Pre-departure excitement
It has been five years since I last went to the special city of Granada, Spain, and it made me nostalgic about my formative time there as an Erasmus+ student, from September 2019 to March 2020.
As a law student hailing from the University of Sheffield, I had been extremely excited about my year abroad since the beginning of my tenure at university, as it would be my first time studying and living in another country. Once we were edging ever closer to the brooding British October, I was more than ready to leave the suburban confines of my home. I decided to join forces with my fellow friend and law student Joe, with whom I would be sharing accommodation with during my six months there.
Being half-Spanish and having family in Jerez de la Frontera, I had first visited Granada on a short weekend trip when I was 15. Although at the time I found the city to be interesting, I was too young to appreciate the breadth of its architectural beauty and youthful bohemian atmosphere. Little did I know that the next time I would visit Granada would be five years later, and what a magical year it would prove to be…
My first day
On the day of our arrival, with insatiable excitement in our heels, we decided to take a walk around the city centre and the winding labyrinth of the idyllic Arab quarter of El Albaicín. The neighbourhood was jaw-droppingly stunning, with pink flowers adorning battered white walls and hidden miradores (viewpoints) tucked away beyond the steep cobbled footsteps. You could still feel the aura of the ancient Nasrid dynasty and all its vestiges lying still amidst the hazy, velvety air.
With the drowsy yellow sepia lights lit all over the city, we were ready to explore the nightlife. I couldn’t believe that it was still warm enough to wear t-shirts and shorts at 10 pm! Seeing people of all ages enjoying the disarming night-time ambience gave the place a lovely nocturnal quality.
Shortly after, we stopped at a nearby restaurant and experienced our first free tapas meal. Granada is famous for being one of the few cities in Europe where you get one free plate of food for every drink you order (scandalous, I know). With our bellies full and our hearts content, I had a strong feeling that we had chosen the right city to spend the next 9 months in.
Settling in
One of the common fears of living abroad is experiencing culture shock, and although this is a natural reaction that can happen to anyone, Granada is a very slow-paced and unintimidating city for even the most inexperienced of travellers. It is very much a student city that embraces and welcomes all kinds of people from all over the world, which was really refreshing to see and feel. In addition, the settling-in process was made so much easier with the wide array of wonderful events that were being offered by ESN, which I and others attended. These events led to the first crucial moments of connection between yourself and another student, and often facilitated the creation of enduring friendships that still remain intact to this day.
After our first month, we soon began expanding our network of friends to include students from all over the city. One of the absolute privileges of my Erasmus+ experience was befriending a diverse group of other young and like-minded international people. Being part of such a vibrant and energetic collective was incredibly thrilling and liberating. We were constantly involved in a wide range of different activities and events inside and outside of our faculties, such as volunteering at local charities or organised trips away. I cannot stress enough how important this is for your growth and development as a young adult looking for experience and enrichment. It is something I wish everyone (especially young people) could have the privilege of experiencing at some point during their lives.
For the first time, it felt like I had found a group of people I could really connect with.
Living arrangements
Living with new people in a new country can often be a daunting experience for any student of any age. However, Joe and I shared a flat in the centre with two other Dutch students who would practically become family in the short space of a month. They were lively, lovely and hearty.
We loved exchanging cultural stories including contemporary news from both the UK and the Netherlands, sharing notes on our experiences at our home universities and what ambitions we had for the future. Even luckier still, we became close friends with our neighbours next door, who also happened to be Erasmus+ students. It didn’t take long before we all felt settled in and ready to start making the most out of our respective courses without any of the anxiety that often comes when arriving at a new city.
Adapting to my Spanish Law course
During the first few months of your Erasmus+ placement, one is in a state of constant adaptation, and that’s ok, because it gets better. At first, adapting to my Spanish Law course was quite challenging, especially as the learning environment and teaching style contrasted sharply with that of my home university. Lecture halls were akin to classrooms, the setting was much more intimate even though it was much less interactive for students and the courses themselves were much more theory-heavy.
Moreover, the legal system we had to study was comprised of a very different set of legal concepts and the exam questions took on a distinct format which required thorough preparation beforehand. In the end, we managed to adjust to these academic hurdles through the support of our teachers and cooperation with our peers, preparing us for our even more challenging final years.
Why I recommend Granada as an Erasmus+ destination
I will always strongly recommend Granada as the best city for anyone looking to complete their Erasmus+ year in Spain. It is a unique, historical city that offers so much to students and non-students; a prestigious university, a thriving community of international students, an accessible and walkable centre with free tapas and cheap cost of living, the beautiful snowy mountains of Sierra Nevada for adventurous skiing trips, an endless selection of stunning viewpoints offering panoramic views of the city and the rich display of its ancient Arab roots, which can be seen and felt all around the city. Overall, what sets Granada apart from other cities is its timeless beauty and incredibly warm atmosphere. I wish I could re-experience it all over again for the first time!
The pandemic hits and it is time to say goodbye
Sadly, for myself and my group of friends, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early March 2020 meant that our placements had to come abruptly to an end. Despite our time being cut short, we had experienced one of the most unforgettable sixth months of our lives, both culturally and academically. I will always cherish the endless memories I made whilst I was an Erasmus+ student and I am still close friends with the group of people who made my time in Granada unforgettable.
¡Gracias por todos los recuerdos, Granada! ¡Hasta la próxima!
