Erasmus Experience in Alicante, Spain by Nadia

Why did you choose to go to Alicante, Spain?

I chose to go to Alicante because the university there is known to be one of the best in the translation field but it also has some interesting classes you can take on the ADE degree course (Administración y Dirección de Empresas), in other words Business Administration Management, where there are classes on marketing, economics, law, etc. As I'm studying Foreign Languages, I had to take different classes on different degree courses because that degree doesn't exist in Spain. And the fact that it's always great weather in Alicante since it's a city in the south, close to the sea also played a part. For someone who comes from Lorraine, what more could I ask for?

The hand at the University of Alicante, it's the entrance to the campus.

The entrance to the campus

How long did you receive your grant for? How much did you receive a month to help cover the cost of your daily expenses?

I went to Alicante for one semester, from September till January (in January, there are only exams left since the courses finish in December) so I received a grant of 400 euros a month for four months. Of course, you don't get the grant straight away, you have to wait a little. I only received my first instalment at the end of November, so you have to save up before you go, especially at the beginning.

What's the student life like in Alicante?

It's amazing! Everyone is open and the Spanish people are willing to help you whenever you need it. There are lots of parties and activities organised by several organisations at the same time so there's always something to do every day.

Would you recommend the city and the University of Alicante to other students?

For sure! it's a very lively city, you can find almost everything in Alicante. It's quite big yet at the same time, once you know the city you feel at home.

The university is amazing, I highly recommend it for all studies, but especially for those who are interested in translation because the teachers are highly qualified. Mostly, they are professionals who work together in Alicante (if I'm not mistaken, they have their own translation agency and they teach at the same time) so you'll learn a lot from them.

Of course, there's not only translation but plenty of other things too. Have a look at this link to find out about all the courses the University of Alicante has to offer:

Buscador de asignaturas (Course Finder).

There you can find all the courses and their descriptions including what exactly they teach, how you're graded, the teachers... it's very thorough.

What's the food like?

Ahhhh Spanish food... I knew it was going to be delicious and I wasn't disappointed. Amongst the paella, the tapas and plenty of other things. Everything is so delicious.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Alicante?

No, it's not difficult at all! In my case, I chose to live in a residence which was only 5/10 minutes away on foot from the university. In fact, the university isn't in the city of Alicante, but in Sant Vicente del Raspeig, a small city around 25 minutes on the tram from Alicante. There are many halls of residence near the campus, so the choice is yours. I chose Rector 3 and I didn't have any problems during my stay there. If you don't want to live in halls, you have the option of house-sharing. In Spain, there are so many flats available to students, so you'll have many options. You can find them online, but I advise you to go and look at the different places yourself. It's a lot better to see the place in person because you may be disappointed in terms of the photos on the website. Don't worry too much though because you'll easily find somewhere in a few days, it's quick especially if you go at the beginning of September. I have some friends did that and it all worked out well for them.

How much does it cost to live in Alicante?

That really depends on your lifestyle, on the place you've chosen to live in, etc.

In my case, my room in the halls of residence cost me 308 euros a month, plus the deposit which was 299 euros before going to Spain. Of course, they'll give it back at the end of my stay. So for the rest, I would say 300 euros or more for daily expenses, for the food which is cheap, but with all the activities and nights out I did, I spent more. You could of course spend more than that if you decide to go on trips with the ESN for example.

Is the language quite easy to understand? Are there language courses available at the university?

I already had a good base level of Spanish because I do a language degree but at first, it was really difficult to follow because the Spanish speak so quickly and because some had a difficult accent, since some of them are students who come from all over Spain too.

So, at the beginning it was difficult but little by little you start to get used to the speed and your understanding gets better and better by being immersed in a Spanish environment.

Yes, there's a Spanish course for foreigners. The courses are taught at the Centro de Idiomas (language centre) which is in the south of the campus. It's an organisation outside of the university.

Here's a link to the website Centro Superior de Idiomas to give you an idea.

You must know that they teach several different languages there, not only Spanish. The courses are free for Erasmus students, and you only have to buy the books. I took a Spanish course and the books cost me 50 euros. The courses are well taught, you learn quite a lot on the culture, on the Spanish language, it was really great. If you're not an Erasmus student, the courses are really expensive, and I think you pay per semester.

In addition, not only do they teach language courses, but they organise activities to discover more about the Spanish culture with trips, cooking classes and plenty of other activities. You can get a better idea by looking on their website as they put all the activities on their calendar every month.

What's the easiest and cheapest form of transport to use to get to Alicante from your city?

I live in Lorraine and normally the closest airports to me are the ones in Metz and Luxembourg but there are no flights from Metz to Alicante and flights from Luxembourg to Alicante only run in summer.

Therefore, I took the high-speed train to Pairs and I left for Alicante from the Orly airport. For me, that was the easiest way, if you book in advance it's not too expensive.

Where would you recommend going for a night out in Alicante?

The area called El Barrio is one of the busiest places to go on a night out in Alicante. There are plenty of bars and restaurants. You can also meet lots of people there. In Sant Vincente del Raspeig, students really like going to a place called The One.

And for eating out? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Alicante?

I think my favourite place was 100 Montaditos.

It's called Montaditos because of the little sandwiches they serve, there's such a large choice on their menu and it's very cheap. I remember that I often went there on a Wednesday and a Sunday because on those days, practically everything on the menu was 1 euro!

I also really liked going out for tapas in Lizarran and of course, what I loved even more was that fact that you could have food delivered to your house on Just eat Alicante where you can see all the restaurants in Alicante. There's so much choice and the delivery is really quick! I was crazy about the amazing pizzas from Mucho + que pizza and the chicken tikka masala from the Indian restaurant Agra-Ka Taj Mahal.

I highly recommend trying everything you can, Alicante has so many restaurants, you'll find so many near the seafront.

Which cultural places did you visit?

Hmm, there are many places, but I would say that you have to go up to the Santa Barbara Castle in Alicante. You can see the whole city and the sea, it's amazing. Also, at the bottom of the castle, near the El Barrio area, there are lots of picturesque ancient houses with small alleys and paintings on the walls.

There are several museums too, I really like the Volvo Ocean Race museum near the postiguet beach, but my favourite was the Archaeological Museum of Alicante MARQ, I loved the atmosphere.

During the walk up to the Santa Barbara castle

You can see the castle from below, when I was in the part of the town where there were little old houses.

You can see the Volvo Ocean Race museum in this photo.

The paintings on the wall near the old picturesque houses

Do you have any advice to give to students coming to Alicante in the future?

Make the most of all the opportunities which come your way! The beginning may be difficult, but you'll soon get used to Alicante, you're going to love your Erasmus experience and you'll surely go back one day after your stay is over. I'm living proof of that!

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