45 reviews
4.32 / 5 based on 45 reviews
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1
Daria K
Academic
Course recommendations
You should be prepared that 90% of classes are in Catalan, not Sapanish, so the choice of courses is not that big. If the courses that you'd really like to attend are all in Catalan, you should ask the teacher if it's ok if you learn for the exam only from books, because it would be hard to catch anything from the lecture in a language you don't speak.
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My academic experiences
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with international students
Interaction with local students
Personal comments
I think, that more courses in Spanish or even English would be a good idea.
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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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Daria K
Languages
Language of instruction: Catalan
Was learning Catalan a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my Catalan
How much did you improve your Catalan?
My level before: Did not speak it
My level after: Everyday knowledge (shopping, directions, etc.)
Language difficulties
Administrative / Institutional
Personal comments
The main reason I chose Spain was that I wanted to improve my Spanish, although in Girona(Catalonia) people speak mostly Catalan(Spanish usually when dealing with strangers). In the beginning communicating with local people was difficult, as they don't speak English or their English isn't very good. My Spanish in the beginning was very simple, but it got better with time. The difficulty was that everywhere I could hear Catalan, and Spanish only sometimes. I didn't really try to learn Catalan, so as not to mix it with Spanish, but I also learnt it a bit, mostly reading. In spite of all the difficulties, my level of Spanish improved significantly and I have some basics of Catalan, which I find quite satisfying.
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2
Daria K
Overall
I wish I had known...
In my opinion:
Everybody loved it, you will too!
Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important
Personal recommendation
In terms of academic level Universitat de Girona is said to be among the best in Spain, it offers a big choice of interesting courses. Teachers run classes in quite an interactive way - share their broad knowledge with students, but also let them present their points of view, the distance between teachers and students is smaller - more friendly relations, all the necessary materials are available at the university (libraries). School buildings are equipped well, there are many computer rooms in every building, so students have constant access to Internet. There is a wide range of sport activities students can enroll to. The International Relations Office takes care of foreign students and helps them to solve every problem, there are some student organizations, which make it easier for strangers to integrate with local students.
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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
If you're a holder of Euro<26, or cards of this kind, you can get a discount in many places - for instance travelling by train, bus or entering museums, which a student card doesn't give you. Instead of taking bus to/from school, you can borrow a bike at the university. To improve your language skills and get to know interesting people you can join a special program which consists in regular conversations with a local student, who probably would like to improve his/her English or other language.
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Daria K
Expenses
Main source of funding:
Family
Other sources of funding:
Personal savings<br>
An ERASMUS grant<br>
Other
Work opportunities:
It was not legal for me to work
Personal spending habits
The reason for that were higher prices in all the above mentioned categories.
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Housing, Travel, Overall, Nightlife:
was more expensive than at home.
Food, Telephone:
was the same price as at home.
Accessibility of student needs
Second-hand household items
Personal comments
Rooms in residence hall cost a lot, it's twice that cheaper to rent a flat with other students. It's possible to borrow a bike at the university- a very good way to save on transpot, there are many supermarkets, where prices are quite low, in local newspapers you can find plenty of advertisements offering second-hand items. You can buy tickets for parties or discos at the university in advance - it's much cheaper. The International Relations Office organizes a lot of trips and cultural events, it's always cheaper to take part, than to go on your own.
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2
Daria K
Housing
Type of housing: Apartment/House
Arranged by: Independently - My choice
If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House
Why?
The main advantage of renting an appartment is independence
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Personal comments
The first month after arrival I spent in residence hall, which was totally satisfying, except for the price, which was too high, so I decided to rent a flat with other foreign students. Not only was it cheaper, but much more convenient and comfortable, with perfect location in the centre of the city, very spacious, light, clean, with all the necessary facilities.
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Daria K
Student life
Describe host city:
Students equally interact with the local and student community
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Activities, Travel, Nightlife: Takes place both within and outside of the university/student environment
Personal social experience
Personal comments
There are plenty of places in Girona worth recommendation, in the old part of the city, next to the river you'll find little, cute and cosy cafes(good coffee and delicious croissants are their speciality)e.g. "La Tierra", best restaurants with typical tapas and Mediterranean delicacies. Among night spots my favourites are: "Siddharta" - a kind of bar with a specific atmosphere and "La Via" - a tiny club with good music and nice bartenders,and of course Irish pub! in Girona - "Excalibur" - brilliant, foreign people usually go there.
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