A unique and unforgettable experience

Why did you choose to go to Lisbon, Portugal?

I opted for Lisbon purely because of the university I would be going to there. I study nursing and I would be spending almost the whole year getting practical experience in a hospital. This is something very attractive for us nursing students.

The decision was between Italy and Portugal, and I think I had originally decided on Italy due to its climate, lifestyle and I'd heard that it's very beautiful there. In the end, a friend and me decided we would both go to Lisbon and even on my very first day there, I knew I'd made a very good decision.

How long did your scholarship last? How much were you paid?

My scholarship lasted for 9 or 10 months - I'm not actually sure which anymore. I spent basically the whole year there since I couldn't receive my degree in Spain due to 'bureaucratic' issues, so I made the most of this and spent almost the whole summer there, enjoying the climate and the little beach.

What's the student life like in Lisbon?

I wasn't based on the university campus, as my university was a private one and was located in a town around 15 minutes from Lisbon. I had to get the city train there every day, but it wasn't really a problem, as there are good public transport links.

Luckily I made some really good friends, and so I felt just like I had at the University of Extremadura even on my first day.

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

It was a unique and unforgettable experience, and I would recommend everyone to try it and let the academic year fly by.

What's the food like in Lisbon?

A few times, friends' families invited us to eat at their houses at weekends. The food was delicious, but you don't say 'delicioso (delicious in Spanish)' there, since it's a false friend and actually means 'malíssmo (really bad)'!

Did you find it hard to find somewhere to live in Lisbon?

This is a bit of a tense subject between my friend and I. Since we're quite chilled out people, we decided to start looking for a flat at the end of the summer, but then suddenly it was time to set off for Lisbon and we still hadn't found anything in the city centre. We started off living right next to the university in a very 'cute' flat and ended up living in the middle of 'Rua Augusta', right in the city centre where millions of tourists charge past every day and the electrics woke me every morning at 6am to go to university or to the hospital - I didn't need an alarm clock! Haha. If I heard it on my days off, I just turned over and went back to sleep.

It's a tense subject because before we found 'our house', we changed flats three times...!

How expensive is everyday life in Lisbon?

I paid 350 euros for a room in the city centre in a flat shared with three other girls. Whether you find life here expensive or not depends on you as an individual, I think. For students who usually rely on their parents to give them money, it might be necessary to cut back on certain things to be able to enjoy others properly.

How are you finding the language? Have you signed up to a course at the university?

I went to Lisbon without knowing a word of Portuguese. My task from my first day onwards was to learn it and to practise my English, since it's a very cosmopolitan city and there ended up being plenty of opportunities to speak both languages. The only language course I did was free, since a friend of mine gave me a CD for learning some grammar and vocabulary at home. I learned some at university, from listening, taking an interest in learning and always having a dictionary in my hand!

What's the cheapest way of getting to Lisbon from your home city?

There's an overnight train from Cáceres to Lisbon, which costs 30 euros.

What are the best places for partying in Lisbon?

I love the Bairro Alto. There are some really cool clubs there such as Urban Beach, Lux (very expensive) and Las Docas. The best thing about Lisbon is that there are lots of different clubbing scenes and you can go wherever takes your fancy. People usually start their nights drinking somewhere with a nice view in the city.

What about eating out in Lisbon? What are your favourite places?

Chapito - cheap, and sometimes has a show on!

What does Lisbon have to offer in terms of culture?

There's lots to see. Sintra is very close by.

Do you have any advice for future students coming to Lisbon?

My advice is to come on an Erasmus exchange to the university. That way, you get a discount on the public transport (the metro, city train and bus). Get to know the city and everywhere you can in the country.

Use the Facebook pages for Lisbon Erasmus students online to meet up with other Spaniards and people who are also doing their exchanges there. It's very useful, and helps you to meet people quickly.

Aproveita tudos e cada um de teus dias Erasmus.;)

('Enjoy each and every one of your days as an Erasmus student' in Portuguese)