Mobility specification

Country:Spain

Institution:University of Valencia

City:Valencia

Program:Erasmus+ for study

Activity type:Study

Academic year:2024/2025

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Pharmacy

Study level abroad:Master

🎓Hit the books! How do you rate the university experience?

Can you enroll in a course where you can learn the local language?yes

Does the university offer enough courses in English?manageable

Are your credits converted?yes

Can you give an example?Most of the courses at UV had, for example, 4.5 credits - at MUNI they were then recognised as 5 credits.

Was there anything in the teaching methods that surprised you?I was surprised by the duration of the classes - most of the classes (seminars/lectures) lasted less than an hour, never longer. The administrative organisation (when dealing with any paperwork regarding the course etc.) everything was chaotic, often no one answered my emails and everything also took an awful long time. It also often happened that the course offered in English was not taught at all - only in Spanish, but on the other hand at least the exam could be in English afterwards.

Does the university offer international students' programs and activities outside of lectures and seminars to help them integrate more quickly?At the beginning of the semester, we received an email inviting us to the first "get acquainted" day, but unfortunately I didn't attend due to time constraints. However, I did not notice any other activities during the semester.

In which areas does the university offer support for students with special needs and strive to be inclusive?I haven’t noticed

💸Did you have to rob the bank?

Try to take a guess at what your monthly expenditures were:16000 CZK/month

Did you stay in dorms?no

Do you have any tips on how to find private accommodation?I found the accommodation through a Facebook page, however, there were a lot of scams. A lot of students were also looking for accommodation through spot home or idealist.

Do you have any tips on how to save money?There are many Erasmus groups in Valencia where there are various discounts. Whether it's free entry to parties or discounted admission to various attractions such as the Oceanographic.

🗺 Learn the ropes in a new city

How well did you manage to communicate in English?neutral

How does public transport work in the city?I've seen better

And what about transport outside the city?I've seen better

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?Everything works best here via Google maps, except for the buses. For buses, their EMT app is better, although sometimes the times don't match here either :D

Did you deal with any health issues during your stay?no

🤠Help create the perfect bucket list

What is a must-see in the city?City center, Ciudad de les Artes y Ciencias, el Miguelete, Torres de serano, Russafa district, Mercado central, the district known for its street art El Carmen, Jardín del Turía, Oceánographic, La lonja de la Seda, Plaza de Ayuntamiento, Bioparc, l´Umbracle.

What are the must-visit trip destinations?Albufera lake, Montanejos, Alicante, Guadelest, Chulilla, Granadella, Altea, Madrid (2 hours by train).

Share your best experience:Las Fallas celebrations! Las Fallas, the feast day in honour of St Joseph, is celebrated in Valencia during March and is an absolutely unforgettable experience. The biggest events take place between the 15th and 19th of March, every day at 2pm and midnight there are fireworks, the city is full of people, music, lights, children throwing firecrackers in the streets and most importantly huge paper statues called Fallas, the statues look like huge caricatures and are placed all over the streets of Valencia. At the end of these festivities, all these statues are then burnt down, called La Cremá. The atmosphere was incredible - a real experience that I will remember forever!

💅A nugget of wisdom to make the life easier

Did you need to handle a visa?no

How did you get to the place?Plane

Can you pay by card?everywhere

What not to forget when packing?I was surprised at how cold it was in Spain in February, because they don't have radiators in the apartments! So I would definitely pack more warm clothes to take with me.

🥳Summary

Whew, what a ride! 😮‍💨 Thanks so much for taking the time to complete our survey and for sharing your unique experience. Just one last thing. 🙏 How would you summarize your trip in one or two sentences?I would go to Erasmus in Valencia again in a heartbeat! Great people, sea, sun. Just need to get used to the Spanish mañana!