Mobility specification

Country:Spain

Institution:University of Granada

City:Granada

Program:Erasmus+ for study

Activity type:Study

Academic year:2024/2025

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Arts / Department of Romance Languages and Literatures - Spanish

Study level abroad:Bachelor

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

Can you enroll in a course where you can learn the local language?no

Does the university offer enough courses in English?manageable

Are your credits converted?no

Was there anything in the teaching methods that surprised you?I like the methods used by some teachers for example the inclusion of students in the classes and listening to their opinions. Also affected by the fact that spanish students were not afraid to express their opinion contrary to what I usually experience at my faculty.
Something that surprised me negatively was that in portuguese classes which were held twice a week for 2 hours each we did not focus on speaking at all.

In which areas does the university offer support for students with special needs and strive to be inclusive?Support for LGBTQ+ students (e.g., safe spaces, counseling services)
I haven’t noticed

💸Did you have to rob the bank?

Try to take a guess at what your monthly expenditures were:10000 CZK/month

Did you stay in dorms?no

Do you have any tips on how to find private accommodation?Housing Anywhere, Idealista, through friends.

What about unexpected expenses? Did anything surprise you?Not really, everything was quite expected.

Do you have any tips on how to save money?Do not go out every day, that can be expensive. If you want to go to a party check local Erasmus organizations as they might provide you with free entrance when filling out a form. Having online job helps too.
A good tip for travelling is getting the ALSA app and checking the "bonos" for trips where you can get for example 3 tickets for the price of 2 etc..

🗺 Learn the ropes in a new city

How well did you manage to communicate in English?with gestures

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?In Spain I found the best way to travel with ALSA buses. Trains are quite expensive and local regional buses never run on schedule so they are not reliable.

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?Alhambra, nature in the city (the olive gardens), Albaizín, Flamenco show, tapas bars, cathedral, ELvira street with typical arabic specialities, al hammam baths.

What are the must-visit trip destinations?Malaga, Salobreňa (beach), Caminito del Rey, Monachil (hiking), Sevilla, Córdoba...

Share your best experience:One of the best experiences for me was taking Arabic classes in a private language school, as Granada is a city known for its Arabic culture and in Czech republic, there are unfortunately not many options for learning Arabic.
Also, taking a road trip around Andalucía (through Málaga, Ronda, Cádiz, Sevilla, Córdoba) and getting to know the region.
The Erasmus also made me realize how grateful I am for life in CR because in Spain nothing really goes on time and in some cities like Granada and Sevilla the summer heat is quite unbearable.

💅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

Is there anything to watch out for before the trip?The best way to get to Granada is flying to Málaga and then taking a bus from the airport from ALSA which goes straight to Granada (takes around 2 hours). It is good to download the ALSA app because there are many Bonos that help save a lot of money while traveling through Spain.

Can you pay by card?in most places

What not to forget when packing?You can buy anything in Granada.

🥳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?A fusion of the Arabic and Spanish worlds, a lot of travelling, language learning and some education.