If you’re reading this post, it’s either because you 1. have plans of going on Erasmus in Spain; 2. want to go on Erasmus in Spain; 3. are an avid reader of Ars Currendi blog posts (yeah, right). Either way, here’s everything you need to know about studying abroad in Spain.

I’ll be arranging this post in the form of short, to the point tips that should help you survive your stay in Spain. I can’t give you any specific information about housing, weather or nightlife, because I only experienced those things in Salamanca. What I can do, however, is give you loads of information about those things specifically in Salamanca.

To start off, here are some images to give you an idea of what it was like.

1. Don’t worry about making friends – it’s a lot easier than you’d expect

Seriously. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to make any friends and have to spend 5 months crying myself to sleep because I felt so alone. Well, with the end of my Erasmus stay in Salamanca comes the realization that I had never made friends as easily as I did here.

As an exchange student, it’s incredibly easy to find other people who are right there with you. Most of you will arrive in the city at around the same time, which means that there is a truckload of people who are right there with you – alone and confused in a foreign city.

Obviously, student organizations know this. It happens every year. So they organize countless events to give all those students a chance to get to know some people and find friends.

I actually met most of my friends through these events, so I can tell you this. If you think you’re too awkward to go to these things, you’re not. I’m just about as awkward as they come around new people and I managed to make it work.

2. Don’t have dinner before 9 pm

As Jan Levinson so eloquently put it in my all-time favourite episode of The Office, people in Spain often don’t even start eating until midnight.

Of course, that’s a bit of an overstatement, but it is true that the daily rhythm in Spain is very different from what I’m used to in Belgium. For example, Spanish people usually only have lunch around 2-3 pm. And then they take a nap.

The thing is, basically everything happens two hours later than it does in Belgium. In Spain, you get up later, you eat lunch later, you have dinner later and you go to sleep later. And that’s actually surprisingly easy to get used to.

3. Say yes!

This paragraph will have a number of very cheesy, or even cringe-worthy, statements. You have been warned.

If someone asks you to do something while you’re on Erasmus in Spain, do it! Whether it be a party, a picnic or just hanging out at someone’s apartment, I can guarantee that it’s going to end up being a lot of fun. Even if you don’t really feel like it.

After all, we only regret the chances we didn’t take. I’m just saying, I’ve never heard anyone say they regret spending time with friends.

This is your one chance to do some crazy things without anyone back home finding out. It’s your time to say YOLO and really mean it.

4. Enjoy your time

Having spent four months abroad, I am now certified to tell anyone and everyone that it goes by a lot quicker than you’d expect. It feels as if I just arrived here last week, but here I am back in Belgium. I’ve said goodbye to some amazing people and it breaks my heart to know that I probably won’t see some of them again.

Before I went to Spain, I thought that four months might be a bit much for a first-timer like me. But now, I realize it wasn’t even close to enough to do all the things I wanted to do.

So believe me when I say you should take advantage of the opportunities you get. You will most definitely regret it if you don’t.

5. Don’t get too caught up in school work

I know, I know. Saying this makes me look like the biggest jerk you’ve ever met. But hear me out. School in Spain is relatively easy, especially if you’re coming from a country like Belgium, The Netherlands, the UK or Ireland. (There are obviously other countries that qualify as having “tougher education than Spain”).

That being said, you should not feel ashamed or bad about yourself if you skip on some schoolwork to go to a party or hang out with your friends.

6. Travel

This wouldn’t be a travel blog if I didn’t talk about travelling at all. So, here it is. If you’re studying in Spain, you have tons of opportunities to go travel and see lots of beautiful places.

On that note, go take a look at some of my videos (Salamanca, Bilbao/Gaztelugatxe, Segovia/Ávila, Barrio del Oeste, Morocco) to get some inspiration!

7. Contact your tutors/professors

This is an important point because it’s often overlooked. Contacting the people responsible for your Erasmus stay in Spain is essential. For example, you should email your professor before the term begins to see if they even like exchange students. You need to find out what the assignment is if you didn’t hear it in class and you don’t have anyone who can tell you. You need to know when classes start and end. (I think you get the idea)

8. Don’t expect to have Spanish friends

I said that making friends as an Erasmus students is very easy – and I stand by that. I’m just saying, you shouldn’t expect most, if any, of these friends to be Spanish people.

Anyone who has been an exchange student will agree with me when I say that natives don’t really care about them. I’m not judging them, because the exact same thing happens at my home university.

People won’t hate you, but they’ll mostly be indifferent about you. And that’s definitely okay, because you’ll have a very fun group of international friends to share your adventures with.

Conclusion: What does being on Erasmus feel like?

It’s terrifying and amazing at the same time. You’re independent but you share everything you experience with your friends. At times you’ll feel demotivated and lonely, but that only makes the other moments so much more worth it. After all, without the lows, you would never reach the highs.

I think it’s easier to explain what my stay in Spain was like with a video. So, without any further ado, here it is. The culmination of four months in Salamanca. Enjoy!

And as always, thanks for reading!

-S