58 reviews
4.17 / 5 based on 58 reviews

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0
anonymous
Housing
Type of housing: Apartment/House
Arranged by: Independently - My choice
If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House
Why?
So I won't have to depend on others and to be able to do my own planning
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0
anonymous
Student life
Describe host city:
Students equally interact with the local and student community
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Activities, Travel: Takes place mostly outside the university/student environment
Nightlife: Takes place both within and outside of the university/student environment
Personal social experience
Personal comments
To have a drink with a group you have to go to L'India (an Irish Pub) to hear some R&B and to look at other people you need to step into Clot and to have a nice cocktail with some friends go to Tropic
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3
anonymous
Overall
I wish I had known...
I wish I knew I could extend my stay with another 6 months.
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In my opinion:
Everybody loved it, you will too!
Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important
Personal recommendation
Though it's a small university, it has a large caracter because everybody knows it. The professors and staff are nice and always willing to help you. They love the foreign students. Advantage of a small university: it is much easier for you to get to know lots of people which is the key for this experience
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During my experience abroad, I ...
(1) Never – (4) A lot
Became familiar with another culture
Met people from other countries
Experienced a change in life
Advanced my studies & career
Final comments
Be sure you have good (medical) insurance. If you're staying a year try to get a job it will even more contribute to your experience. Start talking the language immediately it will only get better. Always keep in touch with your own university and your host university in case of problems they can help you much easier. Save enough money before you go because you'll spend more than you normally do.
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1
anonymous
Academic
Course recommendations
Well it was a shame that the spanish courses were of a very low level. I was supposed to improve my grammar and writing skills but all we did was talk. Law and economics were the best courses and at the same level as in Holland which is pretty high.
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My academic experiences
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with international students
Interaction with local students
Personal comments
Well the thing that was striking, was that the Spanish students don't have a mature and professional additude. For example: they don't show any respect when a fellow student is doing a presentation and they don't seem to look at the professor as a professor but as some guy who talks for 2 hours. It annoyed that people studying at a university could behave like children at a kindergarten. Maybe courses on "how to behave professionally or at the workplace" should be introduced.
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My opinion of the university assessment
Exams throughout the course
Essays and/or projects at the end of course
Essays and/or projects throughout the course

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0
anonymous
Languages
Language of instruction: Spanish
Was learning Spanish a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my Spanish
How much did you improve your Spanish?
My level before: Everyday knowledge (shopping, directions, etc.)
My level after: At ease in most situations
Language difficulties
Administrative / Institutional
Personal comments
Though we had a really international group we always spoke in Spanish only when it really got hard we did it in french, german or english. Due to constantly speaking in Spanish I improved, however my French got worse.
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1
anonymous
Expenses
Main source of funding:
Personal savings
Other sources of funding:
Government assistance<br>
An ERASMUS grant
Work opportunities:
I didn't explore any work options
Personal spending habits
Regarding food, telephone and accomodation, I normally don't have a lot of expenses because I live with my parents. Nightlife and travel was definitely more due to the fact that the way of life in Spain is really different than that of Holland. We went out from Thursday to Sunday which I normally don't do. Travelling is obvious, when you have some spare time you'd like to go out and see some more of the country
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Travel, Nightlife, Overall:
was more expensive than at home.
Housing:
was the same price as at home.
Food, Telephone:
was less expensive than at home.
Accessibility of student needs
Second-hand household items
Personal comments
If you're from Europe and you want to call home buy a "Eurocity" telephone card, it gives you 91 minutes for 6 euros. Alternative "people call" but is only 37 minutes for 6 euros.
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