Universidad de Deusto – Bilbao IRIO
Beele Pronk - b.a.pronk.1@student.rug.nl
• Courses taken and earned credits
During my period in Bilbao I took 5 courses throughout the whole semester. They were all worth 6 ECTS. The courses were: Geopolitics, Latin America in the world, La Religión: orden y desorden, Spanish and Global Governance. All were in English except La Religión: orden y desorden and Spanish of course. Following courses in Spanish is recommendable, as my Spanish really improved by it! It is more difficult, and it will occupy a lot of time at first, but it is very nice to see the progress you make. Sometimes it was a bit too much to have 5 different courses, as on Fridays courses were scheduled from 8-14 with 4 different subjects. It does however keep a certain level of variation, so that is very nice. Before I went to Bilbao I read that the quality of education in Spain in general would be a little lower and the courses would be easier. While I think the materials for the subjects were a bit easier, in general I did not study less or more than I do in Groningen and only received slightly higher grades.
• Quality of education and the level of information and help provided by the host institution I would describe the system as very schoolish, there are a lot of (in my sense) somewhat useless exercises such as making small summaries and handing them in to get extra point.
While some might like this, I did not really see the academic advantages of it. Also, some exams were very directed at knowledge about the slightest details of the materials, while ignoring the more important stream of information. Moreover, in my opinion, in comparison to the RUG, the exams focused more on knowing than on applying. These differences could explain why some people see the system as easier, and why some people like me don’t really have better results.
• Reception and accommodation at the host institution
Regarding the level of information and help provided by the host institution, I only have good things to say. They have a very welcoming international students’ desk where they want to help you with anything. When my friend ran into some trouble with her housing, they really helped her and provided her with a new place! The system for accommodations is in my opinion very good. They have a site where you can see all the student flats and fill out a form with your top 6 or so. Later they will select a place for you and send you the names of your flatmates. I was accommodated with a Danish girl, an Italian girl, a Spanish girl and a Mexican boy. They were great, we became really close friends and are even visiting each other in their home countries now! I would really recommend the accommodation option that Deusto offers, I generally heard positive experiences. It is also possible to arrange a room through other websites, and I also heard some good stories about these, but in general it is more difficult and maybe a bit more dangerous as you could get scammed.
• Contacts with teachers and students support from home institution
The contact with the teachers and students was different in Bilbao than in Groningen. You could see it more like a high school idea, where you have courses with your class. As the university is not very big, there are not a lot of students following the program. All the students of a year are together in one class of around 50 people, and they all know each other very well. They have no clue of the mass 250 people lectures we receive in Groningen.
The home students are quite open to new incoming exchange students, and it was also easy for us as they were all good at English. The contact with the teachers there was also easier.
Where in Groningen I don’t normally approach a professor, it was very easy there. They all know who you are, and this is quite nice. Also, we were asked a lot on our opinions in discussions because they were very interested in our views on things.
The contact with the RUG was okay. I encountered some problems with my Erasmus grants, and it took some time, but I eventually received it. Regarding the courses I wanted to follow they were very lenient and supportive! I really wanted to follow the Spanish course, but when we took an entrance exam for the course, my level was B2. However, beforehand, the Board of Examiners had made it very clear that you would have to follow a level higher than you had terminated in Groningen. As I had finished my Spanish at the RUG also at a B2, they told me I would have to follow C1. However, when I received the results of my entrance exam, it did some research and found that we ended at level B2.1. When I explained to the BoE what the situation was, they responded to me within 2 weeks and permitted me to follow the Spanish course at the B2.2 level.
• Estimation of expenses during your exchange
In general, the daily expenses in Bilbao are the same as in Groningen. The housing price was quite similar, I paid 410 euros for a very big room, we had a shared kitchen and dining room, and 2 bathrooms. Also, we were located right in the middle of the centre. Food prices were also mostly the same. Alcohol is much cheaper!! As Bilbao is located very close to the wine region of Rioja, they have great wines at low prices. I think I can count the days of my stay without a glass of wine on 2 hands, oops.. The public transport is much cheaper there than in NL. If you can find a cheap flight from home to Bilbao, and you don’t spend all your money on trips (and alcohol) like I did, then you might even safe money being on an exchange considering you receive an Erasmus grant.
• Personal observations and recommendations
My experiences in Bilbao were GREAT! If I could, I would do it again. When I was already done with my exams in December and I started at the RUG in February, I travelled through Spain and saw some amazing places, but taken all together nothing compares to Bilbao. The city itself is very diverse, and the people are very friendly with a strong culture. The Bask country is seen as the weird sheep of the flock, and its understandable as they are indeed very different. This is, however, definitively not a bad thing! The various traditions and random holidays are a great experience. If you have the chance you should really visit the
‘semana grande’, a festive week in which everybody from Bilbao and surroundings come to celebrate their local holidays. Also, and I cannot stress this too much, the nature in the North is beautiful. The rocky coast was even used as a scene for Game of Thrones! (See San Juan de Gaztelugaxte). The best you can do is team up with your friends and rent a car to take a road trip along the coast. This is a bit more costly though, and there are various alternatives.
There is, for example, the ALSA bus which takes you literally anywhere in the country, and the cool car pooling concept of Blabla car.
Regarding the living space in Bilbao, opt for something in or close to the centre! The metros generally close at 23.00 so when you’d like to go to a party you would have to walk a long way home, since biking is not really a thing in the city.
To end, I would 100% recommend Bilbao, not for the school (I prefer the RUG), but for the people and the settings. I have never felt so free in my life, with the ability to see so much and meet so many new nice people.
