Since it is compulsory at my university in Munich to spend a semester abroad and Spanish is one of my main subjects, it has long been clear to me that I wanted to go to Barcelona. When it was time to get more detailed information and organize everything, I stumbled upon your website by chance during my research and out of my enthusiasm I sent a short request straight away.

Everything else was very easy – I was told exactly which documents I had to have by when and how I could get them. If I had any questions, I just called quickly or wrote an email, that was no problem at all. A few weeks later I finally had all the documents together and then sent them to your website, who checked everything again and then forwarded it to the UAB . I think you can hardly have a stress-free application process !

Apartment Search

Although I was often advised against looking for an apartment while in Germany and you read everywhere that it is easier and better to look after it locally, I still found a room from home. I was on all kinds of portals until I finally came across something suitable on wg-gesucht.de (a former German roommate of the landlord uploaded it there). I then skyped with the landlord, received pictures and then signed the rental agreement. Of course that could have gone wrong, but when I got there, luckily everything was as I had expected and also seen in the photos .

I lived with a Peruvian and another German, which worked out great. My room was relatively small and the apartment wasn’t exactly the newest either, but that’s the way it is in Spain. For 330 € a month, I can’t complain, especially where I had a large window (which is not always a matter of course for the Spanish) and lived right next to the metro station .

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

The great thing about the Pre-Established Study Abroad Program, which I also decided on, is that the courses do not take place on the large Bellaterra Campus just outside of Barcelona, ​​but on the Eixample Campus and the Sant Pau Campus , both in the middle of the city lie. Unfortunately, you have no contact with Spanish students, but the great location makes you forget that quickly.

Overall, the university was much more relaxed than in Germany, although we were required to be present everywhere. The professors were all really nice and the exams were also very nice.

My courses

1. Spanish Langauge 90 Level B1.2

As already mentioned, I also have intensive Spanish classes in Munich and of course I wanted to continue that in Barcelona. After an online test as well as an on-site test, I could actually have taken the B2.1 course, but then decided on the B1.2 course , because apart from speaking and writing, grammar is also covered here should – which was ultimately the case. It was always fun with the two young professors Sara and Roberto, Mainly it was about speaking a lot and writing short texts every now and then, but in between there were always small grammar units on which the exercises were then based. In the end, you were tested both orally and in writing, both of which were easily feasible if you were always attentive to the class.

2. Managerial Skills for International Business

I also found this course very interesting. Much of the event was about what good management and good leadership are all about. Professor Maydo almost always showed us short videos or films on the individual subject areas in order to make the lessons exciting. We also played a lot of games, mostly outdoor activities , which were always very fun and entertaining.

The exam consisted of multiple choice questions on all subjects covered and was quite easy.

3. Cross-cultural management

Although I already knew most of what was covered in this course because I had already attended a similar course in Germany, it was probably my favorite . The aim was to get to know cultural dimensions and differences and to work out how best to deal with them. The Belgian professor Jean-Philippe was able to name many practical examples through his own experience and bring us closer to the topic. In addition to 2 presentations in the course of the semester, there was also an exam at the end that was even a bit demanding. However, if you prepared yourself a bit and didn’t just sleep in class, you could pass it well.

4. Español para los Negocios

One advantage of the program is of course the English courses, but I really wanted to have something Spanish with me. This course was perfect for mastering the B2 level well, but still a bit demanding. We talked a lot about companies and companies and also went through simple topics such as applications and job interviews. Monica, the professor, is really nice and always pointed out our mistakes in a very humorous way. There was no exam here; in addition to short presentations, there was a larger final presentation.

Barcelona

After my semester abroad , I have to be very clear: I have a new favorite city . Barcelona is just awesome, whatever you want to do, everything is there. Beach? Check. City? Check. Mountains? Check. And always the best weather.

If you are not only in a city as a tourist for a few days, you get to know it from a completely different perspective. You don’t just tick one place of interest at a time, but also deal intensively with the city, with the people, with the culture . For example, despite the very good metro system, I mostly walked (you can really walk a lot) because it gave me the feeling of gathering a lot more impressions.

My favorite place in Barcelona, ​​apart from the beach, was at the Bunkers del Carmel, a mountain from which you have a great view of the whole city. Especially nice when the sun is going down, but otherwise you can also have a beer or two and relax up there.

You can also see the whole city from Tibidabo, another mountain. There is also a small amusement park there that you absolutely have to see.

The third mountain that is outside of Barcelona, ​​but also a great destination, is Montserrat. It is easy to reach by train and then by cable car and is well worth seeing.

Even if you don’t do something big every day or every weekend, there is always something to do. Just strolling through the beautiful little streets is fun and at every corner you can eat great Spanish or drink delicious cocktails.

I just can’t say enough about how great Barcelona is. I am glad I decided to do the semester abroad at UAB and I can only recommend it to anyone who is looking for fun, new people, an interesting culture and a great city.