Ha Ji-woon (Management 20), Exchange Student Story_Deusto University, Spain
- bizskk
- Hit181
- 2024-01-04
※ Departure on August 9, 2022, semester starts on September 5, semester ends on December 17, entry on February 2, 2023
◈ Visa application process
The Spanish Embassy is in Hannam-dong, and once the dispatch of exchange students is decided, it's better to schedule a visa first. If there are a lot of people trying to get a Spanish student visa, there may be no space later and you may get it transferred from the blog, so be sure to make a reservation in advance. There are a lot of documents to prepare. It's complicated, but there are many blogs related to Spanish student visas, so I got a lot of information.
◈ Immigration Tips
I had a lot of luggage, but I distributed them to 29 inches, 20 inches, Nike duffel bags, and backpacks. Qatar Airways was easy because you could add 10kg for free if you joined the student club. There are many blogs about packing exchange students, so it's useful to refer to them. Spanish has a lot of places to shop(Zara, Mango, H&M, Bershka, Oysho, etc.), so make sure to bring your clothes in moderation and buy a lot and come back.
Take advantage of the Qatar Student Club. I highly recommend it because once you take it, you get a discount on your next flight. The in-flight service was good and comfortable. Adding weight to the luggage, it cost about 700,000 won one way.
◈ Dormitory/Accommodation
- Accommodation: Flat, Location: Suburban, Cost/1 semester: Approximately 500 Euros, Rating: Satisfactory
Deusto gives you a list of flats before the semester starts. There are a lot of flats in each neighborhood, so you can decide according to the priorities you think are important.(security, streets, shopping, prices, etc.) The school provides the list before dispatch, so it's better to apply as soon as possible. The later you apply, the better the flat will be signed soon, so list it as soon as you see the list and fill out the Google form.
I had friends who were having problems with their landlords, such as not being able to get their deposit. When signing a contract, it is important to read the terms carefully and confirm everything with the landlord. Platt lives with several friends so I like platt with locks in each room, and I lived in the Desuto area and it was easy to go to school because it was a 10-minute walk to school. The security was good, too. I'm not scared at all even when I come home at dawn.
◈ Application for classes.
There is an OT for each college at the beginning of the semester. It's different for each coordinator, but I think my coordinator came up with a list of subjects to take, organized the subjects I wanted to take within a certain period of time, and sent it to the coordinator in Excel. Then, I think coordinator applied automatically.
◈ How the class works
All Spanish classes were conducted offline, and I took one before the semester started (Intensive Spanish) and continued to take it after the semester started. Spanish classes during the semester were very annoying because I had to go to school for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, but most of the friends I took during vacation are in the same class, so it's good to make friends. Only one of the major courses was taken offline and the rest were taken online, but all classes included a lot of presentations, essay writing, and team projects. I think I learned more because most of my exchange students were very active and participated hard and asked a lot of questions during class.
◈ Evaluation method
Spanish classes have a variety of evaluation elements, including attendance, presentations (participation), midterm, final, and oral exams, and all are provided during the first class. Major subjects are evaluated by individual essay, team project, presentation, team essay, etc.
◈ Cultural and leisure activities
It supports the Buddy program, so introducing the Deusto area, visiting restaurants, and cultural exchanges are made from Buddy. Applications for the buddy program are accepted through a Google form prior to dispatch, and you can apply at that time. I traveled a lot, so it was a shame that I couldn't participate in the Buddy program, but the school hosted various events with Buddy, so it would be fun to participate.
There's an organization called Happy Erasmus and ESN, and I joined Erasmus. ESN has a lot of travel-related benefits (I heard a lot of people around me use the Ryanair baggage benefits), so I think you can refer to Instagram and sign up. My friends around me also joined ESN. Erasmus has a lot of trips to areas near Bilbao and holds many events (beer pong, karaoke, clubs, etc.), so if you join, you can have a fun exchange student life. Most exchange students belong to this club, so you can make many foreign friends.
◈ Impressions and overall review
Even though I was dispatched early, I was sad that each day passed by and was happy every day. (I also postponed my return date once) I think I will be able to live with the memories of being an exchange student and I will miss this moment. If you're thinking about an exchange students or if you're thinking about dispatching to Spain, I'd recommend you to go without hesitation.
At first, I was worried because Bilbao was neither a well-known city nor a center compared to Madrid and Barcelona, but I think it was a good thing I was sent to Bilbao. Of course, Madrid and Barcelona are great cities, but Bilbao is also a city with its own unique charm, and I like being given the opportunity to live in Bilbao. The streets are clean, the people are friendly, the food is delicious, there are shopping streets, and even the heat you can feel at the Bilbao Athletic Stadium makes it a meaningful city. I can't forget walking to school while looking at the Guggenheim. It is located in northern Spain, so I was able to travel a lot to the French city(Viritz, Bayonne) with my exchange student friends, and I was happy to visit the small city. I met a variety of good people and it was a happy six months without any worries in my life.
As a trip, I went to Spain, England, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Germany, Italy, and Morocco. Each country had a different atmosphere, and through various experiences, I was able to strengthen myself and broaden my perspective. As an exchange student and traveling to various countries, I learned things I could not learn at school, and I reflected on my attitude toward life so far and resolved to live life happily and leisurely.
I hope that those of you who are reading this will be able to try, feel, and experience new things and become happy exchange students. Bilbao is a charming city, and Spain is a warm and happy city. I really fell in love with Spain. Vamos!
Source : https://webzine.skku.edu/skkuzine/section/knowledge06.do