Erasmus Experience in Lisbon, Portugal by Joan

Why did you choose to go to Lisbon, Portugal?

Well, honestly my parents are working here that is why I'm here. I'm living here in Portugal for almost 2years already. How time flies so fast.

What is the student lifestyle like in Lisbon?

It depends on how do you manage it. As for me, I go to school at night(18h-23h) and in the morning, I use it to do my projects,presentations, test or just sleep.

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

Yes. Portugal is rich in culture and history. For someone who loves learning new things, Portugal is one of those places.

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

I came from a country where we were colonized by the spanish people. We usually use spanish words in our normal conversation and i think it really helped me a lot when I started to study portuguese. Good knowledge in english is also helpful. Some portuguese words are almost the same in english. If you love to read or really interested in learning languages, it wouldn't be so hard to learn portuguese. Just a bit of dedication and youre off to go.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Lisbon from your city?

I live in cascais and I go to lisbon through train. It is really cheap.

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Lisbon?

I do not go out at night but I heard bairro alto is a good place for people who wants to party. Cascais is nice too during summer. You'll get to enjoy the beach and a few drinks

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

I recommend sintra. This place has different palace and museums which are good way of getting to know portugal. I have never been to coimbra and porto but I think these places are nice too. Just quite from lisbon. You should also visit the cristo rei in the other end of the 25de abril bridge. It is similar to what the rio de janeiro in Brazil has.

Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Lisbon in the future?

Be confident. Explore and dont be afraid to try new things. Try to talk to the locals to learn more things and understand their culture. And most important is to enjoy. Goodluck everyone.