The faculty of arts and humanities of the university of Porto is one of the oldest teaching establishments in Portugal. We can compare the university of Porto with Coimbra and Lisbon in terms of status. Coming from a polytechnic background it was somewhat of a cultural “shock” even as a local, to see just how engrained the teaching process was there. There is a higher emphasis towards technicality and theory and not much towards actual practice. The teaching there felt slightly outdated and on the verge of a Pink Floyd song. There wasn’t really much room for creativity in most of the subjects I took except for maybe 2 or 3. Perhaps I got used to something better or much more freeing by taking my bachelor’s degree at a polytechnic but if felt as if we had to follow a strict set of rules in order to succeed. The facilities themselves are great and have one of the best locations in Porto where you can find everything you want in the city in a heartbeat. Given the nature of the faculty (arts and humanities), there is definitely a lot more room for foreign students and they can be easily inserted in the community. You can really see that FLUP takes pride in having students from the 4 corners of the world. As an international student this university might be one of the very best if you want to have a great experience in Portugal.

The University of Porto is located very close to the center, the campus is immense and beautiful but it is not well adapted for disabled people, once there are a lot of stairs and tight corridors. Besides this, the structure is very good and it is a comfortable place to study either in the library or outside among the trees. During my course, I’ve faced great teachers that are dedicated to the students and give amazing classes, but I have also had some unpleasant teachers who are rude and disrespectful towards the students, especially immigrants. The hours are usually well distributed so students who may need to work can do it without missing classes. The programme is very good and the professors try and keep everyone at the same level, which sometimes may even be repetitive but still great. On the other hand, classes are mostly expositive and not very interactive, which can be a problem depending on the student. Nonetheless, to study in between those walls in the marvelous city of Porto, with internationally renowned researchers is for sure a very rewarding experience.