Pamplona: Historic City With Plenty of Culture and Scenery Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Exams hold much more weight and focus than homework and projects. Heavy emphasis on listening during lectures, rather than discussion.

On-site administration of your program

There is a very informative and helpful Welcoming Week at the beginning of each semester to familiarize international students with the University as well as give them a chance to meet each other and relax a bit before beginning classes. They are very flexible with allowing international students to register and allowing plenty of time to make adjustments if there is a conflict with requirements at their home University. The registration process itself is a little bit unorganized and emphasis is really placed on the students themselves to figure out their course load. It is a small city and as such you experience a very true Spanish culture and very learn the language more effectively by immersing yourself in the language.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I got in contact with some Spanish students studying for their last semester and we were able to get an apartment for only the 4 months that we needed it. The University has a very helpful website with a housing directory. I would strongly encourage an apartment with Spanish students if possible. Do not live in dorms unless you want a strict curfew. The apartment was fully furnished, as most are there. However most places do not have dryers, so get used to hanging your clothes out every time you do laundry. If you have any trouble with housing the international office is very helpful with assisting international students in finding housing.

If you are a vegetarian it may be a somewhat difficult stay as there are not many restaurants that offer vegetarian options. Got to the Fruterías for fresh cheap produce, and the Panaderías for fresh baked bread. The Casco Viejo(the old city) is a great area to go out with friends for drinks and pintxos(Basque style tapas). Wine is cheap and of good quality as Navarra is so close to La Rioja(Spanish wine country). Take a bottle and some bocatas(sandwiches) to the Ciudadela on a nice sunny day.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The University organizes trips to San Sebastian and Barcelona as well as a surfing trip to Biarritz, though some tend to be a bit expensive. Look for cheap flights(Ryanair, Easyjet, Vueling) or trains if you have a weekend free as everything is very close in Europe compared to the States. San Fermines fest happens in July, so if you stay for the summer internship program it would definitely be worth checking out. Pamplona is a small city, so if you are looking for nightlife, try Barcelona or Madrid instead.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Pamplona is a very calm small city. I never once felt that my safety was in jeopardy. There are plenty of hospitals around so healthcare is easily accessible if need be. There are no specific vaccines that should be needed for Spain, as it is a developed country. If you do travel to larger cities such as Barcelona, keep in mind that you should be a bit more careful as there are high amounts of pickpockets in the big touristy areas, however I never experience any problems in any large cities I traveled to in Europe.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I spoke Spanish with both of my Spanish roommates on a daily basis. As it is a smaller city most people do not speak English or if they do very little. Most international students through the ERASMUS exchange program speak English, but it is good to try to make friends with Spanish students to learn Spanish more effectively. Although the University offers some classes in English, almost all are in Spanish, thus it is important to already have a strong Spanish background.

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• Apartment

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• Local Students

• Very Helpful International Office

• Organization at the Host University