Do's 'n don'ts
Due to the fact that,
together with Rigbert, I was part of the first shipment of students to
Zaragoza, there was absolutely no one that I could ask for advice. This led to
some irritating situations, but also forced me to discover everything; you
could consider me as ’that guy that went to Zaragoza that might be able to
answer your question’.
That being said, over
the past few months I have gathered some points that I would like to share with
prospective students planning to stay in Zaragoza:
·
Plan your
journey! There are 2 websites that you should bookmark straight away if you are
planning to go to Zaragoza, or Spain in that matter: www.alsa.es and www.renfe.com.
The first one can be used to book bus tickets from pretty much all the major
cities in Spain; the second can be used to book train tickets, in case you want
to travel faster. (and have money from
your folks to do so). I have not made use of Renfe, because in all my travel
plans I tried to save as much money on transport as possible, because I’d
rather sit in a bus for 2 more hours and spend the rest on a nice dinner. Alsa
allows you to pay with credit card and Paypal. In the case these payment
methods are not accepted (error on webpage?) you can alternatively book you bus
tickets via www.movelia.es, but this will
cost you a little bit more money. Once arrived in Madrid or Barcelona, it’s not
that complicated to go to the correct bus station. The Alsa busses occasionally
stop at the airport in Madrid and from Barcelona airport you can take the train
or bus to Barcelona Norte/Sants.
·
Get a
European Youth Card (Carné Joven). I have probably already mentioned this in my
blog somewhere, but I cannot stress this enough: get a European Youth Card!
This will get you nice discounts on a lot of museums (if it’s not free already
because you’re a student) and it also gives you some discounts on bus tickets.
(if you buy them at the physical Alsa points). Furthermore, if you plan on
booking a Zaragoza Travelcard (absolutely necessary if you plan on taking the
tram or bus to the Uni every day) you get a discount if you show them your
Youth Card.
·
Try to
find yourself a room or selection of rooms before you arrive. Usually there are
dozens of rooms available in the end of August. For students arriving at the
end of the first semester (beginning of February), it is wise to put extra
effort in your search. The location of your room should depend largely on the
location of your Uni. I do not advice students to travel between the different
Universities, as this can take a lot of your time. (Most IBMS students will
probably go to either Gran Via or Rio Ebro. The study program ‘ADE’ is
completely taught in English at Gran Via, this is kind of the Spanish IBMS,
with more emphasis on mathematics. (a lot more). You can send me a message on
facebook if you need me to invite you into the Erasmus groups. There are,
unfortunately, three different groups; whether this has any connection with the
Spanish crisis I do not know.
·
Try to
gather backup ECs! Due to the fact that a lot of emphasis is put on mathematics
(in ADE), it is very wise to have some ECs from extra-curricular activities
such as an extra language (Spanish + Chinese) or any other source of ECs. Also,
the level of Spanish is higher than what the average IBMS student is used to,
so keep in mind that you will need to focus a lot on the things that are being
taught in order to fully understand.
·
Get an
Erasmus buddy. All the things I’m putting in this blog post are also known by
most Erasmus buddies. Usually you can organize the first meeting with your
Erasmus buddy on the day of your arrival. That way you do not have to worry
about getting lost in the city while trying to find your hostel.
·
Spain has
a mobile phone network, which means you can get a subscription to stay in
contact with your friends in Spain. (and wherever you’re from) The best choice
would probably be the ‘YoiGo’ provider. This company sells a ± € 45 mobile
phone subscription which includes 600MB data per month. € 6 is automatically
deduced every month from this € 45 until it reaches 0. If you run out of MBs,
you have the option to either continue (but with a lower speed) or buy an
additional 200MB.
·
Some nice
places to visit in Zaragoza are:
-
Bull
Mcabes: Irish pub that organizes a Trivia/Quiz night every Thursday from 22:00.
There are a lot of very nice people in this pub! For the guys: all Spanish,
English and Champions League games are broadcasted on big screens.
-
Puerto
Venecia: this is a big shopping mall, just outside of Zaragoza. Not only is
there an Ikea, but also a Primark, Apple Store, Hollister Co store and many
more places where you can spend your European Union Erasmus grant. Take the
tram (or walk) to Goya and find the bus stop to the Puerto Venecia.
-
Museo del
Fuego y de los Bomberos: the fire-fighter museum is kind of hidden, but a very
nice place to gain some knowledge about the fire-fighters in Zaragoza. The employees
are actual fire-fighters and very enthusiastic to give you a tour.
-
Basilica
Pilar: the huge church in Zaragoza is called Pilar. You can go inside for free
and walk around. Also, if you go to the back of the building you can take an
elevator (and some stairs) to enjoy a magnificent view of the city.
-
