Why did you decide to come to Spain?
Polish student, Justyna: I decided to come to Spain because I am studying Spanish in Poland, so it´s a very good opportunity for me to live in Spain, to practice my Spanish and to get to know everything better, the Spanish people, their traditions… everything!
Italian student, Laura: Valencia was my first option and I really liked this university because they do a lot of training, my course is audiovisual communication and you have to learn how to use a camera, for example, it doesn´t just focus on book work, you have to do a lot of practical work and this is what I wanted to do, because a journalist has to know how to do these things.
French student, Gianni: Because I like Spain and we have the option of coming here through the Erasmus Programme.
Argentinian student, Maximo: I decided to come to Valencia because it´s a very lively city, with lots of places to visit and lots of students and it´s also very safe. I haven´t been here for very long, but I´ve really liked what I´ve seen so far.
How did you find out about the university and why did you choose to study here?
Justyna: I wanted to come to Valencia to study with a friend and this was the only university that would let the two of us do so together, but my friend resigned in October so it´s not so good for me! But it´s ok! I like this university!
Laura: I found everything by myself, on Google and on the internet; I saw lots of things on my own because my friends were not really interested, so I had to do my own research. I saw that this was a good university, it´s organised pretty well, I saw that the website is organised very well and the teachers are very good, strict but good, they seem to be very good teachers, so I am glad to have chosen this university. Today has been a really good day actually, because I have met new people and seen the university with my own eyes, not through the internet and I like it very much!
Gianni: I have friends who came to this university last year and they recommended it to me.
Maximo: I chose this university because it has an exchange agreement with mine, the Austral de Rosario University.
What will you be studying at the university?
Justyna: I will be studying journalism and also Child Education.
Laura: I am studying Audiovisual Communication Theory, so the theory and the practice of journalism.
Gianni: I am going to study Audiovisual Communication.
Maximo: I´m going to be studying Business Administration.
What are your aims and objectives for your year abroad?
Justyna: The most important thing is for me to practice my Spanish, this is very important for me and also this is my last year at university in Poland so I am writing the final piece for my course, so I need lots of books in Spanish which I can´t find in Poland, so being here is very good for me, because there are a lot of libraries I can use here, so I can get all the books that I need. I am doing my final piece on someone from Colombia called Pablo Escobar, I am writing about his life.
Laura: I would like to improve my Spanish above all! I studied Spanish and English at school before university and also with someone who was from South America, so I learnt a lot of Spanish, but after I began studying at university I stopped practicing, so I´ve forgotten a lot, so my first objective would be to improve my Spanish. I would also like to meet different people from around the world because I like to move around and see the world… to work and study in different cities and different nations… This is what I like doing!
Gianni: I want to work on my English and Spanish, and to have a personal experience.
Maximo: My objectives and goals for my time here, is to have another vision about business and to be able to transfer all the knowledge I gain here, back to my country. I also believe that it is important to meet new people and cultures and to make new friends and contacts that you are able to count on in the future.
Do you know any students who are already studying at the university?
Laura: Yes! I met another Italian student through the university´s Facebook page, but I actually haven´t seen him here today?!
Maximo: Only a few people I´ve met through the university’s Facebook page; It´s been good to meet people from all over the world, who are also from my department, today.
Are you living with other students? Do you live close to the university?
Justyna: Right now I am living at a hostel in the city centre, so I am looking for a flat at the moment, I am planning to see 4 flats today so I hope I find one soon! I have a friend in Valencia and he helped me to find the university. I actually arrived in Alicante and I was there for five days because I have friends there and actually arrived in Valencia yesterday! It was easy because a friend came with me to the hostel so I wasn´t alone and it was OK… but Valencia seems to be a big city so I don´t know, maybe I´ll get lost today!
Laura: I am living with a girl from Valencia, but there are other rooms available so I hope we will find other people from other cities and countries… I get used to new things really quickly!
Gianni: My friends are letting me stay with them for the moment but I am hoping to find an apartment next week. I live in Valencia, but it´s very easy to find your way around on the metro.
Maximo: Yes, I live with people I met through the University´s Facebook group and yes! It is easy to get to the university from my apartment using the metro.
