Preparations
While searching the Internet, I came across your website, the site of which I found very appealing . It was clear to me that I wanted to study in a warm place by the sea. I heard very often from friends who have already been to Barcelona that Barcelona is “the greatest city of all”. When I arrived in Barcelona, I noticed very quickly how breathtakingly beautiful this city is . But now briefly rewind again. When I decided to go to Barcelona, I used your website to find out how to apply necessary documents. I had these together quickly, because in addition to some forms, my English grade certificate from Germany and a copy of my passport, only an English résumé was required.
Shortly after submitting the complete documents, I received a pre-acceptance letter, on which the final confirmation was promptly given after the down payment of € 500 had been paid. At this point I can only say that your website was the right decision for me , as everything went very quickly and easily and my big question marks were answered quickly and very friendly at the beginning.
I received an email package from UAB, including a letter of admission for the UAB exchange students, confirmation of acceptance and general information about living in Barcelona.
The last document contained a few links for residential services, including dormitory offers and rental options, all of which I looked at. But in the end I decided on a different type of accommodation , which was a bit more expensive (525 €), but I liked it 100 percent . “The Big flat Barcelona” was recommended to me by a friend who used to live in Barcelona for a longer period of time. It’s an apartment full of students, which I thought was a good thing because you are “forced” to speak English or, in my case, Spanish.
Of course, you can also look for accommodation on site. Most of them did it that way, and it works well, as rooms are rented out at very short notice in Spain .
In Barcelona, rooms without a window or with a window to a light shaft are not uncommon, so when searching, you should always pay attention to whether the room is “interior” or “exterior”, i.e. with a window. For a nice room you have to calculate around 400-500 € per month.
Arrivals
Since I flew from Leipzig and also booked at short notice, the price was € 120 for the one-way flight, but you can find much cheaper flights on routes like Berlin-Barcelona. My friend who came to visit me in December only paid € 55 for the return flight. The best thing to do is book as early as possible and find out more from cheap airlines such as German Wings, Ryanair etc.
In advance, I found out about the best transport options from the airport to my apartment. The fastest and most convenient form is the Aerobus, which costs € 5.90 and goes directly to the city center (Plaza Catalunya). From the airport there are also taxis (25 euros to the city center), buses (1.45 the journey, mostly to Plaza Espana) and trains.
Transport
In Barcelona itself, the metro is arguably the best way to get around. We recommend the 3-month ticket (T-Jove) if you are under 25 and you know in advance that you will be using the metro almost every day. The ticket is valid for 90 days and costs € 105.00. Otherwise there is the T-10 ticket, which costs only about € 10 and which you can use 10 times.
The metro only runs until midnight during the week and resumes operation at 5 a.m. The metro runs until 2 a.m. on Fridays and non-stop on weekends. After that, the Nit Bus routes are a good alternative. The entire public network is very well developed and you have to wait a maximum of 20 minutes for buses and 10 minutes for the metro.
Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona
When they arrived at the UAB, there was an introductory event in which, in addition to some useful information, the simplest rules of behavior were explained. This only lasted about 45 minutes and most of the students went straight home afterwards, which I thought was a bit of a shame, as I and other students had imagined something different.
Pre-Established Study Abroad Programs
The UAB offers the so-called “Pre-Established Study Abroad Program” especially for foreign students. Only foreign students take part in this program, so there are no Spanish fellow students in your courses. This makes it all the more difficult to get in touch with locals. Most of the students were from the United States or Germany. You have the option of choosing at least two or a maximum of five courses .
My courses:
- Cross-cultural management (my favorite)
- Doing business in emerging markets
- International business
- International Marketing Strategies (many case studies)
- Spanish (45 hours)
I have to say that I did Doing Business in Emerging Markets and International Business with the same professor and therefore repeated a lot in the two courses. With the amount of work involved, it was very important which courses you took. Some lecturers have repeatedly requested written papers and some presentations during the semester. The system is a little different than in Germany. While we are used to at most one presentation at home, but mostly only one final exam at the end of the semester and practically do not do much during the weeks, this is exactly what the UAB aims for. You have to do some presentations and also “homework”. Nevertheless, one can say that the level is in no way comparable to Germany,I found the small group size of around 15-20 students per course to be a particular advantage . The group work in particular expanded my soft skills a lot . It is actually a challenge to work with 5-6 people from completely different nations. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the multi-cultural atmosphere and made many contacts. We were required to attend all courses, which was checked daily at the beginning of the course.
For international students, the UAB has two campuses in the city. The Sant Pau campus for humanities and the Eixample campus mainly for business and language courses. The Eixample Campus is located in the middle of the city and is hardly recognizable from the outside. The Eixample Campus and the Sant Pau Campus can be easily reached by public transport.
Life in Barcelona
Barcelona with its international flair is a very open city where you can immediately feel at home . There is so much to see and do, even in 4 months it was impossible for me to explore all of Barcelona. Barcelona is abundant in tourist attractions and has plenty of employment opportunities for all interests. Barcelona has a wide range of night activities such as restaurants, bars and nightclubs. The clubs on the beach are unique , but typical Spanish bars and discos are also very popular with foreign students. What I liked best was the exuberant and positive atmosphere no matter where you go. Another favorite were the narrow, charming streets with the small shops and the great buildings in Barcelona. The Spaniards in general are very communicative, helpful and friendly. The weather in BCN was just wonderful . I was able to enjoy many, many days on the beach. Most of all, I fell in love with the warm nights that seemed to go on forever. It only rained very rarely. Even in December it was possible to stroll through the alleys with a thinner jacket in the afternoon.
Best decision ever!
In conclusion, I can say that Barcelona was definitely the right decision for me . My expectations have not only been met, but even exceeded, and I had an incredibly great time with many interesting experiences and made many friendships. I definitely want to come back. This city is just right for lifestyle enthusiasts who want a touch of vacation and a lot of serenity in this unique time of their life. I can only recommend the city, but also the UAB’s Pre-Established Program!
