Erasmus Experience in Belfast, UK

Why did you choose to go to Belfast, UK?

Because I wanted a place that allowed me to improve my English, and Ireland is a country that I really like.

How long does the scholarship last? How much financial help go you receive?

The scholarship is Erasmus, which in my case was for 3 months, but I stayed for 4 to do more subjects. It is €300 a month.

What is the student scene like in Belfast?

Belfast is quite a small city but Queens'University is huge, and it has so many students, as many Erasmus as international. There is a great atmosphere and many events.

Would you recommend the city and the university of Belfast to other students?

The city; yes, the university; it depends. In my case, the medicine career is very difficult to accept. They have a completely different plan than in Spain and I don't even know if they are going to accept all of my subjects. Although despite that, the way they teach the classes is really interactive, and the practicals are much more interesting and thorough than in Spain. They even send you to do lots of things.

What is the country's food like?

What I like most about the local food are the sweets and the desserts. One of the best things you can do here is, after getting up late one Saturday or Sunday, making a brunch, a mix of breakfast and lunch.

For eating out in many places they have combos of soup and a sandwich which I personally like.

For going out drinking, the normal thing here is going to pubs and drinking "cider" (a type of sidra) or any type of beer.

Did finding accommodation in Belfast cost you much effort?

It didn't cost anything finding it, but they moaned at me for staying exactly within the dates it was (end of August- mid December). The student residences are very good.

How much does living in Belfast cost?

It's more expensive than Spain, but not much more. There are also cheaper things, (like the cinema) and they have discounts for students in quite a lot of places, even in clothes shops.

What is the language like? Did you go to some class at the university?

Even though I thought I had a good level of English before coming, it was hard adapting to the language because they have a very strong accent, and certain words and their own local expressions. But you get used to the sound and start understanding everything.

Tip; apply the "wee" to everything. Like it doesn't surprise you someone asks you for "a wee pen" or to take "a wee seat". It's like "little" but they use it for everything.

What is the cheapest way of getting to Belfast from your city?

From Oviedo, the most comfortable and practical way is flying to London and from there to Belfast. But if you live in a city that has a direct flight to Dublin, the cheapest and fastest way would without a doubt be flying there and catching a bus from the airport, which takes 2 and a half hours and costs £8. Few airports in Spain have direct flights to Belfast.

What places would you recommend for partying in Belfast?

There are two areas, one is closer to the university, where more students go out (Mandella hall, Filthy McNasty's, Parlour... ) are some names of clubs and bars there. And the Cathedral quarter area, near the cathedral, where there are better pubs, and where every type of person goes (the most famous here is the Duke of York. A club I really like in particular is Limelight.

And what about eating out in Belfast? Can you tell me your favourite places?

There are loads of food places from different countries. For me I like Indian food, and for that type of food I would recommend India Gate. For food from here, quite a "fancy" that I also really like is Made in Belfast. Another thing that I like about here is brunch, the place I recommend is Maggie Mays.

St George's Market, is a market that opens in the morning at the weekend and has every type of food. It's very good there for going out for breakfast because it has many foods and variety.

And how is it to visit culturally?

The Ulster Museum in Botanic Gardens is very good, City Hall, the murals (it's worth doing the "Black taxi tour", where a taxi brings you to the murals and the emblematic sites of the conflicts that were in Belfast and it explains everything to you), the Titanic museum isn't worth it in my opinion, for students it costs £14 and it's not amazing either. Going to see Belfast Castle, which is on the outskirts and climbing Cavehill (also known as Napoleon's Nose) is something to do all day that's really worth it.

I also recommend travelling around Northern Ireland, where many scenes from Game of Thrones were recorded, and visiting the Giant's Causeway make a trip that way, it has some cliffs and some spectacular landscapes. Go to Derry, a small town where the famous "Bloody Sunday" happened and it also has a lot of culture and history. Take advantage of making an escape down to Dublin some weekend.

For those who like surfing, Portrush is a town north of Belfast that has a beach and usually has good waves. They rent all the material there.

Some advice that you want to give to future students in Belfast?

For athletes, the university's Physical Education Centre is very good, you pay £15 a month and it has a pool, gym, and you can even put your name down for any sport team. Careful with not adapting to the hours here because almost everything closes at 5pm (shops, museums, parks etc).

At the beginning of September, there is a fair in the Student's Union, called Fresher's Fair, where lots of student societies and teams of all kinds have stands, and you can join the ones you want. Stopping by is highly recommended.