Erasmus experience in Nottingham, United Kingdom by Marta

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Why did you choose to go to Nottingham, United Kingdom?

I was sure that I wanted to go to United Kingdom for the language and Nottingham was my second choice, mainly due to it's location. Its location allowed you to get to most places in the country within a few hours.

How long was the scholarship? How much money did you receive as financial support?

My scholarship was for one year, but I reduced it to 5 months. I received €300 a month for five months, €1500 in total.

What is student life like in Nottingham?

Full of it. I say this because the city is practically full of students. Cooking shops and bed shops are without stock for the first few days of term because the students have all gone to buy things there. There is a good student atmosphere everywhere that you go there. In the shops there are always student discounts and every day tickets for parties and clubs are being sold, it is very easy to go to one.

In the University of Nottingham the timetables are very free; in my case, I barely had more than 2 hours of uni each day and I did not have class every day. It is, however, certain that you are going to have to do a lot of homework and reading every week, but this is a routine that you will get used to and like many people you will need to submit work half way through the year which is worth nearly half of the grade, and after the exam. You have a month holiday every two months so you can prepare for your exams. So, in this sense, it is very well organised.

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Would you recommend the city and the university of Nottingham to other students?

It is not a bad place to live, but as an Erasmus student, it is not the best. The 'Erasmus atmosphere' that you can find in other cities does not exist here. If you come, you will spend a year and it will only be in English. It is not especially exciting.

What is the food like in England?

In my case, I cooked at home, so I did not really go out enough to know. However, I do know that the United Kingdom doesn't really have any 'traditional' dishes, as such. If you are going to go out for food you are going to eat food from other cultures: Indian, Turkish, Italian and Spanish.

Also, I spent a month living in halls where the food was provided. To tell you the truth, it was pretty tasteless or it was extremely spicy, "to give it flavour". Also, the schedule for the dining hall was horrible! Because if you eat dinner at 5. 30, then eating it at 7 in the UK is very late.

Was it difficult to find accommodation in Nottingham?

No, I did it through the university.

How much does it cost to live in Nottingham?

It is cheaper than big cities like Madrid but people who come from Badajoz or Seville, for example, will find it more expensive. The accommodation is normally around 400 sterling pounds a month, less if you share a private flat but you will need to meet people to do this. As for the food, you need to be careful with the supermarkets you go to. Sainsbury and SPAR are expensive but others like Tesco and Lidl are good. Asda is the cheapest but there is only one.

In terms of transport, the good thing about UoN is that they offer free buses between the university campuses. On top of this, most of the bus lines have a student price and it costs 1 sterling pound to travel. Mind you, at night it costs 3. 50 sterling pounds, therefore, it is cheaper to get a taxi with a few other people.

What about the language? Did you enrol in a language course at the university?

If you come from Spain, many of you will probably think that you are used to the English accent, but the English accent is very different to the American accent that you hear on series and in films, which is much clearer. You are going to find that people talk in a very relaxed way and this means that you are not going to understand anything at first. You are going to ask yourself where your C1 level has gone and it will hurt your head at first. However, I recommend that you ask your friends whether you have improved because although it might seem that you speak English badly, you will continue to understand it and in reality you will improve a lot. I went to a Social Conversation course in the university but I left it because it wasn't that great; if you have a level the best thing to do is to speak in class.

What is the cheapest way to travel to Nottingham from your city?

From Madrid, it depends on the dates. In Christmas and Easter and holiday periods, the prices go up a lot so I flew with Ryanair. However, during term time I flew with Iberia Express as they offer very cheap prices to Birmingham. Normally, I check Birmingham, Manchester and London and then select the cheapest flight. Then, once in England, I take a train or a bus that usually costs the same from all of the places I mentioned.

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Which places do you recommend for partying in Nottingham?

It depends a lot on the type of music that you like. If you are more 'rock', Rock city on a Wednesday, the night is called Crisis. Volt also has good music. Ocean and PomPom are more 'pop'. If you are looking for something more Latino, then the Casino or in the basement of The Lacehouse.

What about food in Nottingham? Can you list your favourite places?

The truth is that eating out is not worth it... eat at home.

What about cultural visits?

Nottingham Castle is good but there is not much there. Also, the ticket is valid for the whole year so you should buy one and use it. You have to go to Woolaton Park because Wayne Manor from Batman is there. Sherwood Forest. The majority of places are emblematic of what they represent, but they are not particularly pretty.

Any advice for future students in Nottingham?

Join Facebook groups like CityLife Nottingham or VIVA, they organise lots of activities for Erasmus students and you will fill your week up, more or less. Don't be shy and although on your first night you are not going to be able to communicate much - usually places are full of people and it is difficult to speak - keep going because I am sure that you will find someone to speak with. At the end of the day, the only other option is sitting at home.

Also, I recommend that you participate in the Tandem programme with the university. Nearly all of the universities have them, UoN does too. They pair you with a native speaker who wants to learn your language and you exchange your languages, usually selecting a day of the week to speak half of the time in English and the other half in Spanish. Not only will you practice but you will also be in a relaxed environment and you might even make a good friend as well as have good conversations.