Study abroad even in times of pandemic with the ERASMUS program

He recalls: „In summary, Granada is exactly the right place for persons who have interests in history, architecture, and a varied nightlife. However, you should have a working knowledge of Spanish to successfully complete your studies at Universidad de Granada. Furthermore, exploring Andalusia is highly recommended because of many beautiful surrounding cities like Cordoba or Sevilla, and its proximity to the Mediterranean Sea.“

What was the biggest difference to your studies here at the BTU?

"Die Universidad de Granada is huge, with its 60,000 students. However, not all the institutions and faculties are organized at a central campus; they are spread all over the city. In fact, students mostly stay with their own faculty, which results in less contact with students from other courses. But I had the advantage of being in contact with students from other courses because I lived in a shared apartment with students from Spain, Italy, Colombia, and Morocco. We lived on a normal residential block in Granada’s historic center. Our quarter was very urban, because of dense construction, many stores, cafes, churches, and squares."

During your time in Granada, the Corona pandemic really took off. What was that like?

Before the lockdown in mid-March 2020 daily life was characterized by studies and meeting friends. On the weekends we enjoyed discovering the city. After a few weeks of my new life in Granada the Corona pandemic reached Spain. In the middle of March 2020, the Spanish government declared a state of alert for the entire country due to the rising number of infections. As a result, all stores (except grocery stores and pharmacies), leisure activities, restaurants & bars, the entire university, and other public facilities were closed. It was also forbidden to stay in public spaces for about two months and all mobility services were severely reduced. When shopping, masks and gloves had to be worn, and the police controlled the lockdown. Consequently, I spent a lot of my time in my shared apartment. Fortunately, my professors were able to continue lectures and consultations with online applications in just a few days. They had to change their concepts very fast during the semester. After the quarantine period ended, almost every one of my new friends went back to their home countries. However, I was not discouraged, and I explored Andalusia in the summer months.

Would you recommend the experience to others?

Of course, it is not ideal to have a pandemic during a semester abroad. I am lucky that at the beginning of my studies I could experience normal life in Spain. For me personally I do not know if I would start to study abroad during the corona crisis right now. It should be clear that meeting people, going to parties, drinking coffee or studying in the library is not possible during the pandemic. But it depends to the current situation about corona infections and the hygienic measures in Spain, too. For me it was worth studying at my host university because I got to know the Spanish teaching concept about urbanism and architecture, and I improved my language skills. Furthermore, I had the chance to get in contact with students from other continents, to live in an urban historic center, and to discover the landscape of Andalusia.