top of page
.png){kind=small}
.png)
.png){kind=small}
author
Gaia Giordano
Gaia
Giordano
faculty
Faculty of Humanities
academic year of the stay
2024/2025
Máš otázku? Kontaktuj mě!
.png)
email:
Gaia is available on social networks:
.png){kind=small}
.png)
author
Gaia
faculty
Faculty of Humanities
academic year of the stay
2024/2025
Universitat Pompeu Fabra
traineeship
study stay
short-term mobility
other
How does Gaia rate their stay?
university
city
accommodation
financial demands
about university
What made your university special? What were the facilities where you studied and the university equipment like?
It came to my mind that It is a very good university. Building wise it is very modern and there are many activities held at the campus. The libraries are also an amazing place where to study. It's uniqueness is in its closeness to the sea, you can also spend some time there while studying. The equipments of the room is good, although some of the classroom are quite small.
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about your "adoptive" university? What made it special? What were the premises where you studied and the university facilities like?
Study stay : The timetable is quite different from other universities. Generally each course has 1 lesson of three hours per week. The course management were quite good, but I would have preferred a different approach sometimes, also in the schedule. I am aware that this does not depend on the professor.
What is student life like at university?
There are multiple associations but many are only for catalan speakers.
There are few electives for my specific master but generally they are quite good. There is a very good organisation called Voluntariat Linguistic who organises multiple events.
Did you study in English or in the language of the host country? What language requirements does the university have?
Yes I communicated in English as the language of my master is English, however I have also improved my Spanish as I spoke it when needed.
about the city
What was your impression of the city? How would you describe it? What is interesting to see here?
The city is beautiful and very well organised. It is definitely a cosmopolitan city. Transport are amazing and there are so many cultural activities to do that even a semester will not be enough. I loved the bunkers, it is an amazing spot from which you can admire the sunset.
Sagrada familia is also stunning but there are many tourists around therefore to visit is better early in the morning. There are also many small hills around barcelona to visit, such as El carmel.
about finances
In your experience, how far does the scholarship go? What percentage of your expenses did it cover? What is your opinion on prices in the country in general?
You can get into the city with a scholarship but you will need an external help. The prices are rapidly changing. Especially the rent situation, it is almost impossible to find even a room for less than 500 euro. The scholarship clearly helped me and I am very glad for it, but I believe it will be helpful for other students to increase it a bit more.
Please advise your classmates on how to save money—Where to shop? What services can be used to save money?
TM mobilitat for transport - 45 euro for three monts if you are under 30 years old.
Mercadona/lidl for grocery.
To buy clothes/bags/shoes/winter things there are many vintage shops around the city but Humana is my favorite.
.png)
about accommodation
What type of accommodation did you choose? Would you recommend it to others? If not, what type of accommodation do you think is best based on your experience (dormitory, private apartment, private dormitory, shared room, etc.)?
As accommodation I did choose a private room in a shared house. Yes I would recommend it to others, I would suggest a private room as you will also need your alone time, but having other people in the house is often nice to share dinners or general events.
about experiences
Did you use Erasmus stay to travel around your country/Europe? What are your best travel experiences? What would you not recommend?
Yes, I have traveled to Andorra and Morocco. I recommend both of them as they are beautiful and very close by.
Language and culture: what cultural differences did you notice? How did you cope with the national language? Was it also the language of your studies? Do you feel that your language skills improved during your stay?
I have definitely improved my Spanish. Culturally italians and spanish are quite similar therefore I can actually say that I almost felt at home.
final rating
Why here? What makes this location special? Why would you send your friends to your country/city?
I think doing a study stay abroad is the best experience ever no matter where. However, Barcelona and Pompeu Fabra are the perfect combination for studying but also enjoy life. The sea is very close by and even if you have a bad day, an afternoon at the beach will solve half of your problems.
live-saving tips
If I went again, I would definitely remember to pack...
More winter close, many believe that Barcelona is only sun and warm. I can tell the winter is pretty cold and many houses do not have heater.
Before leaving, I would like to know that...
Nothing in particular.
What surprised me most was that...
The amount of events that the municipality organise. It is incredible.
The hardest thing for me was...
Trying to understand Catalan.
gallery
.png){kind=small}
Did this survey help you? Like it and move it up the list!
1
Rate this survey!
rate this survey
Check out reports from other authors about:
Universitat Pompeu Fabra
More reports from Itálie
bottom of page