Student’s Name: Orla Glynn, 14154803
UL Course: Applied Languages
Academic Year: 2016 / 2017
Semester: Autumn
Host University: University of Salamanca
Host University Code: E SALAMAN 02
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Student experience
Overall my experience at the University of Salamanca was an extremely positive one.
Travelling to Salamanca alone was certainly a daunting experience, but one I’m happy I
had the courage to pursue. I was the only UL student to attend the university but I feel
this actually benefitted me as I made many friends upon arriving and there were also
many other Irish students from different colleges so I was never too overwhelmed.
I travelled to Salamanca from Dublin airport to Madrid. Unfortunately there are no
direct flights from Ireland to Salamanca and so the best option is to fly to Madrid and
take either a bus or a train out to Salamanca. I arrived early in the morning and so there
were no bus routes running at an appropriate time. I had already anticipated this and
had planned to take a taxi to Madrid East Bus Station and then take a bus to Salamanca
with the bus company Avanza. Having visited Madrid and also having travelled from
Madrid airport several times, I learned that this is not the norm and many bus routes do
indeed travel from Salamanca direct to Madrid and direct to the Airport but they tend to
be at a later time of about 12 in the morning. Getting to Salamanca isn’t complicated
but can be quite tiring, with a two and a half hour bus journey awaiting you after your
flight.
I studied in the faculty of Philology during my time there, which was located in the city
centre. Studying in such beautiful buildings everyday was such a pleasure and it often
felt like being on a movie set! I went over to Salamanca a week early for an orientation
session, but to be honest this consisted of a two hour lecture outlining some main tips
and advice. After this lecture, there were no more orientation sessions and to be honest
I didn’t find it extremely useful. Saying that, I don’t think an extensive orientation
session was particularly necessary and upon reflection, I don’t believe a lack of
orientation affected my time there negatively.
The main thing I would stress about beginning at the University of Salamanca is that the
initial registration of modules is a long process and not an easy one. I spent the first two
weeks attending different lectures that I felt I would be both capable for and interested
in. Once you’ve selected these lectures, you are required to create your own timetable
which was stressful and caused confusion. Due to clashes, there were some modules I
couldn’t take and a lot of rearranging had to be done. However, I can honestly say that
this was the only and most stressful experience I encountered while working with the
University of Salamanca. If you have any issues, make sure to call to your Erasmus
advisor in Salamanca. My advisor was a lovely man called Jorge, who had previously
studied in Trinity on Erasmus, and he couldn’t have been more helpful. He gave advice
on the difficulty level of the subjects we chose and was generally very approachable and
friendly during my time there, which made things a lot easier.
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I studied Spanish to advanced level in UL before attending the University of Salamanca
but I believe a beginner’s student would not encounter any problems should they
choose USAL. I found the Spanish spoken in Salamanca to be quite standard and I didn’t
have difficulties understanding for the most part. The University also offers a three
week language course at the beginning of the semester, for Erasmus students who
would like to brush up on their Spanish. It cost 150 euro which UL reimburse upon
passing the course. Primarily, you complete a short exam and classes are divided into
different levels of Spanish based on your results. I was put into the IntermediateAdvanced group. You are given the option to change levels if you find one to be too
easy/difficult and upon reflection, I regret not moving up to the higher level. Although I
did find the course to be helpful and a good revision of topics I knew, I feel I could have
gained more by changing levels, so I would urge students to do this should they feel
they need to.
Institutional practices, support
As far as I know, there are no campus villages at the University of Salamanca and during
my time there I never heard of anybody living in campus accommodation. The majority
of students living there lived in apartments and flats with other students. When I arrived
in Salamanca I stayed at the “Erasmus Home” hostel for the first week. I would strongly
advise staying here as it’s in a really good location and in close proximity to the philology
faculty, as well as being a really good way to meet other Erasmus students looking for
accommodation also. I found accommodation through word of mouth by staying there
and I ended up living with one Spanish, one Uruguayan, two Italian and two Serbian
students. If you are attending USAL with the hopes of improving your Spanish, I believe
living with housemates where Spanish will be the common language is a good idea.
Although I socialized mostly with other friends I met during my semester, speaking
Spanish at home is a good way to improve and gain confidence in the language.
My house was located a ten minute walk from the Plaza Mayor and a fifteen minute
walk from the philology faculty. When house-searching in Salamanca I wouldn’t get too
stressed about walking distance, as everywhere is easily accessible by foot (I never used
public transport) and nothing is over a twenty minute walk away. I paid 220 euro
monthly rent with all expenses included for a double room. Paying any more than this is
not necessary and most accommodation would actually be cheaper than this. Some tips
for trying to secure accommodation before you leave would be to look at these sites;
easypiso.es, the “Salamanca alquiler habitaciones” or the “Habitaciones en Alquiler y
pisos compartidos en Salamanca” Facebook groups.
I completed five modules in total while studying at USAL. I completed two “Teaching
grammar to non-native Spanish speakers” modules which I found very beneficial. Not
only are the classes easy to follow, but I found I improved my own grammar standards
by completing them. I would strongly advise any future students to complete these
modules if possible. I also took a cultural studies module on Ireland and Great Britain
which I thoroughly enjoyed.
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Learning about your countries history through a different language and from a foreign
perspective was extremely interesting. I would be more cautious about taking the “El
Lenguaje y las lenguas” module because although I did pass it, I found the module to be
quite stressful and not that rewarding. And finally, I completed a German module which
I also really enjoyed and definitely improved from. However, a point to consider may be
that the German department can be stricter with regards to completing exams before
Christmas, and this led to me returning to Salamanca after the Christmas holidays to
complete this one exam. However, all other lecturers were extremely accommodating
and had no issues.
I found Spanish students to be very friendly in class and were always very helpful with
any questions I may have had. This transcended outside of the classroom also, with
Spanish students living in Salamanca being extremely friendly to Erasmus students on
nights out etc., as this international aspect of studying is central to Salamanca’s student
life.
Cultural differences
Having completed my placement in Germany and not found a notable cultural
difference between Germany and Ireland, I expected the same of Spain. However I did
notice I had to adapt more so to the Spanish lifestyle.
Spanish people can certainly be more direct, but it’s not intended in a rude way. I
definitely noticed how much more often we say “please” and “thank you” while
interacting with the public in Ireland compared to Salamanca, but again it’s not intended
in a rude way, more so just different to what we’re used to.
The Spanish definitely do take an easier approach to life. Expect lecturers to be more
laid back about replying to emails and exams to be much more relaxed. Completing
exams in USAL almost felt like completing class tests because of their causality, as
opposed to completing exams here in UL.
The cost of living was considerably lower in Salamanca compared to Ireland. With the
Erasmus grant, I was able to live comfortably and afford travelling and a social life.
Everything from alcohol, food, transport and rent comes at a substantially lower price.
Hints & Tips
Overall I can genuinely say that I had an amazing Erasmus experience in
Salamanca. If small cities aren’t for you, I would reconsider spending your
Erasmus semester here. However, I personally believe that living in a city with a
town-like ambience along with the breathtakingly beautiful Plaza Mayor,
Cathedral and charming old streets, made Salamanca the perfect Erasmus city
for me. I found that bumping into a friend on the street or seeing friendly faces
everywhere you go was comforting and made it very difficult to feel homesick
there.
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I’d recommend attending some of the many “Erasmus Student Networks”
events, organized with the university, in the initial stages of the semester, as this
is where I met most of my friends which I kept throughout the semester and am
still in daily contact with. I also went on a trip to Morocco with this company and
had one of the best experiences of my life.
Taking full advantage of the nightlife on offer in Salamanca is an essential “La
Chupiterilla” and “Paniagua” were probably my favorites and were where most
Erasmus students would flock to. With going out being so inexpensive it’s easy to
see why Salamanca gets its reputation as great place to party.
Finally and most importantly, to enjoy each and every second of your time there.
Meet as many people as you can, travel as often as you can and take plenty of
photos that you can look back on when the experience is all over!
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