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 It-Tlieta, 17/02/2026