Details

• Spain
• BaWiSo-23
• Undergraduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

Pay attention to the deadlines and complete required application steps. If you need help, you can always ask the international office at WU. Also, there are a lot of ways to ask other students for help (e.g. whatsapp groups or via wu platforms). Other than that, I found the adaption to the spanish system relatively easy, the unav gives a lot of information and offers quick help. Also, if you are an EU-citizen the paperwork to fill out for your stay is relatively minimal.

2. Accommodation

The unav offered a list of student accomodations on their website. Both student residences and platforms to find private apartments. I chose Home&Co, a residence right next to the football stadium. Although it was on the outskirts of the city, reaching the university (20 min walk) and the city center (20 min by bus) was very convenient. Most of the time i walked or took the second-hand bike that i bought. Even with walking it was just ~35 min from the city center. Pamplona is a very safe city, so even when walking home late at night I never felt uncomfortable or unsafe. The residence was very modern and clean I met most of my friends in the common kitchens there. I would definitely recommend it. Only negative point: as it is faster to walk to uni than to take the bus, rainy days can be a bit uncomfortable. The bus costs 1,50 per ride, but with a top up bus card for 2 euros its only 50 cents per ride.

3. Academic life at host university

The teaching style is way different to WU Vienna. Attendance is always required and some professors emphasize a lot on punctuality. One professor even locked the door to prohibit students from entering late. Also, professors really try to get to know you (the list of names always includes a picture), in all of my classes they knew my name at the end of the semester, even when I didn't participate a lot. It feels a bit more personal. I didn't choose the hardest subjects, but in general I think the classes are less difficult than at WU Vienna. The campus is really nice, every building has its own cafeteria and is very modern and clean. Campus staff was also very helpful and friendly at all times.

5. Every day life in the host country

There are a lot of busses. With a top up card for 2 euros every ride costs 50c, without its 1,50€ per ride. The busses are nice but I walked a lot and there is also a rental bike system, which i didnt use. Second hand bikes are widely available and not too expensive. Using a bike is convenient, as there are a lot of bike lines. I would recommend to learn at least a bit of spanish, because a lot of people outside of university dont speak english at all. I only had A1 level, but it really improved in my time there and it makes interactions with the locals way more relaxed and fun, even if you only speak a little. Pamplona is a very safe city, I never felt unsafe at any time. There is a lot of police present, also because of the basque independence movement tensions in the past. There is a lot to do in and around Pamplona. The pyrenees, the sea, the desert and la rioja are all within 1-2 hours of travelling. But northern spain in general is really beautiful, and other Big cities like Barcelona or Madrid are well reachable by train or bus. I really recommend travelling around, also to less known places. In Pamplona it also never got boring. UNAV and various erasmus organisations offer excursions and activities, but also without them there is a lot to do. Every thursday for example, it feels like the whole city comes to the center to have some drinks and a nice time. They call that juevintxos, definitely one of the highlights during my erasmus. But in general, as soon as the weather gets nice, people come to the bars and drink and talk on the streets. Partying in Pamplona is very cheap, the athmosphere was always really nice, but everything starts very late. Also, there were festivals in the city for several occasions. Life in spain in general is quite late, supermarkets open at 9, restaurants in the evening at 8 or 9 and from around 2-5 most restaurants, stores and cafes are closed. UNAV has a huge sports campus that can be used completely free. To book a court you simply have to reserve it on the online website. Equipment is also free to borrow.

6. Testimonial

The four months I spent in spain were some of the best of my life. I never experienced that much in such a short time. Most of the people there were really fun, open minded and always down to do something. I met people from all over the world and many of them became friends. Without a doubt I would recommend everybody that has the chance to do an erasmus.