Jaume I University

A home away from home Castellón de la Plana, unlike any other city I have visited, is a small, quaint city, which to be honest seems like a big village or town.

The City

Over the years, this city has become more and more popular, mostly thanks to the big modern University, which has taken its place at the edge of the city, easily accessible for people who have never visited this place before, or people who travel daily to and from it. And for people who don't own a car? No worries! The university is a 15 minute walk (literally a straight road) from the city's train station, with trains that go in all directions possible, either to the north or to the south of the country, at least 10 times a day, normally with a time "interval" of around 30-50 minutes... and all at cheap affordable prices. Lately, some trains arrive a bit late or not following the schedule because of track-works which are being done to prevent future problems and to extend the timetable. How can you know the timetable? Easy. Just look up "Renfe" in Google, choose your destination and place of origin and you're ready to go. Oh, and if you need to get a bit further, you can book in advance on this website too!

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Moving on to more important aspects of the city and the university, as I've already said, the city is quite a small one, so this means that you can reach places much easier. If you don't own a car or simply choose not to drive around the busy city centre, you can also catch the bus (for only 1, 05€ you can travel wherever you choose), the tram (same price range but less stop-offs) or you can even rent a bike. Castellón may not be the ideal place to ride a bike, but it is a common one, as most students choose this option to get to and from the university, or to go from the university to the city centre, where you can enjoy eating at Spanish restaurants, buying clothes and much more! If you do opt for the bike, then you can visit the site: Bicicas and find out more, such as price range and how to obtain your card (don't worry, it's not far away).

The University

If you're planning to study at the university, you'll probably already have received help from your own university about which subjects to choose, as you'll have to choose ones that are similar to your own back home. If not, the university website has all information about the degrees and subjects you can take, as well as added information about the university.

Personally, I'm really happy about my choice to come here and study. At first I was hesitant, as I wanted to be where my friends were, and to be honest, I had never before visited the city, as it's quite far away from my parent's house, but thank god I did! Since coming here I have found out that with all its new facilities and with the gorgeous campus it has to offer, this university is one of the top three universities in Spain to study many courses, including my own: Translation. The teachers are helpful and fully qualified, the library if full of useful books and computers for you to use, the campus is a fun and happy place to be, with many bars and cafés surrounded by grass and faculties, all classrooms are pretty new, and fully equipped with all the necessary gadgets you should need, and the variety of languages spoken and cultures mixed throughout the university helps it to be a great place to meet new people, speak or learn new languages and more importantly, enjoy!

The food

Typically, most of the food eaten here is Spanish, but don't be scared, it's not much different than what you would eat, I promise! If you don't like anything there'll always be another option (I know this because I'm really fussy myself).

Castellón offers all the same fast-food restaurants that many other countries offer, along with local bars, cafés, supermarkets, etc. So you can change up your menu and treat yourself to try new things and make the most of the Spanish culture, like, for example, the Valencian paella.

The Shopping

Castellón also offers a big shopping centre, situated on the outskirts of the city, but still easily accessible by bus, bike, or even by walking. This offers all the Spanish brands such as Zara, Bershka, Pull & Bear, shops such as Double Agent and Primark, various bars, fast-food restaurants, cafés, a cinema, a supermarket, and many more shops with everything from home products to sportswear.

The Parties

Now for the part you've all been waiting for... the parties!

Yes, the Spanish are well known for living it up all night long, and then sleeping through the day, and Castellón's no exception. Yes, you do have classes in the morning, but that doesn't stop anyone from hanging out with friends, drinking and having fun.

It may not offer a great number of pubs/clubs, but you'll always be served and the entrances if not free, are never too expensive. Drinks can be bought inside, although many opt for drinking before leaving the house (mini house parties), and I can guarantee that you will meet someone new every night you go out, especially if you go to Wallaby's Creek, a pub open from Wednesday to Saturday, which tends to be where most Erasmus choose to spend their nights.

And last but not least, who can forget the parties that make Castellón famous: Paellas & Magdalena:

• Paellas (yes, the name is taken from the food) are fiestas celebrated once a year by the university, where every student comes to campus, and with their class, get to sing and dance and spend the day with the rest of the students. Each class chooses a sentence that represents them (depending on your course) and they print it on a T-shirt that they wear throughout the day. You can choose to either make a paella or take your own food, and then you spend the day with classmates drinking and listening to music (Yes, mostly all of Spanish fiestas consist of eating and drinking).
• Magdalena, which can be translated as muffin or cupcake, is a fiesta celebrated by the whole of the city, usually around February or March, where the whole city comes alive with music all day, every day, food stalls, concerts, festivals, more music, stalls with imported specialities from around the world, parades, fireworks, and just generally, parties. During this period there are no university classes, and you can choose to stay in the city, or to spend the week travelling around Spain.

To sum up

Castellón de la Plana may be small, but you'll never be bored, and you'll always have someone to spend time with and somewhere to go. As the title says, it has become my little home away from home, my friends, classmates and roommates have become my second family, and I'm sure your experience will be no different.

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