Anastasiya Karepina, a student at the Department of Management, shared her impressions of the Erasmus+ academic mobility program in Almeria, Spain:
"I am studying at the University of Almeria for the second semester under the Erasmus+ academic mobility program.
The program supports opportunities for educational and academic mobility in education and for youth, projects and partnerships, and the development of strategies and cooperation. Thanks to Erasmus+, hundreds of students from all over Europe have the opportunity to meet in different countries to study abroad, exchange experiences, find new acquaintances and experiences. Also, because of the war in Ukraine, there have been many more opportunities for Ukrainian students. European universities have opened extraordinary academic mobility for study. Now universities directly invite students to study. The University of Almeria is no exception.
The opportunity to study abroad, live independently, learn about the culture of the country in which you study is incredible. I believe that this is the best period of student life. But it is important to talk about the disadvantages of such an exchange. The first problem that a student immediately faces is the search for housing. If you plan to study under the academic mobility program, then you should think about housing about 2 months before your arrival. Many students are looking for rooms in apartments, because it is cheaper than living in a dormitory. Education in Spain is very different from ours. The most important thing to focus on is the grading system. Quite often, the grade for the subject depends on the exam (50-90%). If you don't pass the exam halfway, then you don't pass the subject at all. Points are awarded according to the following system: each correct answer is 1 point, if you answer incorrectly, a certain number of points are deducted from those you answered correctly (the teachers decide), that is, it is better to answer only those questions in which you are completely sure. A missed question is not taken away, it is necessary to prepare very diligently for the exams and spend a lot of time preparing. After studying online in Ukraine, you get used to the usual and it's a little difficult to switch, that's why I advise you to focus on the exams, because it's very difficult to pass them on the first try. In general, teachers are open, try to help students, the material is not difficult, but I cannot say for all subjects. And the most significant problem, in my opinion, is the language barrier. Unfortunately, knowledge of English will be needed here only in education. In other cases, in Almería, the majority of local residents simply do not know and do not understand it.
The scholarship for an exchange student from Ukraine at the University of Almeria is 850 euros per month. This money is completely enough for renting a room in an apartment, food, travel, all household needs, as well as going out with friends for tapas (a variety of snacks served in bars with beer or wine, which is very popular in Spain). Therefore, there is no need to worry about the fact that there may not be enough money. If you approach the allocation of the budget wisely, the scholarship covers all personal needs.
So, as always, there are positive and negative aspects of academic mobility. Therefore, you should carefully familiarize yourself with the details of the program, consider everything and make a decision with a "cold" head, and not with emotions. No matter what problems I faced, I am still 100% satisfied that I had the opportunity of such training in my life. Erasmus+ is an incredible adventure and a fantastic experience of student life."
