My Erasmus Experience in Huelva

Erasmus Excitement and Preparation Phase

As an Italian who was born and raised in Germany, I have always been fascinated by the international lifestyle. I have been an active member of the Erasmus community for five years, so, I have known about the program and made many first-hand experiences with Erasmus students coming to Heidelberg. I knew exactly what to expect, but that did not diminish my excitement for finally starting my on my Erasmus journey.

When applying for my bachelor degree in Business Information Systems with a focus on International Management, I already knew I would want to go to Erasmus. During my second semester, I researched the Erasmus possibilities, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to participate in it. I was excited about immersing myself in a new culture, exploring a new country, and meeting new people. In this post, I will share my experiences as an Erasmus student in Huelva, Spain, including my academic and personal growth, cultural immersion, and the challenges and successes I faced throughout my journey.

Before I was ready to embark on my Erasmus journey, I had to take care of several crucial preparations. It was essential to narrow down my destination country and ensure I met the language requirements. To create a suitable learning agreement, the document that outlines the planned courses and how they will be recognized by the home institution, I teamed up with other students and got early guidance from my International Office. Additionally, I needed to get approval from my employer and present multiple finished learning agreements to my university for approval. This process was quite stressful, but after approximately 30 hours of work, the decision was taken.

I knew I wanted to go to Spain to strengthen my language skills and get to know the country better. I found that Huelva and Jaén were the only choices that would work with my home university's requirements. Out of the two, I ultimately decided on Huelva for its proximity to the beach, despite me not being a fan of the beach.

Getting to Huelva

For my Erasmus program in Huelva, I decided to travel by car. I wanted the flexibility to explore the many destinations around Huelva that were worth visiting. Driving to Huelva from my home in Germany was an adventure in itself. I went on a chill 18-hour ride to Pamplona and stayed with a friend for some time. Subsequently, I did the same to Cartagena, which took approximately 8 hours. From Cartagena to Huelva, it was a 7-hour drive. For the route inside Spain, I offered BlaBlaCar twice and had the pleasure of meeting some friendly old ladies, which was a nice first experience with strangers.

Spanish University

My experience attending university in Huelva, Spain was both exciting and challenging. One of those challenges was trying to navigate the multiple timetables that were published, which made it confusing to determine the real times of the classes. Once the class times were confirmed, finding the classrooms was another problem. However, every building has a reception and the people were always friendly and helpful to me, so ultimately it was another chance to practice my Spanish.

The difficulty level of the classes varied, and for me, the computer science classes in Spanish were particularly hard due to the language barrier. However, the classes taught in English were easier to follow. Compared to Germany, students in Spain are allowed to address their professors in a less formal manner, and they are more flexible in terms of changing times, content, and adding more ways to grade to fit individual student needs. Nevertheless, I learned about the course content in a manner like what I would have experienced in Germany, featuring similar contents and teaching styles. However, for me, it was beneficial to see a new learning environment with a different cultural setting.

Social Life

As an ESN member, I have seen firsthand what constitutes a good Erasmus experience. Despite being an ugly city, Huelva offered a perfect Erasmus life with a vibrant and fun community of international students. Life in Huelva was never boring, and there were always things to do. The diverse events and activities provided numerous opportunities to make unique life experiences and broaden one's perspective on different cultures.

The program had around 400 students, with approximately 40% of them being German and another 40% being Italian, which as bilingual is really fortunate for me. There were also a few French, Polish, Dutch, Austrian, and Scandinavian students, but the diversity could have been a bit better.

My advice to anyone considering an Erasmus program in Huelva would be to take advantage of all the events and opportunities available. The city might not be as aesthetically pleasing as other destinations, but the social life here is invaluable. By attending every event in the beginning was an excellent way to meet other like-minded Erasmus students that later became my dear friends. Most events were parties featuring reggaeton music, while the university organized events to learn about the local culture.

During my first night out in Huelva, I had the pleasure of meeting a German woman (Juls), and we hit it off instantly. I was introduced to her flatmates and with several other people that I had met, we quickly formed a tight-knit group that was open-minded and interested in exploring the region. We began going on frequent road trips almost every weekend, and our first trip was just two weeks after we first met, where we slept on the beach or inside our cars. I took on the responsibility of organizing these trips, and it felt like I was running a semi-professional operation, similar to the ESN weekend trips. Over time, this group became my closest friends during my Erasmus experience, and I will always cherish the memories we made together, as these trips were my personal highlights of my Erasmus. This was only possible due to the location of Huelva, and having 2 cars at our disposal car gave us the comfort and freedom to explore Spain on our terms, which was just outstanding.

My personal favorites were the Algarve region and Córdoba, but I also enjoyed visiting Cadiz, Malaga, Seville, Gibraltar, Tarifa, Ronda and Setenil. For those interested in exploring beyond Spain, it is possible to travel to Morocco from Huelva. Morocco is a remarkable country, and I highly recommend it. Even organize it yourself, it is much less scary than you may think.

Personal Reflections

Returning home after my time abroad on the Erasmus program has left me with mixed emotions. On one hand, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of living in a different country and the opportunity to broaden my horizons. On the other hand, it was an overwhelming situation that challenged me in ways I never anticipated. As I reflect on my experience, I recognize that it was an important personal growth opportunity that shaped me in many ways.

Living in another country gave me the distance to see Germany in a different light. I realized that no country is perfect, and while Spain has many things that are better than in Germany, I also found myself missing certain aspects of home. Still, I learned to enjoy the laid-back environment of Spain and appreciated the opportunity to broaden my mind and see that other ways of living exist.

The difficulties of living abroad improved my ability to adapt to new situations and environments. It helped me to develop my independence, confidence, and open-mindedness. I learned a lot about managing my time and dealing with FOMO, which helped me grow and shape my character. I met hundreds of people from different cultures, which was initially overwhelming but ultimately enriched my worldview and skills handling diverse cultures.

However, I would caution others not to underestimate the challenges that come with studying abroad. It can be an incredibly fulfilling experience, but it can also be overwhelming and exhausting at times. It felt like carefully building a unique house of cards which could collapse at any moment. From adapting to a new culture to keeping up with coursework in a different language, there are many demands on your time and energy. I felt like I was constantly on the go, with one situation after another, and little time to take a break, which was quite stressful.

As I reflect on my time abroad, I am grateful for the growth that I experienced, both personally and academically. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made, and I would encourage others to take the opportunity to participate in the Erasmus program and embrace the challenges and rewards that come with it.

In conclusion: Erasmus was a fulfilling and distinct chapter in my life that I will cherish forever.

Travel tips for Huelva, Andalusia, and Spain

During my time in Huelva, I had the opportunity to explore many beautiful destinations in and around the city. Whether you are looking for a weekend getaway or a day trip, there are plenty of options to choose from. I have compiled three Google lists of my favorite places that I have visited, which you can use to plan your adventures. You are welcome to use my lists as a starting point for your exploration, and I hope you enjoy as me all that Huelva and its surrounding has to offer! Have fun!

• https://goo.gl/maps/VwKdPm4CK54qrrsk8 (Huelva)
• https://goo.gl/maps/vAwwfXgUiW3xyzYa8 (Spain)
• https://goo.gl/maps/2ejFGkL3UwgaySuX7 (Portugal)