Erasmus Experience in Murcia, Spain by Wendy

Why did you choose to go to Murcia, Spain?

I had so much choice of different Eramsus destinations in Spain that I had to make a decision and I didn't want to go to a huge city like Madrid or a really touristic city such as Barcelona, so I choice to go to Andalusia and Murcia due to their geographic location, the fact that you don't have to learn Catalan, and for the surroundings and the climate too.

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How long was your stay? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

I only went there for the second semester, so for more or less 6 moths, and I had the total of 4 grants (Erasmus, Crous, AMI and Mermoz) which was 5, 700 euros for my whole Erasmus stay, and I had about 1, 000 euros left on my return to France.

What is the student lifestyle like in Murcia?

The atmosphere is exactly like what I thought it would be, the students here organise outings, nights out, meet ups, so all the Erasmus students end up knowing each other, it's impossible to go and do your food shop without seeing a friend on the street.

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

Of course! I didn't know anything about Murcia before coming here, only it's name and to be honest that it's a crazy town, region and university!

What do you think of the food?

If you like fish, sea food and meat, Spain is the place for you! However, if you like French desserts, then that is not Spain's strong point, but the food is great!

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Murcia?

No, there's a facebook page for house shares in Murcia.

How much does it cost to live in Murcia?

It's a lot cheaper than in France, hotels, clothes, food - basically everything is cheaper!

Is it easy to get to grips with the language? Did you attend a university language course?

I didn't do a language course even though I could have, I was just too lazy to go and to be honest advice for practicing and and learning or improving your skills quickly is to live with strangers - it's the best method!

What is the cheapest way to get to Murcia from your city?

I come from the North of France so the quickest way is to go by plane, and it is around about the same price as going by train.

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

Murcia is a student town, when you go out in the evening there are bars and clubs everywhere, there's choice for everybody.

What's it like to eat out in Murcia? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

The tapas bars are just amazing and there are a lot f them, and they are very practical, good quality and not expensive, but the resturant mano a mano is the best Italian in the whole of Murcia (this is verified by Italians and espicially those who come from Naples, which is where pizza originates from).

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Do you have any recommendations for cultural attractions to visit?

The city centre, the Cathedral, the museums, all the architechture is beautiful, the Segura river...

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

If you are shy like me, leave your shyness at home before coming here, when you arrive no-one knows anyone to judge you, and if you are bad at Spanish, there is no problem with speaking English, if you go to the Erasmus meet ups you will meet French people you will have a base from which you can meet other people later, you will master the language from going out, listening to the Spanish people talk, and practicing. Don't worry, the Murcian people are very patient, if you take 3 hours to put together a simple sentence, they will help you! The best advice that I can give you is to make the most of the celebrations and traditions in Murcia, they are very attatched to their culture, and it is a beautiful thing to see and to experience!

If you have any questions I am also on Facebook: Wemdy Letellier Don't hesitate to ask me. I know that everyone has lots of questions before coming, I had a lot, and to be honest I don't regrette leaving, I don't even want to go back to France.

My last peice of very important advbice is to not look for accomodation via the website VIMUR, it's a scam!