Details

• Spain
• MAWiRe-21
• Graduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

The application process was pretty straight forward and I had to write a Motivation Letter and also post my CV, as well as listing my favourite choices for host universities. I used all my 7 choices and would encourage everyone to do the same, as long as there are 7 feasible option for oneselve. After being selected another student made use of the contact information that you get regarding the other students that will do an exchange at the same university and we met beforehand in Vienna to get to know each other already in advance. I can only recommend doing the same thing as it helped talking to other people about the process, deadlines or sharing a flat.

2. Accommodation

I searched for a flat with two other students from WU who I met through the contact information that you get about other students that are going to the same exchange university. We searched through different websites online, particularly idealista, where we found a flat that we liked. We did not get that one, however the agency later on gave us several other choices where we choose our final appartment from in the end. Idealista was quite a good website to search on if you are looking to rent your own appartment as we did. The agency through which we rented it in the end was called aTemporal. We were quite satisfied with the flat itself and the agency, at least taking Barcelona standards into account. The agency took quite a while to answer sometimes and weren't always the easiest to work with, but overall there were no major problems to our stay and the flat. We were located in the Poble Sec neighbourhood which I really liked. It has a lot of restaurants and bars and is in general quite lively. I always felt safe, however it does border El Raval which is said to be the more dangerous part of Barcelona. I never had any problems safteywise though. Our commute to ESADE was 30-40mins depending on the subway and bus schedule. Taking into account that we were really close to the city center and the beach that was quite a good time. Overall you should be careful when choosing an appartment and agency. I've heard of quite a few people that ran into scams and flats that did look nothing like advertised.

3. Academic life at host university

The law faculty is based in Barcelona, Pedralbes. The main campus is based in Sant Cugat, a city roughly 20-30mins from Barcelona, however as law students we only had lectures in Pedralbes. The buildings weren't the most modern ones but absolutely fine and had everything that the students needed. The teaching was quite similar to what I am used to from WU, however exams and preparation as well as course material can be quite different. Exams were often Single Choice exams or rather short, detailed questions that you needed to answer. In one course we also had to write an essay. We never had to solve any cases though like what I am used to from WU. Also, in class participation is often a substantial part of the grades and grading can feel quite arbitrary in some courses. Course materials were always given to us and we never needed any additional information etc. to pass the courses then what we got from the professors. Most of the times it was only Powerpoint presentations though, so depending on the exact course it will be necessary to make notes. Taking into account that the courses will be mostly recognized as specialisations or seminars I would reckon they were equally hard.

5. Every day life in the host country

Public transport was quite good and I used it a lot. The subways are great and cover a great part of the city. The bus system worked really well too. For public transport I got the t-jove card, with which you can get around Barcelona in any means of public transport for 3 months and in all 7 zones which is more than enough for everyday life. It cost about 40€. I had no safety issues during my stay. However you do need to be cautios regarding pick pockets, especially in touristy places and public transport. There is an Erasmus app and Whatsapp groups for Erasmus students in Barcelona. They organise trips and activities on the weekends but also during the week. It's especially helpful in the first couple of weeks to get to know people. Sports wise, the beach and Montjuic are great for running and obviously you should go and watch a FC Barcelona match at least once when you are there.

6. Testimonial

My exchange semester in Barcelona was an amazing experience that I will always look back on very fondly. I really enjoyed studying law in an international environment and learning from experts in another country, especially when it came to international law and seeing how different legal systems work and overlap. What made the exchange truly special for me, though, was not only the academic side but also the people. I met students and professionals from all over the world and made friendships that I’m sure will last long after the exchange. Living abroad in a different country, experiencing a new culture, food, and way of life on a daily basis, was incredibly rewarding and made the whole experience even more meaningful.