Erasmus experience in Murcia, Spain

Why did you choose to go to Murcia, Spain?

I knew I wanted to be by the sea, so from my university's list of options I looked for all those close to the sea and the south coast, and Murcia was the only one. But with closer research I discovered that Murcia is a small city, with fairly easy links to 2 airports, it's relatively cheap and has a city campus (for those in the "Letras" and "Derecho" departments), which was perfect for me having come from a similar university set-up in England. I also found out that the accent is quite different to the rest of Spain, which I thought was perfect as I wanted a challenge for my language skills.

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

I stayed in Murcia for one semester (4 1/2 months), because I study two languages, but I know lots of people staying there for two semesters (9 months, September-June). I received 225 euros per month which covered my rent.

What is the student lifestyle like in Murcia?

The best I've ever experienced. My social life was fantastic in Murcia, it really welcomes Erasmus/international students, there are Erasmus parties every week and the Erasmus Social Network (ESN Murcia) arranges trips and activities throughout the year.

For my studies I had about 17 hours of classes per week, but other students had more or less, depending on the requirements from their home institutions. There is a wide range of classes you can choose from, the only thing that wasn't available within the University was Spanish as a Foreign Language, but there was a University provided service in which international students could pay for a Spanish course which contributed a certain amount of credits.

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

Definitely. If I could I would go back again next year and stay there! It was the best 4 months of my life and I met some amazing people there.

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What is the food like?

There is a wide range of restaurants in Murcia, from Italian to Mexican to Chinese, but of course the most popular are the tapas bars. Tapas are excellent in Murcia and most places are reasonably priced if not cheap. Fresh fruit and vegetables in Murcia are extremely good, you may notice that a lot of imported food in your home country such as oranges are actually from Murcia. Murcia is also famed for its fish, and the paella there is highly recommended.

There are various markets around the city where you can buy fresh meat, fruit and vegetables. The one by the university is open every day and in many cases the food there is cheaper than in the supermarkets. There are plenty of supermarkets and Corte Inglés offers many international products.

How did you find your accommodation?

I used the Vimur service offered by the University. When I applied, I said on my application that I wanted to use this service. I found it easy enough to use. Once my application was received, I was sent log in details for Vimur, for which I simply went on its website, logged in, and selected from a list of properties which one I preferred. Once I had done this, about a week later I received confirmation of my choice and proceeded to get in touch with my landlady. The University was really helpful with this, as they set up an appointment with the landlady for me, and I went to Spain a couple of days earlier to view the apartment. I was very lucky with my choice as I lived with two Spanish and two Italian girls which greatly helped with my language skills.

What are the accommodation prices like? What are prices like for other things in general?

I paid 210 euros per month and a months rent as deposit. This included all bills except gas and internet. The gas tends to be on a pay as you go system as things that need gas (boiler and stove) run off bottled gas which is replaced when it runs out (each bottle costs about 15 euros).

In general I found prices reasonable, if not cheap:

• On average a cup of coffee is 1 euro, in some places less;
• Bus tickets between the two campuses cost 1, 20 each, to Alicante about 4 euros;
• A liter of milk costs about 0, 80;
• A bottle of beer about 1 or 2 euros, depending where you are buying it.

For an idea of how much you'll spend food shopping, my first shop in Murcia (with a filled up trolley) cost me about 20 euros from Mercadona.

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

For me, yes. If you totally immerse yourself in the culture and surround yourself with everything that is Spanish i. e., watching Spanish tv, reading books, the newspaper, watching films, living with Spanish speaking people, speaking to people around the city, taking Spanish courses (ones which are taught in Spanish), having a part-time job. This way the language will come naturally. My attitude from the start was to only speak Spanish and to avoid English as much as i could.

As for language courses, there is a 2 week intensive course at the start of each semester for new international students, I found this a great way to meet people and even better it's free! There is also a course throughout the semester that you can pay for which will contribute a certain amount of credits. If you don't want to pay for a course, there are various subjects you can take which will help with language skills such as Translation, I found this really useful for improving my grammar and writing skills.

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

Well I live in Birmingham in England, so the easiest, quickest and cheapest method of travel is flying. I've used BMI baby and Ryanair, Ryanair has cheaper flights, but the baggage costs more. I flew to Murcia San Javier airport when I first moved out there, the airport is quite small and you have to take 2 buses in order to get from there to the city, but the bus fares are quite cheap. Or you can fly to Alicante as I did when coming back after Christmas, from Alicante there is a direct bus to Murcia costing about 4 euros and takes about an hour.

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

• My first thought would be Badulake. This is a small club near the University which offers many student and Erasmus offers each week. Badulake's best nights are Tuesdays and Wednesdays where there are free drinks and cheap shots. The music is fairly mainstream here.
• There is also Fleming Doce, this is similar to Badulake, but generally seen as having better music and not quite so many people.
• La Boutique is another good place, more roomy and it opens until later than most places. Although it does cost a lot at the weekends, particularly for boys and you are expected to have decent footwear (no trainers).
• Musik, which is by the bullring, has a different sort of music, less mainstream, but tends to vary between rock, pop, dance and reggae, they often hold gigs here as well. The drinks are a bit more expensive here but it's free entry.
• Sala Revolver is a popular bar, which sometimes holds gigs, it has a similar music style to Musik, but more Spanish music than other places. The beer is highly recommended here (not necessarily for the quality, but the quantity you can get for your money! ).

There are other places out of the city, I would ask around to find out about these once you are in Murcia.

And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Murcia?

I would recommend the tapas bars close to the university, Madre de Dios is a good place, although very popular. The best tapas is in Plaza de las Flores (close to Gran Via), which has many bars, the best in my opinion is Las Mulas.

There are also a couple of good Mexican and Chinese restaurants near La Merced, but i would just walk around the city and check out the menus and see what you think for yourself.

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What good cultural sites are there to visit?

The city's museum is really interesting, a good insight into how the city has developed over the years. There is also the Jesus statue which you'll see if you enter the city from Alicante. You can get a bus up to there and from this site you can see the whole of the city.

There's also the bullring in the city center, where there are bull fights every week.

During the autumn there are many festivals and holidays where you can see street parades and go to street fiestas and markets. Also not far from Murcia is Cartagena, which holds a lot of cultural interest and historical importance.

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

Just to make sure you're organised before you get there, otherwise the first few weeks may be quite difficult, be prepared for the Spanish laid-back attitude!

But most importantly, take every opportunity that Murcia gives you and you'll have a fantastic time!