Summer, sun & surf

On a Year abroad in Gran Canaria - Field report

I am very thankful that I had the opportunity to visit Erasmus.

I can recommend it to any student who is looking for a change from German everyday life and brings some culture, unreservedly. It is best, in my opinion, to do two semesters to have enough time to settle in and enjoy the "everyday life".

Below I'll talk a bit about the stay abroad.

Living in Las Palmas

The largest city from Gran Canaria with 15 kilometres of private city beach, Offers everything your heart desires, from old town with art & culture to libraries, shopping malls and streets, various sports studios, harbour, restaurants, clubs, quiet corners, extensive parks as well as the promenade, the weekly tapas night.

and the Plaza de La Musica, where the weekend is always colourful.

I stayed there at Mesa y Lopez, which is basically the main street where most other Erasmus students live. From my apartment, there were not two minutes to the beach - the perfect rest after a busy day at Unitag.

I lived in a shared apartment with a Spaniard and two other Erasmus students.

My compañeros de Piso (roommates) quickly became family for me, we almost always cooked and ate together, learned and learned customs from each country.

I had the apartment before my arrival, as a friend has also made a semester abroad in Gran Canaria and has forwarded me to the landlord. Students who did not have anything spent the first time in the hostel and then searched locally. This has not been too difficult, as there are many apartments for foreign students in Las Palmas, but not all apartments are in the best condition.

Study at University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

We studied there at the ULPGC, more specifically at the Facultad veterinarian.

This was outside of Las Palmas, about 15 minutes by bus from me to reach.

The always drives along a beautiful coastal road, I'm lost every morning with my eyes in the endless sea. Then I just had to be careful that I did not drive past the stop (which has happened several times), because the bus stop is "in the middle of the pampas", then you first walk over a bridge over the highway and then past greenhouses to the university, Once there you can continue to enjoy the magnificent view of the sea.

The university is beautiful and very modern, the lecture halls are air-conditioned and perfectly equipped. The university offers everything you would expect from a veterinary university, laboratories and research buildings, clinics and stables, as well as good teachers and professionals.

In a semester are much fewer students than ours. The professors are tutored and addressed by the first name, and especially in the internships, we were in small groups, often up to 5 people. So I was always able to ask if I had some understanding questions.

Overall, the system there, even more than ours, is based on internships. There are internships for each subject, which are sometimes really exciting, but sometimes just basic knowledge. These are also lectured with compulsory attendance, which is also checked. In the course of the lecture, we always got a Codigo, which we had to enter the mobile phone into the academic program (which can be thought of as in TiHo-Studies).

Exams take place during the semester but in several parts. A so-called Partial then always includes the latest material.

After the semester then only the non-passed parts had to be made up.

Sometimes it has been difficult to find the equivalent of our timetable right from the beginning, but by and large, the curriculum in Gran Canaria contains the same as ours - just packed differently.

All in all, we had a lot of universities (perhaps even more time consuming than in Germany) and often excursions throughout the day. Often it was quite exhausting - but equally exciting. In an additional course that we did there, Mamiferos Marinos, about marine mammals, we dissected a dolphin and visited Orcas in the Loro Parque of Tenerife.

Life - Country & People

Gran Canaria has so much to offer. It is scenically varied and beautiful: If you are not already a fan of nature, then you will be there at the latest.

For excursions to the highest point of the island or the "landmark" the Roque Nublo is in any case, as well as remote beaches, hiking in the mountains and valleys; Day trips to the north and south of the island.

The south, with the miles of sand dunes of Maspalomas, is the tourist centre of the island and has the advantage that there is the sun all year round.

In the north of the island is natural, with a huge nature reserve and smaller towns, the port of Agaete (from here, the ferries, with which we have visited the other Canary Islands) and highlight the Piscinas Naturales, natural swimming pools and secluded Barrancos so bays who often only know the locals.

The interior also offers a change with smaller villages, rest restaurants, mountain roads and different vegetation.

In addition, the island and the population are very sporty - Las Palmas is one of the surfer capitals worldwide. With a lot of ambition, I also managed to learn surfing in my time there. And there is plenty of physical activity for water-shy as well, from climbing and yoga on the beach to paragliding and slacklines, no one can be boring or lazy there. Neither the Erasmus students, who also regularly meet for sports nights on the beach - that means one finds also fast international friends; about the locals who also have dancing in their blood.

Yes and now to the same, the Canarios: They are a very own people. They are hospitable and helpful and welcome you with much warmth. I felt welcome and safe right from the beginning, even if it was difficult at the beginning with the language (Canary is also different from normal Spanish); No one blamed me for confusing words but laughed and learned with me.

Then the Canaries are also very spirited, like to party a lot and loud, are alive and can be in the doubt say nothing. But I also learned that I can not always take everything seriously, but often get involved in the "in-the-day life".

The life motto is "Let it flow", times are not taken exactly and only made what you feel like - but if you then have friends and trust, then you can rely on them, like the sun in the south.

Zum Abschluss

Even after almost a year I could still enjoy the fact that palm trees line my way to the university and every evening I can do a walk by the sea.

I made friends there, got to know a different kind of study and found a second home, to which I will always return.

The people there and the island right next to Africa have grown so close to my heart and almost a year of sunshine - I do not want to miss the experience.

By Hella Schwegler 2016/2017