Arriving in the city at the end of January was a little different than expected and quite chaotic, but after just over two months I feel at home in Seville. After a few moves, I arrived in the "La Oliva" neighborhood, near the UPO. La Oliva is a quiet neighborhood in the south of Seville with a mix of locals and students from the various universities. As the neighborhood is not very central and I like cycling, I bought a second-hand bike at the beginning, which I can highly recommend in this city. Depending on where you live, the public transport connections are not so good. You can reach everything within 20 to 25 minutes by bike.
As far as life at the university is concerned, it took me a while to get used to the new structures. I find that ASH is more open and flexible in many areas when it comes to organizing seminars. In my degree program at the UPO, I noticed a certain amount of control on the part of the teachers, in the form of tasks that have to be completed in the lesson itself or attendance lists that have to be submitted.
In terms of content, each seminar has a practical and a theoretical part, which take place at different times, which ultimately means more work, as each part involves an examination.
CHALLENGES
For me personally, it was challenging to get in touch with the locals and make friends. After several attempts and conversations with different people from different places and life situations, I came to the conclusion that most people from Seville are not open to integrating new people from "outside". I myself speak Spanish as a first language and have lived in Gran Canaria for some time, but it was still difficult for me to make deeper friendships (I must also say that I am very impatient). This is because many people have spent their whole lives in the city or in the surrounding area and have their fixed groups. In the meantime, I have gotten used to this situation and through the Erasmus activities and other events I have met people with whom I am in regular contact and can discover the city.
Seville is a city that has a lot to offer, the old town alone, which is also the center, is a beautiful place where you can easily lose yourself in the streets. Other districts such as Triana or La Macarena are perfect for a stroll or a tapas tour. I myself am very active and try to discover new places every week and attend events such as poetry slams, comedy stand ups, open mic, flamenco evenings, etc. Seville also has a political scene with different groups and focuses, which I was also able to immerse myself in. Together with another student, for example, we were involved in planning the demonstration on March 8.
In addition, the UPO itself recently founded a group to protest against the current precarious situation at the public university, of which I am also a member.
To sum up, after 75 days in Seville, I can say that I feel at home here and am happy to be studying at the UPO. I'm looking forward to what lies ahead and to my further journey on my internship abroad.
Further information online:
Here is the English-language website of the Pablo de Olavide University in Seville.
Information on studying and internships abroad on the website of the International Office of ASH Berlin.
