An erasmus year in Barcelona

Why did you choose to go to Barcelona, Spain?

I choose Barcelona as one of my possible destination for the erasmus because I really wanted to learn spanish and live in big city, but at the same time I was looking for the chance to study in a university of high quality with a plan of studies as much as possible similar to mine.

How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

My scholarship was for six months, but then I had the chance to extend it and spend the whole academic year in Spain. It wasn't very high, but more or less I could always pay my rent with it, so that my family only needed to help me with living costs.

What is the student lifestyle like in Barcelona?

Well, it depends a lot on what you are looking for. Barcelona is a city with a lot of students, so there are many chances to meet new people (especially erasmus) and have much fun. But at the same time the level of teaching in universities is very good and you have to study very much and constantly to keep up with classes.
From my experience, I can tell that I studied and learned a lot, but at the same time I made new friends and really had good time.

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

For sure, it's a great city to go if you want to make an experience abroad. There are also many universities, so there's a good chance you can find the faculty right for you.

What is the food like?

Spanish food is based on mediterranean diet: this means fruit, vegetables, olive oil, good wine and obviuosly -since Barcelona is close to the sea- fish. The city is big and you can find whatever kind of food you prefer, but I recommend to try tapas at least once during your stay.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Barcelona?

At the beginning it was quite difficult, because I didn't really know where to search or which solution could be better for me. Some universities have their own student residences (for which you can apply in advance), but this wasn't my case, so at the end I started looking for a sharing flat and I found the one I lived in for the whole year through a student agency.

How much does it cost to live in Barcelona?

Again, it depends a lot on your lifestyle. In general, i think that Barcelona is not a very expensive city: going out for dinner in a restaurant can cost around 15 euro, bars are usually quite cheap and if you want to visit museums or cultural sites, you can usually find discount for students or take advantage of the many events in the city and visit them for free.

Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the University?

Being italian, spanish was not very difficult to learn... more or less I could always understand what they were talking about and this was very helpful, especially at the beginning. When I arrived at the hosting university, they offered me information about spanish classes in some schools where they had special prizes for students.

Although you won't have problems speaking in spanish, it is important to know that many people in Barcelona speak catalan and this happens also at university: you may have classes in catalan, so If it's possible I recommend to look if there are language courses available for it. For example, my hosting university offered a free catalan course before the beginning of classes.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Barcelona from your city?

For me the easiest and most economical way was always airplane. There are a lot of flights from Rome to Barcelona (and backwards), so if I booked them in advance I could always find good deals.

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Barcelona?

I'm not very much into clubbing, so what I recommend is to go have dinner or something to drink in one of the many bars/ restaurants in Born, Eixample or Raval.

And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Barcelona?

As I said, you can eat whatever kind of food you prefer in Barcelona, but for me you can't leave without having tasted some really good tapas at "La Flauta" ( c/ aribau, 23) and "Cerveceria Catalana" (c/ mallorca, 236) or some delicious seafood at "La paradeta" (c/ comercial, 7). If you like burgers, you must try one at "Bacoa" (c/ Colomines, 2) or "Kiosko" (Marquès de L’Argentera 1) and if you're looking for a nice sunday brunch stop at "Brunch and Cake" (c/ Enric Granados 19).

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Barcelona is the capital of modernism so (especially if you're an architecture student like me), it is kind of a duty to visit some of the Gaudì buildings and Park Guell. Beside that, what I recommend is to get lost in the streets of Barrio Gotico, go for a walk in Montjuic (go visit the castle!) and -most of all- see a great view of the city from the Bunker del Carmel.

Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Barcelona in the future?

Enjoy your time there. Barcelona is a wonderful city to live in and if you open up to it, it really won't disappoint you.