Exchange Report

For the application I would recommend to prepare well for the interview and inform yourself about the specific courses at the uni you want to go to and why exactly that city and uni. Also, showing them that you did some voluntary/extracurricular work leaves a really good image I think. In terms of preparing for your semester abroad, it's important to sort out the whole course enrollement and recognition process beforehand. Also looking for an accomodation early enough is important!

At first I was very surprised, because the prices in lisbon are quite high relative to the other costs and the wages here. I wanted to live in a flat share, which you can either find through websites like Uniplaces or Whatsapp groups/Facebook. I would really be carefull with the latter I have heard of some people getting scamed (but it also worked for others). The flat shares are quite big, i lived with 6 people and I know some others living with 10 people. I was shocked at first but in the end I really loved it!! It's mostly students in the flat shares and most of them are also on Erasmus which is perfect! I would look for something along a metro as the buses are not really reliable. I dont live close to the Uni, but I love my location! I would recommend anything along the green line (except martim moniz/intendente!!), i lived in anjos, I know many who lived in arroios,alameda or areeiro! But somehting in santos or marques de pombal is also great! Something I wish I had known before is, to look early enough and not wait to find something better, just decide and book, it will only get more expensive and there will be less choices. And it's often worth to spend a bit more to really make yourself feel like home.

The campus is nice, many international students, the professors are very ncie and more relaxed, but there is mandatory attendance. Even though it is your exchange semester the university does expect a specific level and performance ;) Most courses i would say were easier than at WU but a few were a bit more work. The University is a bit outside of the city so there arent a lot of cafes/restaurants in the area, but there is a cantine. There are mostly exchange students in the classes so its a bit hard to get in contact with portuguese, but the uni does organize a buddy programe and a few events.

It's truly a dream! Lisbon is one of the best cities to do your exchange in, hontestly! Public transport is for free if you are (under) 23, the beach is pretty close, you can go surfing before your uni lecture and there are numerous amazing event every week. Erasmus organizations host many events, which are really nice in the beginning to meet people. But in general there are so many festivals, raves, outdoor events, etc. in Lisbon in summer! You can get a surf pass at one of the surf schools at the beach, which really pays of, I loved it! Also, Lisbon is perfect to di trips! The azores, madeira, porto, the algarve, morocco are some examples of the trips most people did :) For safety I would say stay away from martim moniz at night, it's quite sketchy. Also, my wallet was stolen and I know a few whose phone got stolen, so you really need to be carefull with your valuables, especially when going out. Besides that I felt really safe.

It was better than I had ever imagined... I love Lisbon and I especially loved the people. They are who make your exchange the most special. The first few days can be overwhekming but you will meet so so many new people, everyone super open. My advice, just be brave, make the first step, be open and enjoy the new friendships you will make!!