Erasmus+ Journal (Issue 4) 2015/16

Selina Wolf, Univerity of Huelva, Spain, Mobility for Study, PHST

Contact:
Universidad de Huelva, Calle Dr. Cantero Cuadrado, 6, 21071 Huelva, Spain
Tel.: +34 959 21 80 00

Erasmus Office (Coordinator): Juan José Gómez Boullosa (drinter02@sc.uhu.es)

The university of Huelva compared to the PHST (Austria, Styria) is a very big campus. There are around 12.000 students. And always students from the erasmus programm (around 220 Erasmus students). The founding of the Univeristiy of Huelva was in 1993.

In Huelva there are 3 university campus:

"EL CARMEN": This campus is the biggest one. There are a lot of buildings and everything is new and modern. (It's better to have a bike there, otherwise you have to walk a lot). You have there a lot of faculties and a big cafeteria. This campus is provided at the end of the city. I had all my courses there.

"LA MERCED": This university is the Faculty of Business Science in the city center of Huelva.

"LA RABIDA": THis university is the Polytechnic and it's far away from the city. You have to take the bus and it takes more or less 1 hour.

University Courses

Spanish A1 (6 ECTS): This Spanish class was about all the basics in the Spanish language. We had this class two times a week (Tuesday and Thursday). Our teacher was from Germany. Of course she was good in spanish but I (and a lot of other students) had a problem to follow her lessons. She gave us a lot of information and the lessons were a lot about theory, but we all had a problem to understand it. In the end of the course we had an oral exam, a written exam and a listening.

Attention for diversity in early childhood (6 ECTS): This English class was about diversity, disabilities and all about children. The level of English was really low, some Spanish students couldn't understand everything and some of them (for me it seemed like) not to know any English at all. I was a little bit shocked, because only a few spanish students can speak English. During the course we had some groupworks and presentations and two written exams.

Especilazion Deportiva: fùtbol y voleibol (6 ECTS): This sport class was divided into two parts with two different teachers. The first 2 months of the semester we had soccer with a Spanish teacher who couldn't speak english very well. He tried his best to explain us a little bit in English. But the whole theoretical part was in spanish. During the course everyone of us had to prepare a football lesson (Practical part). In the end of this soccer course we had an exam. The teacher was so lovely and gave us the questions in English. The second part of this course (the other 2 months) we had volleyball. The teacher was also Spanish but he has a really high level of English. So we had no problem to follow the lessons. We had the same conditions as in football. We learned a lot in these courses and it was really intresting for me, to see how spanish classes are working.

Ensenanza y Promocion de otros deportes (6 ECTS): This course was also divided into two parts but with the same teacher. The first part of the semester we had Judo. It was only a practical course without theory lessons. The second part was Tchouckball. In both of them we had to write a diary about all lessons and we had to write a work about 10 pages. In the end of both parts we had a practical exam.

Practicum:

"El Puntal" - that's the name from the school where I did my internship. The school is in Bellavista. It's a small village near to Huelva. In El Puntal there are 13 primary school classes and 28 teachers. Next to the school (it's the same building) is a kindergarten which contains also 5 extra classes. A lot of children in spanish schools wear a school uniform. In El Puntal the children do not need it, but they can if they want. In Austria the primary school takes four years, from the age of 6 until the age of 10. In Spain there is another system for primary school education. It is a little bit different than in Austria. The primary school in Spain takes six years from the age of 6 until the age of 12. In Austria it lasts only 4 years. It was really interesting for me, because in Austria I teach also older children.

The teaching methodology is different than in Austria too. In Austria schools they teach more in an open way (self-studing). For us it's very important, that the children can learn from themselves. They often work in groups and the teacher can help them if they need something. In Spain it's not the same. The teaching methodology is more in a frontal way. Not always, but the most time.

We needed 60 hours for our practicum. We were allowed to choose the days when we want to do our practicum. It was really nice, because we could do it, when we had time to do it. So it was perfect, because of the courses at the university. While the practicum we could see every class we want to. So we had the opportunity to see a lot of subjects and to join many teachers. I was often with Ramon and Eduardo. Ramon is a very good english teacher and Eduardo a sportteacher. In physical education the teaching methodology was so different than in Austria. I was a little bit shoked. One day we were skating with all students and the teacher was so relaxed. In Austria you always have to control everything. In spain everyone is relaxed and noone cares when not everything is going right. In Austria it's always strikt and everything is planned. In spain it's completely different. Also the relationship between the teacher and the child is more intimate than in Austria.

Before the school starts, the kids are waiting outside of the schoolbuilding for their teachers. The teachers fetch them outside and go togheter in the classrooms. Most of the children don't have a schoolpack like in Austria. They do not wear them on their back. They have a "trolley". For me it was nice to see, how the children came to school. The majority came with their parents. It was so lovely to see this. Also when the school was over, all parents were waiting outside for their children. In Austria the children go by bus or by foot. In my opinion the people in spain are more familial. I always went by bike to Bellavista. It's not typical in Spain to go by bike to school or to work. The children were really surprised when they saw me with my bike.

I felt so welcome there. All of the children were so lovely and nice. Not only to me but also to everyone. Also the children with disabilities were completely integrated. The children always hugged me and wanted to know everything about me and my life. They were so interested and so cute. I am really happy, that I had this wonderful experience. I will never forget these children and these happy people there.

Registration

I've got all informations from the plattform of the university Huelva. You can find there all informations about the registration. You can find all useful informations here: http://uhu.es/english/erasmusplusincoming

Normally there is a welcome-week before the semester starts. I've got a lot of helpful informations there.

Finances

The life in Spain is cheaper than in Austria. Normally you pay for a room in Huelva around 160 - 190 Euros. Also the nightlife is so much cheaper than in Austria. In a bakery near to my flat, you get a coffee for € 1,20.

Review of my study abroad in academic terms

I arrived 1 week before the university starts. One week before the university starts is a "Welcomeweek" for all Erasmusstudents. It's not obligatory but it's helpful for your stay abroad. It's not very easy to find the right courses or to get the courses you like. I changed my learning agreement 3 times. Because some courses I chose before, didn't exist or overlap with some others.

Different to Austria is, that you get so much more ECTS for one subject.

My life in Huelva

I arrived on the 7th of February in Sevilla. I took the plane from Munich to Sevilla. But you also can go to Faro. Huelva has no airport, but Faro and Sevilla (both are 1 hour away from Huelva). The first time I slept in a Hostel (Interjuven). I met there a lot of other Erasmus students. The first days were really exciting, because everything was new and I needed to do so many things. We were looking for a flat and ESN Huelva was so helpful for us. Three days after arriving we found a nice flat directly in the city center. I was living with one Austrian girl and one Swedish girl together. Before I came to spain I thought it is a country in the south and it's always warm there - FALSE! The first 2 months it was really cold there. Also in our flat, because in Spain they don't have heaters inside.

Relax! - In Spain it's very important to "chill". When you want to buy something and you want to pay - it takes a lot of time. I think spanish people don't know the word "stress". Everything takes a long time. The first time i was a little bit nerved, but you have to come down and to learn how to deal with the spanish mentality. And you can't go shopping in the time between 13:30 and 17:00, because at this time it is siesta there. All shops are closed. Also the times to eat are very different than in Austria. In spain it's normal to eat their dinner around 10 pm. Everything is later than in Austria.

Huelva is a good place to travel. And you have enough time to do it (also when you have university).
You can go to all places in Andalusia by car. It's not very expensive to rent a car there when you are 5 people. Also Portugal (Algarve) is only 1 hour away. I loved it.

It was the best decision to do this semester abroad. I met so many nice people from all over the world. I know now so many other people and lifestyles. I see the world with other eyes now.

Best decision ever to live 5 months in SPAIN !! :-)