Exchange Report Ramon Llull University, ESADE …...while some students would use these two weeks to...
Transcript of Exchange Report Ramon Llull University, ESADE …...while some students would use these two weeks to...
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ExchangeReport
RamonLlullUniversity,ESADEBusinessSchool(Spring2018)
LeePuiYing,KoeyBBA(FINA&OM)
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PartI:MonthlyActivityLog……………………………………………………………….3
PartII:GeneralExchangeInformation……………………………………………...5
PartIII:ItemsToBring………………………………………………………………………7
PartIVUsefulLinksandContacts………………………………………………………8
CONTENTS
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Part I: Monthly Activity Log
January
IarrivedBarcelonaon5thJanuary.Thefirsttwoweeksweremainlyorientationactivitiessuchassecuritytalks
andwalkingtours.IgottoknowalotofexchangestudentsthroughtheFacebookgroupandtheorientation
week.YoucanalsojoinaSpanishintensivecourseifyouwanttolearnsomeusefulphrasesfordailylife.The
last two weeks were used for intensive courses (like winter semester in UST). I took a course called
“ImplementingStrategy:Processesand Indicators”because Iwantedtotake lesscourse inregularsemester
whilesomestudentswouldusethesetwoweekstotravel.IdidalotofsightseeinginBarcelonasuchasPark
Güell,Montjuic, La Sagrada Familia and Tibidabo. I also went to watch a football match at Nou Camp (FC
BarcelonaVSEspañyol).ThematchwasamazingandIgottoseeMessionLIVE!
February
TheregularsemesterstartedinFebruary.Exchangestudentswereonlyallowedtotakethecore(easier)course
inESADEbecausemostoftheadvancedcoursesweretaughtinSpanish.Itook“SupplyChainManagement”,
“Project Management”, “Managing Services”. They were transferred as elective credits for my Operations
Management’smajorrequirement.Theworkloadwasmuchlowerandveryeasytogetapass.Apartfromthese
courses, I also took “Never TooManyMovie: Spanish and Catalan Society Through Cinema” and “Arts and
CultureinSpainandCatalonia:2000yearsofbeauty”.Ilearntalotoflocalcultureandactivitiesfromthesetwo
classesandtheprofessorwassuperfriendly.IwenttoNice,Franceduringoneoftheweekends.Itwaslocated
veryclosetoBarcelonaandthebeachwasverybeautiful.
March
March was a traveling month! I got three weeks off with just very few assignments. I went to Morocco,
Amsterdam,Prague,Budapest,ViennaandBratislavawithotherexchangestudents.Themostunforgettable
tripwasMorocco,whereIjoinedalocaltourtotheSaharaDesert.Thatwasmyfirsttimeridingonacameland
livedinatentinsidethedesert.BecarefulthatMarchwasstillcoldinEasternEurope.Therefore,rememberto
bringmoreclothesifyoutravelinMarch.IgotsickduringmytripbecauseIdidnotbringenoughclothes.
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April
Aprilwasabusymonth.Ihadmanypresentationsandexaminationsduringthismonth.InESADE,alargeportion
ofgradingwerebasedongroupprojectsandgrouppresentations.Therefore,Ihadtoattendalotofmeetingat
school.TheexamsweremucheasierthanUSTandnormallytookplaceinthelastlesson(aroundone-hourlong).
IspentthewholeAprilenjoyingthesuninBarcelonaandworkingwithassignments.TheweatherinAprilwas
optimal.PeoplewerecelebratingSaint-Jordi’sday(CatalanValentine’sDay)inmid-April.Youwouldseelotsof
peoplecarryingflowersandbooksaroundonthatday.
May
Itwasnearlytheendofsemester.IjusthaveafewclassesleftatthebeginningofMay.Everyonewasleavingat
thattimeexceptthosewhotookcourses insummersemester.BeforecomingbacktoHongKong, Iwentto
BerlinandLondon.
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Part II: General Exchange Information
VisaProcedures
The visa application was easy and straightforward. But there were quite a lot of documents required. For
example,housingletter,acceptanceletter,bankingstatement,returnfighttickets,hardcopiesforEVERYPAGE
fromyourpassport…Asweonlygoforonesemester,applyingshort-termstudentvisawouldbeenough.Iwould
recommendyouapplyforitatleastonemonthbeforeyouleaveanddoremembertobookyourappointment
inadvance.
http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/HONGKONG/en/InformacionParaExtranjeros/Documents/Visa%20
PDF/Student%20Visa.pdf
OrientationActivities
Orientationbeganon8thJanuary,includingseveralsecuritytalksbytheschool,ice-breakingactivitiesorganized
by an international student committee in ESADE and free walking tour. It was a good way to meet other
exchangestudents.
InternationalServices&Activities
ThereisaninternationalstudentorganizationcalledCIEEandtheyorganizedactivitiesregularly.Makesureto
keeptrackontheFacebookgroupifyouwanttojointhem.
Accommodations
YoucaneitherliveinthecampusinSanCugatorliveinthecity.Irentedanapartmentwiththeotherexchange
studentfromUSTinthecitycentercalledBalmes166.Itwascosted800eurosamonth(allelectricityandwater
billsincluded,alsoacleaningladywouldcleanmyhouseonceaweek).Thisapartmentwaspriceybutitwas
locatedjust5minutesawayfromProvencastation,wherethetrain(FGC)wouldgetmedirectlytotheSant
Cugatstationwithoutanytransfer.Besides,theareaIlivedinwasverysafeandconvenient.EvenwhenIwent
backatnightIwouldnotfeelinsecure.Someofmyfriendsdidliveonthecampus.Butittookaround45minutes
forthemtogettothecitycenter.Iwouldrecommendyoutoliveinthecitycenterbecauseitisclosertothe
airportandeasiertohangoutwithyourfriends.
Therearemanytravelagenciesonline,forexample,“spotahome”and“uniplace”.Thelinkbelowisthehousing
websitethatIused.(http://www.barcelona-student-housing.com/index.html)
CoursesRegistration
Thereweretwostagesinthecourseregistrationprocess.ThefirstonetookplaceinNovember,whereyouhad
toallocatepointstothecoursesthatyouwantedtotake.Itwasnotinfirst-come-first-servebasis.Justsubmitted
theformbeforethedeadlinewouldbefine.Thesecondstagewastheadd-dropperiodwhereyouwouldadd,
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swapordropanycourses.However,theadd-dropperiodendedbeforethesemesterstartedandmostofthe
coursesrequired80%attendancesomakesureyouplanahead.Ifyouhaveanyquestions,feelfreetoemailthe
exchangecoordinator.Theywillreplyquickly.
TeachingandAssignmentMethods
ESADEfocusesalotongroupwork.Forbusinesscourses,morethan50%ofthegradeisbasedongroupproject.
UnlikeUST,onecourseis3-hourlonginESADEandwith15minutesbreakinbetween.Itisgoodforexchange
studentsbecausewecanhavemoreday-offs.
SportsandRecreationFacilities
Thereisagymincampusandthefeeisnotexpensive.Butifyouarenotlivinginthecampus,Iwouldrecommend
thegyminthecitycenterliketheonecalledEurofitness.
FinanceandBanking(includingcurrency/expenses)
Ididn’topenabankaccountinSpain.IhaveactivatedinternationalbankingoptionintheATMinHongKong
beforeIcame.Therefore,IcouldwithdrawmoneyattheATMinBarcelona.Also,mostofmylivingexpenses
werepaidbycard.ItwillbemoreconvenienttohaveaSpanishaccountbutitisnotamust.
SocialClubs&NetworkingOpportunities
LikeImentionedbefore,CIEEistheonlyinternationalstudentorganizationinESADE.Sometimestherewillbe
someone-dayhikingtriporganizedbyagroupofexchangestudent.TheywillannounceitontheFacebookpage.
Health&Safety
Ingeneral,Barcelonawasasafecountry.Butremembertotakecareofyourbelongingsinthecrowdedareas
suchasmetro,clubs,restaurants...PickpocketingisverycommoninBarcelona.Afewfriendsofminehavegot
theirphones/laptops/walletsstolen.Donotbringtoomuchmoneyandpassportwhenyougoout.Ididnotvisit
thedoctorsduringmyexchange.Duringorientation, theadvisorswill tell you thedetailsof findingEnglish-
speakingdoctors.
Food
OneofthemainfoodinBarcelonaistomatobread.IreallyloveitbecauseIamabread-loveranditisrelatively
cheap.Ifyoueatoutattherestaurant,itcostsaround15-20euros(forasetmenu).Inormallycookedathome
tosavemoney.TherewereseveralAsiansupermarketsinCatalunyawhereyoucanbuyinstantnoodles,rice
andmuchotherAsianfood.Besides,thepaellaandSangriawereverynice.
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Transportation
The transportation system inBarcelona isefficient.Youcanget to theairporteasilyby taking themetroor
Aerobus(onlytakesyou40minutesfromPlazaCatalunyatotheairport).MetroransovernighteverySaturday.
Evenifyoubackhomelateduringweekdays,youcantakethenightbuseswhichconnectthewholecity.Ibought
oneT-Jovefor3monthsandonefor1month.ESADEislocatedatzone2soyouneedtobuya2zonesticket.It
costs140eurosfora3-monthticketbutyoucantakeasmanymetroandbusasyoucan.
FGCwebsite:https://www.fgc.cat/
Climate
TheweatherinBarcelonaisveryniceinAprilandMay.Evenduringwinter,itisnotthatcoldcomparedtoother
Europeancountries.ItseldomsnowsbutIdidseeitonceduringmyexchange.
Communication
ItwillbebetterifyoulearnsomebasicSpanishbeforegoingtoBarcelona.TheyspeakbothCatalanandSpanish
butnotallofthemknowEnglish.Bereadytousegoogletranslateandbodylanguageallthetime.
I bought the mobile data plan in Hong Kong (HKD 300 for 12GB, available across all European countries)
However, I could not have local call. Some of my friends used themobile service providers there such as
Vodafone(around15eurospermonth)
Cautionarymeasure
Pick-pocketingisamajorprobleminBarcelona.Aslongasyouareawareofallyourbelongingsallthetime,you
willbefine.Moreover,makesureyougoclubbingwithyourfriendsandfigureoutthetransporttobackhome
beforegoingout.
Part III: Items To Bring
• HKIDandPassport(andcopies)
• HousingLetter(andcopy)
• AcceptanceLetter(andcopy)
• Winterclothes
• Cash
• Laptop
• Smallsuitcaseorbackpackfortravelling
• Medicine
• Camera
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Part IV Useful Links and Contacts
1. Visaapplication:
http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/HONGKONG/en/InformacionParaExtranjeros/Documents/
Visa%20PDF/Student%20Visa.pdf
2. Housing:
http://www.barcelona-student-housing.com/index.html
3. Transportation:
https://www.fgc.cat/
4. Travel:
https://flights.ryanair.com/en-gb/(airlinethatItookthemostduringmyexchange)