catch the shuttle, check the information on the next tab on how to get to Salamanca by yourself.

The meeting point for picking you up at the airport is the cafetería Dehesa SANTAMARÍA  in Terminal 1 / floor 0 / Arrivals. There are 4 Terminals at the Madrid airport and several Mahoudrid cafeterias. Make sure that you are at the right one. All terminals are connected with free shuttles. There is free Wi-Fi (Airport Free WiFi Aena) at the airport that you can use to send a Whatsapp message or call the directors if you get lost. To use that WiFi you will need to create an account.

The shuttle from the Madrid airport to Salamanca takes about 2½ hours. When the bus gets to Salamanca, you will be taken to the residence hall. If you are staying with a host family, your family will be waiting for you so that they can meet you and take you to their apartment. You will have some time to have a shower and a very short nap, but remember that to overcome jet-lag it is recommended that you stay awake until evening.

                The time change affects people differently. Some adjust by the next day, while others adjust after several days or a week. Jet Lag may present cold-like symptoms such as headache, nausea, drowsiness, or fever. To counter jet lag, stay hydrated and avoid alcohol and caffeine, avoid afternoon naps, and try going to bed at the proper local time for the first week. lf you travel with a watch, one of the best things to do is set your watch to the local time of your host country as soon as you get on the plane. This will help you acclimate to your new time zone more quickly.

                Later in the afternoon of Day One the group will meet at the Plaza Mayor to have a small walking tour to begin to familiarize you with the center of this beautiful city. Also, you will be invited to a welcome churros with hot chocolate. After this walk you will be free to go back to your residence hall or host family for dinner and a good night's rest.

Day 2

On Day 2 you may sleep in since there is nothing planned for the early part of the day. At about 2pm you will have lunch for the second time at the dorm or with your host family. After lunch, you’ll have time for a short siesta. It’s best not to nap for more than about 20 minutes.

After lunch the directors will meet up with you again at the Plaza Mayor, this time for an orientation tour of important places that you need to be able to locate throughout the rest of the semester. After the tour, there will be a full welcome meeting and information session at the Wake Forest Center to inform you about the main things you will need to know to begin the semester.

After the meeting you will walk home for dinner and another good night's rest.

 Day 3…

On Day 3 the directors will show you the path to get to the Institute for Neuroscience of Castilla y León (INCyL) Your semester classes in Salamanca will take place in this amazing modern building. Right there you will be informed about the classrooms, printer, access doors, labs… and you will receive the books for the courses.

Also during day 3 & 4 the program has planned several activities in the afternoon for you: guided tours of the city, visits to some museums, etc. The program will also hold a welcome dinner during one of these two days where you will be able to taste some of the typical foods of the region. You will be informed of all these activities ahead of time by email or Whatsapp.

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