My year abroad in Murcia, Spain

Rafael studies BA Business Management and Modern Languages within our Essex Business School here at the University of Essex. For 2023-2024, Rafael studied abroad at Universidad de Murcia. Below he tells us about his experience and gives tips to other students looking to study abroad...

"For my 2023-2024 academic year I was abroad. I went away to Spain in the city of Murcia, which is located in the South-eastern part of the country. It can get very hot during several months of the year, some may enjoy it, others may not. It has its own region, which is called Región de Murcia, with Murcia being the capital city of the region. One could call it a university city, there are many young people who are students at the University.

When I arrived for the first time, I could already feel the heat hitting me. During the first few weeks I found many foreign students, who had gone away for a year like me. I could relate to them and they could relate to me, I made many new friends this way. The first few weeks also were where I needed to adapt to the new country, I had to adapt to the language, food and weather. The cultural habits were slightly different, nonetheless I had adapted rather quickly.

Academically, I also needed to adjust to the style of teaching. The way in which the students are assessed was quite distinct. I must confess that initially I struggled to keep up with the pace. After a couple of months, I had gotten used to their style and everything started to flow much more smoothly.

One thing that I certainly enjoyed was going away on trips, especially during the holiday season. A very memorable one was when I went to Madrid, I visited the city during the Easter break period. I managed to get tickets for a football game between Spain and Brazil, it was a quite unique experience that I enjoyed and will not forget.

For students who are thinking about going abroad for a year I would recommend them to always stay active. By staying active you enjoy the experience to the fullest, so international students should always try to go to the social events, trips and interact with local people. This way, you’ll meet lots of new people, learn about new cultures and learn the native language.

By the end, I did not feel like coming back. I had gotten used to my routine over there, I became fluent in Spanish and communicating with the locals became a second thought. I was completely immersed into their culture, but I had to do what I had to do, which was to come back. This does not mean that I will not go back to Spain in the future!"

Inspired by Rafael's travels? Check out your options to have an international experience via our dedicated Essex Abroad webpages.