Studying abroad, what are my options?
Studying abroad in Spain has become very popular recently. Every year, more students choose cities such as Barcelona, Madrid or Salamanca as their final destination. However, there are much more places to choose from. They might not be as well known as the biggest cities in Spain but are definitely worth it.
This time, I would love to present you Granada, a beautiful city in eastern Andalusia, where I’ve been currently studying for 3 years now.
Granada is quite a small city placed in Andalusia, which is the most southern autonomous community of Spain. Almost every person who has the opportunity to stay in Granada says that It counts with a series of unique characteristics that will definitely make you fall in love with this city at the first sight and will make you want to come back as soon as possible, and I can only agree with that. If you are one of the lucky ones and have been able to visit Granada, I’m sure you feel the same as I do, but if you have not had this opportunity yet, I will be more than happy to show you how it feels to be a student in Granada.
An Intercultural Atmosphere
One of the most interesting things about Granada is its intercultural atmosphere. The city of Granada was a part of Muslim territory called Al-Andalus and it wasn’t retaken by Spanish Christians until 1492. As a result, you can see a lot of Arabian architecture and culture all over the place but at the same time, you can also see the European architecture and the typical Spanish culture. Add to all of that a place where people from all over the world get together, mostly for studying, and you will get a city where any culture, style, personality, and background is accepted with almost no prejudice, which makes it a perfect place for international students.
A Perfect Place for Sightseeing
Probably the most popular part of the city is Albayzín, a medieval Arabian district full of narrow streets surrounded by typically white houses. Without any doubts, my most favorite parts of Albayzín are its small Arabian tea-rooms which offer a great variety of tea products and the well know “miradores” which are basically viewpoints from where you can see the whole city of Granada and its most famous monument called Alhambra (a medieval Arabian fortress which is definitely worth visiting).
There is no such thing as taking a walk around the city centre and Albayzín or just having a great dinner at some of the viewpoints after a long day at the University, and I can totally tell you that you will never get tired of visiting all of these places.
Granada, a Student City
During the school year, students definitely form the biggest part of Granada’s population. There is only one university in Granada called the University of Granada, however, it’s quite big and its faculties are placed in different parts of the city so as a student, you will feel like Granada is a perfect place for you to stay. It is also supposed to be the university that admits the biggest number of international students every year so you really don’t have to worry about feeling alone.
Obviously, the fact that there are so many students in Granada leads to its reputation as a city where the party never ends, which I have to admit is 100% true. On Fridays and Saturdays but even on Thursday evenings (on some of the faculties there are no classes on Fridays), streets get full of people going to party or “tapas”. The most famous street for these activities is called Pedro Antonio but in fact, there are a lot of clubs and bars all over the city centre
.
One of the things I like the most about Granada is exactly its “tapas”, which means that for a price of around 2€ you can get a drink (beer, wine or a soft drink) and you will get a small portion of food. Depending on each bar it can be more or less food but normally it is the best and the cheapest way of having a dinner outside or to socialize with your friends or classmates.
Where to study in Granada:
If you are thinking about choosing Granada as your abroad adventure, take a look at the options you have to study there.
Escuela International de Gerencia
ESADA – Escuela Superior de Arte y Diseño de Andalucía
The City of Culture
Granada is a culturally rich city which combines traditional Andalucian culture (such as flamenco) with the most modern styles. Some of the most distinguished events/places are Parque de Las Ciencias (Science Park) which you can visit on any day, Noche en Blanco (White night) that normally takes place on March, International Festival of Music and Dance, that normally takes place from June to July and Semana Santa (Holy Week) that consists of several processions each day during the whole week.
Finally, I have to admit that even though Granada is quite a small city, it has a lot of things to offer and is definitely worth visiting at least once in your life. If you are interested in studying abroad in Spain, it can also be a great choice as it is totally adapted to student’s life. I hope you enjoyed learning more about this beautiful city and hope you feel encouraged enough to visit it.
Recent Posts
Studying abroad for a semester or a full year can be an incredibly enriching experience. You'll get to experience a new culture, meet new people, and ...
If you're thinking of studying a technical subject like engineering at university, it's crucial that you choose a university that has a rigorous ...
Although it's possible to sail through university without giving a thought to what you're going to do afterwards - concentrating only on enjoying ...