Erasmus in Murcia!

Why did you choose to go to Murcia, Spain?

Because it was one of the destinations recommended by my tutor so I chose it after gathering some information about the city and the university.

How long does the scholarship last? And how much money do you receive?

My Erasmus scholarship lasted 9 months but I didn't get much from my university.

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How is the student environment in Murcia?

It's quite good, teachers are really helpful to Erasmus students. I preferred it to my university environment. Unlike my teachers back home, here they would instantly reply to emails and were always super keen for a meeting. The only downside is that Erasmus students are not really favoured, depending on the course. Very often, we have to study the same programme as Spanish students but I'm glad, as this way I could follow the course entirely in Spanish and finally learn the language. Most of the lessons in my school back home are in Italian and this doesn't help languages students.

Would you recommend Murcia and its University to other students?

Yes, I would. First of all because thanks to the Erasmus experience. I will always cherish and remember it. Also because it's a really livable city, it's welcoming and kind and people make you feel at home. I personally loved it. Based on my experience, I also found the university really well organised: they take really good care of their students providing them with many computer spaces and personal pages where they can get in touch with their teachers and stay up to date on the course they're following.

The university also organises parties and events to celebrate every Faculty, each month a different one takes place but students from all of the others are welcome to join.

What's more, they work together with ESN to set up many activities for Erasmus students.

How's the food there?

Very tasty, I loved it. Most of the time, we used to cook at home so we ended up eating Italian food but you can find tapas restaurants in every corner of the city. The food is all edible, typical Murcian dishes are pastel de carne which is made out of round puff pastry filled with eggs and meat. Among tapas, there is also zarangollo (really tasty too) and 'hojaldre' (puff pastry with ham and cheese).

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And as in every other part of Spain, here you can find tortillas, paella, sangría and other typical Spanish dishes. The puddings are also terrific: for example, during Easter, they eat a typical Murcian dessert called paparajote; it's made up of dough surrounding a lemon leaf. It's extremely good.

How did you find your accommodation?

I found it through Instituto Hispanico, some kind of agency which not only arranges Spanish language courses, but also helps foreign students find a place to live.

How much does rent generally cost?

I used to pay €200 + all the expenses (electricity, water, gas) but there were people who paid a lot less than me. It's actually probably better to take a look at the city accommodation in person before rushing into renting a house from online. Some of my friends had really good apartments as well, only they were not in the very centre of the city, but this was not a problem since Murcia is not big at all and everything is nearby. And if you have good flatmates you don't need to live downtown. So the only advice I can give you is not to rush finding a flat on the Internet: take a look at them first or make sure you have plenty of pictures and look for some good flatmates. There's really a lot on offer.

What about the language? Have you been taking some lessons?

I had already been studying Spanish and used to speak it a lot since I have many Spanish and South American friends but it's also true you never learn enough of a language until you live where it's spoken. I am happy that this experience allowed me to broaden my knowledge of Spanish language and especially the spoken aspect. I undertook a course organised by the university during my first days there, and then for 3 months at Instituto Hispanico. Unfortunately I didn't manage to get through the first one since during that time I had a lot of bureaucratic stuff to take care of. I quit the second one instead because I didn't feel like spending money to learn little to nothing. Also, because as I said, I think the best way to learn a language is to practice it as much as possible, by listening, reading and talking with friends who speak Spanish as their mother tongue. I wouldn't advise doing this particular paid course because I don't think it will ever live up to your expectations, and you will always find better ones which cost less.

What's the best way to get to Murcia from your town?

My home town is close to Lecce and I study in Turin so getting to Murcia from Lecce was always a bit complicated: from Lecce I had to go to Bari, then take a plane from there to Valencia and finally the bus to Murcia (in order to take the bus you have to take a Metro from Valencia airport to the bus station and the bus takes three hours from there). The other option was to stay in Turin at some friends' place and go from there to Milano (Bergamo) Airport Orio al Serio where I would get on a plane to Alicante and once there, take the bus to Murcia for than €5. I also tried Alicante-Madrid, Madrid-Rome, and then from Rome to my hometown by bus. That time I went with Ibera; I find it to be one of the best Airlines thanks to the fact that you don't have to worry about your luggage weight especially when you have a lot to bring. It's a little bit more expensive but at least you don't risk getting a fine as can happen with Ryanair.

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What are the best places for a night out?

There are so many! Murcia is full of bars. There is every kind of Club and they play every kind of music so everyone is happy.

The top Erasmus club is considered to be the Badulake, where you would usually go often at the beginning of your stay especially to meet people, but you get a bit tired of it after a while. Anyway, people go there with a group of friends to have fun and it doesn't have to be because of the music. Many other pubs can be found next to the cathedral or the university or next to Plaza Europa. When you're out with your Erasmus friends, you will almost certainly end up in one of these, so by in the end you will know them all.

Can you tell us about your favourite places to eat in Murcia?

There are a lot of tapas places that are definitely worth a visit, and you should go for the ones that look traditional so you can taste real Murcian food, but one of my usuals is Lizzarran which is quite cheap.

What about the cultural spots?

Here the Cathedral and the museums are really interesting. As for the rest, there are many nice squares but not any huge important monuments, it is enjoyable in its simplicity.

Furthermore, in the outskirts of Murcia there are a lot of admirable small towns, for example I loved the Fuensanta which being situated on higher ground allows you to take a look at the great panoramic view of the region. The weather is amazing, warm until at least November and it never rains, and when it gets too hot during summer you can visit one of the many close beaches! Also, you shouldn't miss trips and visits organised by ESN, this way, you will get to know Spain and the region better.

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Any advice for the future students in Murcia?

Go go go to Murcia and live life there to the full. Erasmus here is a really enriching experience where you will make good friends and learn Spanish de puta madre! It's a smaller city then Madrid, Barcelona or other well known ones, but this is probably one of its strengths, as it lets you fully live the Erasmus and City life.

Disfrutad achos!