Erasmus Experience in Porto, Portugal by Aranzazu

Why did you choose to go to Porto, Portugal?

Honestly, I chose Porto as my last option. It was the first time that my university had done an exchange with this city, and as I wanted to go on an Erasmus experience, I decided to apply to go there, thinking that, since it wasn't very well-known and how nearby it was, not many people would apply to go there.

Fortunately, they gave me the option to go to Porto. It was disappointing in the beginning, because I was more attracted to going to northern Europe. But after living there for a year, I'm very happy that I got Porto for my Erasmus destination.

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

I got my grant to do a a final course project meaning, it lasted for 6 months of my stay, from September to February. When February came and I passed my project, I was so in love with the city that I applied for the Erasmus internship grant, and, in less than a month, I was in an architecture studio on an internship until August.

I got €150 a month on the studying grant, but you don't get paid monthly. And on the internship grant, they gave me €900, €300 a month, because the maximum amount that they give you for the internship grant is €300.

What is the student lifestyle like in Porto?

Porto is one of the cities with the most student life in Portugal. In general, Portugal has a lot of university life. At the universities, you have Caloiros, who are the first year students and the Finalistas, who are the final year students who are going to graduate.

During the year, there are loads of events for university students, and during the month of May, the city is put on pause for a week to celebrate the caloiros who aren't freshers anymore, and that the final year students are finishing their degree.

It's actually spectacular for people from Spain for from other countries to see the display they put on in honour of the university students.

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

Without a doubt I'd recommend it. Personally, I think that it's a very comfortable city to live in. The city's people are very attentive and they help you with a lot of things.

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What is the food like?

The food here is very similar to Spanish food, it's mediterranean food. The food is very intricate and very tasty in a very diverse way.

Was it difficult to find accommodation in Porto?

It wasn't hard at all to find accommodation. There are a lot of elaborada rooms and apartments available for students to rent. And some are only available to Erasmus students.

Also, some universities, like the Porto Polytechnic, will give you some help to find some accommodation, which you'll usually share with other Erasmus students, who normally go to the same university as you.

How much does it cost to live in Porto?

Living there is affordable, the cost varies between €500 and €600 a month. In some cases, depending on the house you live in, you can end up spending less.

Housing there normally costs between €150 and €250 a month. Public transport, as an Erasmus student, usually costs €27 a month. And food and going out partying is pretty cheap.

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

The language is relatively easy. I went on a course beforehand for 15 days and it helped me out a lot. Then there are a lot of academies in Porto to do courses at, and the universities themselves offer courses you can go on.

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

I'm from Madrid and the cheapest way to get here is a flight from Madrid to Porto with Ryanair.

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

There are lots of places to go out partying. I'd recommend Adega Leonor, it's a very small bar, but it sells beers for 50 cents and it's a meeting place for all the Erasmus students. People normally go there before going out partying.

There's also 77, which is a bar that that has beers from Super Bock for 50 cents too, and people normally go there to watch football matches, because they show the Spanish league on the TV.

When it's time to go out partying, there are several areas:

The old town: there's the Paris Galleries, which are three streets that have a lot of bars throughout; Boulevard and Picht are clubs where lots of Erasmus parties are held.

Eskada is a club with a lot more Portuguese people, same with Twins.

All of these places are good, at any rate there's a group in Porto: ESN Porto, that sends you emails with parties and programmes for Erasmus students.

And for eating in Porto? What are some of your favourite places to go?

To eat in Porto, there are a lot of steakhouses.

My favourite is the port area in Porto, in Matosinhos, it's an area with a lot of traditional restaurants, that serve typical Portuguese food.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

As for a cultural visit, you can't miss:

• Aliados: Porto's central square
• Baixa: is the whole of the area next to the Douro river, you can see all of the bridges that cross over the river, some of them, like the Luis I bridge, have interesting histories.
• Bolsa Palace: it's impressive to see the inside of the building.
• Clerigos Church Tower: you have to pay 2 euros to go up the tower, but you can learn about the history of the tower.
• Palácio de Cristal: it has some gardens and some incredible views of the Ribeira del Duero.

There are some of the unmissable places.

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

My advice is to enjoy the experience that your Erasmus exchange will offer you, get to know people from other countries that are on Erasmus as well, but don't forget to get involved in Portuguese life, try to meet Portuguese people and explore their culture and customs.

Aside from this, knowing Portuguese people will help you to speak the language a lot and you'll be able to learn it much faster.