Erasmus Experience in Castellón de la Plana, Spain by Nur

Why did you choose to go to Castellón De la Plana, Spain?

Actually, this place was chosen for me since we already have an agreement between my university and Universitat Jaume I, but I still decided to come here to see how this place and its people were and to learn about their culture.

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

My scholarship is only for around 6 months and I did receive money from my university but obviously, it's not enough to cover the living costs, especially now that our currency is not that good, so to pay for the rest of it I have to use my own money.

What is the student lifestyle like in Castellón De la Plana?

I've noticed that the students here they really like to gather at the park and sit or lie down on the grass while having fun with their friends. That is very nice to see because they are having fun even though it was winter when I arrived. They like to sit outside of the cafe to have their lunch or drinks. They are very nice and they way they dress is fashionable.

Would you recommend the city and the University of Castellón De la Plana to other students?

I would totally recommend this city because I really like the people here. They are very nice and they will totally help you if you're in trouble or if you're lost. And you should come to see the Magdalena Festival, which is the most famous one in Castellón.

What is the food like?

The food is a bit different from my country since I'm from Malaysia and we Asians always eat rice but here they will normally eat pasta, bread or soup. Nevertheless, the food here is quite nice.

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Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Castellón De la Plana?

No, because we searched it online before we moved here so it didn't cost us anything in terms of money. But when it comes to time, sometimes it will take a while for the owner to reply giving you information about the house or room you're asking for.

How much does it cost to live in Castellón De la Plana?

Basically, since I'm living with my other friends, we divided everything like the house rent and the utilities, except for food, which we buy on our own. So I think in a month I spend around 300 or 400€. But it totally depends on how many times you go partying or if you'd like to travel, because the cost will be higher.

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

I'm a language student in my country where I learn Spanish as my major so it's not quite a problem for me to communicate with the people here since I already have the basics. It's just that the Spanish people tend to speak very fast so it's a bit hard to catch what they're saying and I'm still in my learning process so it's a good opportunity for me to learn more about their language. There are language courses available in UJI but you have to check the level of the requirements before you decide to take it because some of them require you to have a high level in the language.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Castellón De la Plana from your city?

The easiest way is by plane to Valencia since Malaysia is very far from Spain. From Valencia to Castellón you can take either a bus or a train. In my case, I prefer the train.

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Castellón De la Plana?

I'm not a party person actually but from what my friends have told me, the famous places for a night out here are Wallabys or Indie Queen.

And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Castellón De la Plana?

One of our favorite places to eat is 100 Montaditos, especially on Wednesdays and Sundays because their food is only 1€. Or you can also go to Black & White.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

So far I've been to places like Peñíscola, Morella, Benicasim, Villarreal and Mas dels Doblons and all of them are very nice.

Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Castellón De la Plana in the future?

My only advice is that it's better if you could learn Spanish before you come here. It's okay if you only know the basic Spanish, at least you can communicate a little bit with the people here and it will be very helpful, especially on the first day when you arrive here. Otherwise it will be a little bit difficult for you to ask for directions or how to get to places because not everyone here can speak English.

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