Studying in Barcelona for half a year

During my bachelor, I went to Birmingham, England, for a semester. That was really cool and I had learnt so much from that, I wanted to do something like that again. I love Spain and during a holiday in Barcelona I got a certain feeling about that city. I thought: this is where I'm going to live.

During an introductory day, I immediately met other people. Many events and trips were organised for foreign students, but I mainly met the Spaniards from my master's programme. We often made field trips in the mountains for the study, spending a whole day together, so we got a bond that way.

I got to know different Spanish cultures, as I had friends from the Basque Country, Catalonia and Rioja and they each had their own customs. The way of living in Spain is wonderful. I had college from 2pm and I liked that, because I'm not really a morning person.

Going back to the Netherlands was terrible! Not only did I have to say goodbye to the city, but also to my friends. When I arrived in the Netherlands in winter, I immediately wanted to go back and so I did for a weekend a few months later.

I made many friends and memories, but also got to know myself. I now know that I like change in my life and cannot stay in one place for long, that I am good at being alone and that I make friends easily. I can also speak a little Spanish now. It causes a lot of stress in the beginning, but you get so much in return. It's really worth it! It was one of the best times of my life.

Updated on Tirsdag, 17/02/2026