Joana Spoo, 13 September 2019

Study abroad experiences: Studying at the University of Huelva

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"La capital del Atlántico" (the capital of the Atlantic) is the self-description of Huelva, alluding to its special role in the discovery of America. Our student Joana Spoo, Bachelor student in "General Management", took her semester abroad at the University of Huelva as a chance to discover destinations in Portugal, Spain and Morocco for herself, too. She gave us her recommendations for a semester abroad in Huelva Spain in our quick check.

This is what you can experience at the University of Huelva and in Andalusia

1. Studying in a former hospital

"The University of Huelva has two university buildings for business students: the centrally located Campus La Merced and the northern El Carmen. Most of the English language business courses take place in Campus La Merced, which was originally a hospital next to Huelva Cathedral. Its size is comparable to the CBS, but the lecture rooms are larger, so that up to 70 students sit in one course. I could understand the lecturer’s English very well and the exam preparation was fine."

2. Great introductory week

"During the introductory week, the student network ESN (Erasmus Student Network) offers many events in the evening. With the ESN membership card you get some discounts on weekend trips and bars. You can buy them for € 15 at the ESN-Office (Campus El Carmen). During the information week, they organised a picnic and tapas bar tour, which you should definitely take part in. It's also a good idea to make a few short trips before the university really starts. I can recommend the page "We love Spain" for this."

3. Searching easily for a flat

"You'd better move directly into a shared flat with international students. Through several Facebook group like "Huelva Erasmus 2019”, you can easily find apartments and contacts to Erasmus students. I found two friendships via Facebook. It is not necessary to get in touch with the other Erasmus students before the semester start, but for me it was very helpful to have someone with whom I could explore the city.”

4. Moderate rental prices

"As a business student, it is good to look for an apartment nearby Campus La Merced. Living there is very cheap, so I only paid € 160 per month for a shared room. Our apartment was one of the cheapest. We had four bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen (with a laundry room) and a bathroom."

5. Young club and bar scene

"Huelva has a lot to offer: On the one hand, the ESN regularly organizes parties in the popular bars and clubs of Huelva. If you join their Facebook and WhatsApp groups, you will always be up to date. The most important bar is the Saxo. It is one minute from the Campus La Merced, making it the central meeting place for Erasmus students. A beer costs € 1. The prices are also low in other bars and clubs (Theatre, Sala Lone, Mombasa or Sala Ego), so you don't have to spend a fortune for partying. Admission until four o'clock is often free for Erasmus students."

6. City beach with Ibiza flair

"The beach (Punta Umbria) can be reached by bus within 30-40 minutes and offers a lot of space to lie down and a great scenery. There is a recommendable beach bar (Mykonos), which with its white furnishings can remind of the flair in Ibiza."

7. Weekend trips to Portugal or Morocco

"You should definitely take advantage of the great location of Huelva! You can easily travel to the Algarve or to the cities Seville, Malaga, Cordoba or Marbella. You can also reach further destinations, such as Barcelona or Madrid, easily by rental car or train. I've even booked a weekend trip to Morocco via “We love Spain”."

You can find all the information you need about the semester abroad here.

Would you like to spend a semester abroad in Spain? This is what you should be prepared for

1. No direct flights to Huelva

"You can use the airport of Seville (Spain) or Faro (Portugal) to reach Huelva. The flights from Germany take only about two hours, but you should consider the onward journey at both airports. In both cases, you will have to allow 1.5 hours by coach or a rental car. I flew over Seville and stayed there for another two days until I drove to Huelva with a rental car."

2. Long classes

"In contrast to the CBS, the classes at the University of Huelva last two hours, which was a bit strenuous at the beginning. It happened again and again that the attendance query was extended to a quarter of an hour. Over time, however, I got used to this rhythm."

3. Language barriers in everyday life

"First knowledge of Spanish is absolutely necessary for life in Huelva, because most of the Spanish people I met far away from the university hardly speak any English.”

My conclusion:

"I can only recommend everyone to spend his semester abroad at the University of Huelva. During the five semesters I gained a lot of new experiences, made new friends and discovered new cities. For me, studying abroad was one of the best times of my Bachelor studies!”

Here you can read other study abroad experience reports.

Joana Spoo

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