At the end of January and with mixed feelings in times like these, I completed my semester abroad in Seville, the capital of Andalusia, as the only accadis student. Was I worried about traveling to live in a foreign country for almost half a year during one of the COVID peaks? Absolutely! I didn't know what to expect, much less how the Spanish would handle the pandemic. With a 14-day incidence of 850 per 100,000 inhabitants in Seville and lots of restrictions, I wasn't entirely comfortable at the beginning of my semester abroad.
Semester abroad in Spain during COVID
After a lot of bureaucratic groundwork and thanks to the encouragement of my family, I had overcome my doubts quite quickly within the first few days. Most importantly, the country and the attitude of the people in Seville proved me wrong. Here, too, the inhabitants were already behaving sensibly and respecting the restrictions at the time of my arrival.
Online lectures were quickly history
After ten days of exploring the city on my own, I was allowed to personally attend my university, EUSA, for the first time for orientation day and get to know my fellow students and the university's facilities. Keeping the minimum distance and wearing a mask were a given.
At the beginning of the semester, online lectures were on the daily agenda. It was somewhat difficult to get to know the lecturers and students well, even online. However, we were fortunate that the situation changed after only three weeks. The Andalusian government and the Universidad de Sevilla, of which EUSA is a part of, decided that we could switch to face-to-face mode. We students were also allowed to choose whether to go back to the lecture hall or continue to follow the lectures online.
EUSA: Choice of subjects and International Office
From a diverse range of courses offered by EUSA in the areas of media, communication and tourism, we put together our schedule for the spring semester in coordination with our universities. My instructors were extremely friendly and helpful from the beginning, and both the content and assignments were very interesting and insightful. In addition, I brushed up on my Spanish skills and possibly improved them a bit. Above all, however, the work of the university on the part of the International Office impressed me. For all questions and concerns I had a contact person at any time, also for private concerns and around the topic of COVID.
Kayak tours and Game of Thrones locations
From the beginning, the university sought to integrate us international students and to get to know and appreciate Seville as much as currently possible during joint activities. Kayak tours on the Guadalquivir River or excursions to Santiponce (Italica), one of the first Roman cities in Spain, as well as to the filming location of "Games of Thrones" are just some of the common excursions.
Highlights and favorite places
In mid-April, the government again allowed travel between Spanish provinces. So I had the opportunity to discover many great cities in the region of Andalusia. My personal highlights include Cadiz (both the beach and the city) and Ronda.
What I like most about Spain and Seville, respectively, besides the incredible weather, is the diversity that the city has to offer. Many influences shape Seville and its inhabitants and allow a life that is hardly comparable to the one in Germany. Among my favorite places are the Alcázar and the Cathedral of Santa María de la Sede. However, my absolute favorites in Seville are the Plaza de España and the Parque de María Luisa, the city's "green lung."
Finally, to answer the question of whether I would choose to spend a semester abroad in Spain again, I definitely say yes today! I enjoyed my time very much despite the restrictions and would make the same decision again at any time.
Laura Reinke, International Sports Management 2021