Universidade Catolica Portuguesa - Lissabon

Transcription

1 Universidade Catolica Portuguesa - Lissabon PREPARATION exchange application process The application process is a little bit stressful, because you need to hand in a some documents and therefor you need signatures from both universities. However, both universities are very helpful. Once you know which forms you need to fill in, it doesn't take that much time and effort. For Catolica you don't need to do a language test. counselling & support at Utrecht University The support at UU is very good and helpful. If you need a fast answer, call them or go to the International Office instead of sending them an . academic preparation There was no academic preparation required for the courses. Most courses are very specific, so the first class(es) are an introduction to the topic. language preparation There was no language preparation required. However, I did an Legal English course to prepare for the English courses. finances In the last months before my Erasmus I saved some money. Next to that I got an Erasmus grant, 'OV vergoeding' and student loan. Lisbon is not very expensive. But keep in mind that you will spend a lot of money, because of trips/activities. As a student you get discount on your metro card and mostly you also get discounts for cultural sights etc. study programme (content and organisational issues) STUDY ABROAD PERIOD Catolica has a special program with courses in English. The courses are very intensive, mostly every day in two/three weeks. After the course you have a take home exam/essay/in-class exam. The level of most courses is similar to Utrecht and they really expect you to participate. However, you will learn a lot! The professors are from all over the world and most courses are very interesting. academic quality of education activities The academic quality of most courses is similar to Utrecht. The readings/preparation for the class is less than in Utrecht, but participation is very important. Most professor give you a grade for participation. counselling & support at receiving university abroad Catarina is the contact person for law students of Catolica. She is very helpful and nice. She responded my very fast, but keep in mind the summer break if you go on Erasmus the first semester. transfer of credits I don't know yet about the transfer of my credits, but I don't expect any problems. welcome & orientation programme STUDENT LIFE Catolica organised a lot of welcome activities for law students.we had a welcome session, a university tour, an intercultural workshop, a daytrip to an Adventure park, a TucTuc tour and lunch with the Dean. Next to that the UU Erasmus+ report deadlines: 1 March 2017 for 1 st semester ~ 1 July 2017 for 2 nd semester or full year exchange page 1 of 5

2 student organization organised some activities for the Erasmus-students, like a dinner and a daytrip to Cascais. In November Lisbon also organised a welcome event. accommodation I got my accommodation via Lisbon4U and I really enjoyed my stay in one of their apartments. It is not very cheap to rent a room in Lisbon, but cheaper than in Utrecht. Another organization is Uniplaces. leisure & culture Lisbon is an amazing city for culture and activities. There are a lot of museums and it is a good place for surfing! You can also get cheap flights to Madeira/Azoren, I really recommend to go there! suggestions/tips Sign up for ESN and/or ELL. They have amazing trips, tours, parties and other activities. CONCLUSIONS would you recommend this university/destination abroad to others? please explain Yes, absolutely. Lisbon has everything you need for Erasmus: the weather is good, the city is beautiful, there are many Erasmus students, the beach is close to the city and the University is very good. do you have any additional advice or comments? - PREPARATION exchange application process The exchange application process went smoothly. We had to make a top 3 list of places we wanted to go. My first choice was Lisbon, since I heard a lot of good stories from other students about this city and university. counselling & support at Utrecht University The international office was very helpful and willing to answer all your questions. academic preparation I havent' done any academic preparation before hand. language preparation There are no additional language requirements for studying in Lisbon. All the courses are provided in English. finances I applied for the Erasmusfunding and I stopped my public transport in the Netherlands to receive money. Portugal is cheaper than the Netherlands, but keep in mind that you want to make the most of your stay, so it's nice to have some extra money to make trips etc. UU Erasmus+ report deadlines: 1 March 2017 for 1 st semester ~ 1 July 2017 for 2 nd semester or full year exchange page 2 of 5

3 STUDY ABROAD PERIOD study programme (content and organisational issues) Universidade Católica Portuguesa offers a Transnational Law Curriculum (TLC). All the courses in this curriculum are taught in English. The teachers come from all over the world and it is really interesting to meet all the different legal cultures. I followed the following courses: -Global Governance. -Introduction to Global Law. -Right to Fair Trial. -International Law in an Age of Globalisation. -Property. -The International Protection of Socio-Economic Rights: from Policy to Practice. academic quality of education activities The level of the courses was the same as in the Netherlands, only the exams were easier, since you have a lot of open book exams. counselling & support at receiving university abroad Catarina from the international office is the kindest person you will ever meet, she is willing to help you with everything! transfer of credits Credits are between 1 and 20, with a 10 you pass the course. STUDENT LIFE welcome & orientation programme You should definetly go to the welcome and orientation programma. This is the chance to meet the other international exchange students. We only had a welcome lunch and organised a dinner and party together. accommodation I found an appartment on Uniplaces. I looked for an appartment close to a yellow metro line, since this line goes to Catolica. leisure & culture Lisbon is an amazing city. It is quite small for a capital and it felt safe. The atmosphere in Portugal is relaxed and most people are easy-going. Lisbon is a city that has a lot to offer: it never gets boring. The city offers a great variety of culture, food and fun. suggestions/tips Restaurants: -By the wine, Super lekker gezellige wijnbar met lekkere tapas. -Estrela da bica, UU Erasmus+ report deadlines: 1 March 2017 for 1 st semester ~ 1 July 2017 for 2 nd semester or full year exchange page 3 of 5

4 Leuk Portugees tapastentje, kan je ook buiten zitten! -Agua pela barba, Heel lekker eten om te delen in een schattig tentje. -The Decadente, Erg lekker betaalbaar eten. Je kan hier heel lekker vis eten. Van binnen heel hip. -Lost in, Restaurant met prachtig uitzicht, lekker Indiaas eten. -Chapitô à Mesa, Heel mooi restaurant met prachtig uitzicht. Erg lekker eten, wel wat luxer/duurder. Op tijd reserveren! -ZeroZero, Hele lekker Italiaanse pizzeria met een hele gezellige tuin met uitzicht. Erg lekker eten. Je kan niet reserveren en het is erg populair, dus zorg dat je er op tijd bent. -Palacio Chiado, Hip restaurant in een oud kasteel. Is echt heel mooi van binnen! Heel veel keuze en betaalbaar. -Taberna da Rua das Flores, Een romantisch Portugees tapastentje. Echt geweldig eten! Je kan niet reserveren en moet vaak even wachten, maar je krijgt dan al lekker buiten een wijntje. Je kan hier eigenlijk alleen met zn tweetjes een tafeltje bemachtigen. Zeker de moeite waard om te wachten! -Pharmarcia, Restaurant in oude apotheek, zit ook een museum bij. Heel mooi ingericht. Heeft ook een mooi terras. Voor Lissabon wel aan de dure kant. -Bairro do Avillez, Restaurant van beroemde Portugese chef. Ontbijt/Lunch: -Tease, Super lief tentje met allemaal lekker eten. -Chipie la Galette, Leuk frans tentje met een heerlijk terras. -Agua no bico, Schattig brunchtentje op een binnenplaatstje. -Lisboa Tu e Eu, Lief klein lunchtentje in Alfama met lekkere Portugese sardientjes. -Noobai, Bij uitzichtpunt Santa Catarina kan je hier goede brunches krijgen. UU Erasmus+ report deadlines: 1 March 2017 for 1 st semester ~ 1 July 2017 for 2 nd semester or full year exchange page 4 of 5

5 -Esplanada Cafe, Leuke serre in park Principe Real. Terrasjes: -Portas do sol, Prachtig terras in de zon met mooi uitzicht in Alfama -Quiosque Ribeira das Naus, Terrasje aan het water met chille ligstoelen met mooi uitzicht op het Jezus beeld. -Quiosque Principe Real, Leuk kioskje in het gezellige park Principe Real. Barretjes: -Pavilhão Chinės, Super coole bar, is ingericht als een soort museum met allemaal poppetjes. Je kan hier ook heel leuk poolen. -Casa Independente: Een hele leuke bar in een oud huis met allemaal verschillende kamers. -Foxrot, Hele leuke verscholen cocktailbar met een tuintje. -Pensão amor, Leuke bar in een oud hoerenhuis in Pink street, veranderd erna in een club. -Páginas Tantas, Bar met live jazz muziek in Bairro alto. -Café Alface Hall, Elke avond super leuke live muziek tussen 20:30 en 23:00 uur. -Park rooftopbar, Rooftop met loungemuziek. Verscholen boven een parkeergarage, neem de lift naar de bovenste etage en ontdek. Open tot laat en erg gezellig, wel vaak erg druk. -Topo, Rooftopbar met uitzicht op het kasteel, s avonds erg mooi. Verder moet je echt naar miradouros gaan. Dit zijn alle uitzichtpunten in Lissabon, waar je vaak ook leuk iets kunt drinken. Mijn lievelings zijn: Miradouro de São Pedro en Miradouro Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen. LX factory is een oud industrieterrein met barretjes, restaurantjes en winkeltjes! heel leuk om rond te lopen en drankjes te doen/te eten. Op zondag is het leukst, dan is er een marktje met van alles. UU Erasmus+ report deadlines: 1 March 2017 for 1 st semester ~ 1 July 2017 for 2 nd semester or full year exchange page 5 of 5

6 Als je nog naar het strand wil gaan, kan je heel makkelijk het treintje vanaf cais de sodre pakken naar Carcavelos. Of een uber nemen naar Costa da Caparica, het surf strand. Cascais kan ook nog een aanrader zijn, oud vissersplaatsje waar je leuk kan rondlopen en vlakbij zit Estoril met een mooi strand. Vergeet verder niet Pastel de nata te proberen, het gebakje uit Lissabon. De oorspronkelijke kan je krijgen bij Manteigaria in Chiado. Hier kan je ook zien hoe ze gemaakt worden. Je kan ze ook krijgen in Mercado da Ribeira, dit is een grote foodhall. Hier kan je pastel de nata proberen bij Manteigaria en een pastel de bacalhau (gebakje van kabeljauw) proberen. Je moet verder castelo de sao jorge ook bezoeken, super mooi uitzicht! CONCLUSIONS would you recommend this university/destination abroad to others? please explain I would definitely reccmomend this university and city to everyone. Lisbon is an amazing city, you will have the best combination of a big city and a beach nearby. The university is small, but the people are very kind and the courses are various. do you have any additional advice or comments? Just go! PREPARATION exchange application process The exchange application process went really smooth. You can find all the requirements online. If you have any questions the international office is always very helpful. I think the most important thing is to start thinking about your destinaton early before the deadline, so that you have enough time to spend on writing the motivation letter. counselling & support at Utrecht University As mentioned before, the international office is very helpful and reachable. You can go there with any questions regarding your exchange. also during my stay abroad i could call them if i had a question. academic preparation For my stay at the host university no academic preparation was required. language preparation The host university requires that you're english is at B2 level. However, english students do not need to proof this. Before my stay abroad I took portuguese courses at the language school Babel. This was not necessary since almost everyone in Portugal speaks english, but it was nice to know some basic terms and sayings. I don't necessarely reccomand taking a portuguese language course before your exchange since it costs some money and the courses are given in english. You can learn basic portuguese words by yourself. Also, the university and page 6 of 27

7 a erasmus group (ELL) also organises portuguese courses in case you want to learn portuguese. finances I did not borrow any money from the government to finance my stay abroad. I knew I would go to Lisbon for a year. during that time i worked to save some extra money. My parents also helped me with financing my stay abroad. Life in Portugal is cheaper than life in The Netherlands. The food is affordable and going out as well. I think the main expences are for your accomodation. study programme (content and organisational issues) STUDY ABROAD PERIOD Before arriving in lisbon, we could see which courses were offered by the University on their website. However, once we arrived, some courses were changed for other courses. This was a bit of a dissapointment. Also, during the programme, there were a lot of changes in our schedule which led to us students being confused sometimes. The professors were really diverse and from different countries. This made the programm interesting to me. We for example had professors from Poland, Hungary and the US. Keep in mind that the course in the Transnational law curriculul all have a international dimention. So you have to like this. academic quality of education activities Compared to the quality of education at the UU, I would not say that the education level at Catolica is very high. We often didn't have to prepare any question, but we just had the listen to the proffessor and participate by joining the discussions. In the end we often had an open book exam or a take home exam. Sometimes to me it was not really clear what the professor expected from us. However in the end the grades were fine. counselling & support at receiving university abroad At the receiving university there is also a Erasmus office. You can go there with any question. Also, early on before your exchange, you will probably receive s from Catarina Tourais. Yo can always her, and from my experience she replies really fast. Also you can drop by her office any time if you want to sign a form for the erasmus or other questions. She is very kind, helpful and understanding. transfer of credits My credits haven't been transferred yet but i do not expect any difficulties. welcome & orientation programme STUDENT LIFE As a welcome programm we had a short introduction followed by a lunch together. It was a nice way of getting to know eachother. accommodation I found my accomodation through Uniplaces. I feel like a lot of people use Uniplaces, facebook or ELL to find their accomodation. I lived in a studio, and therefore i paid more compared to other students living in a shared accomodation. I paid 600 p/m, but to me it was totally worth it because my accomodation was provided with anything I needed and I had a lot of privacy. However, if that is not really important to you, you can find great accomodations between euros p/m. My tip is to check if it's provided with everything, such as a blanket, heater during the winter (it can get really cold during the night), kitchen materials, washing machine etc. All these things can lead page 7 of 27

8 to extra costs if it's not provided. leisure & culture Lisbon is full of Leisure activities. during the day you can check several cultural spots, such as museums and churches. Lisbon has a great history so you can't run out of cultural things to do. Portugal is also known for its wine, so i suggest you to do a wine tasting. There are a really nice restaurant. Portuguese food is not expensive at all. If you want, you can go out for dinner for 11 euros. Ofcourse it gets more expensive if you visit the more trendy spots. My favourite portuguese (cheap) restaurant is A Mourisca located in Graça. In the neighborhood bairro alto you also have nice restaurants. For going out i recommend just hopping from bar to bar in Bairro alto or pink street. My favourite bar was Pensao Amor in Pink street. Lisbon has also great clubs such as Urban Beach. With your ESN/ELL member card you can get discounts to some clubs. My favourite club was Lux Fragil, but this club doesn't offer a discount. suggestions/tips Organise nice activities with your classmates such as dinners or a tuc tuc tour. This way you get to know eachother even better and have fun. Also, go out and explore! CONCLUSIONS would you recommend this university/destination abroad to others? please explain Yes! Lisbon is a beautiful city with a really nice vibe. The people are polite and relaxed, which to me is really different from how i experience people in the Netherlands (we are often in a rush). Also, portugal offers very nice cities and activities for example surfing. do you have any additional advice or comments? Ask people who already been in Lisbon for an exchange for tips. Enjoy your time there! Lisbon is a beautiful city. and your exchange will probably be one of the most amazing experiences in your life. Also, don't hestitate joining the erasmus activities organised by ELL (Erasmus Life Lisboa) and ESN (Erasmus Student Network). This is a great way of meeting new people while doing fun stuff preparation exchange/placement application process Catarina from the international office at Catolica was very helpful in answering all my questions counselling/support at home university The help from the international office at Utrecht University was unfortunately not always sufficient. The reason for this was that they did not have any information about the grading system, the courses or the ECTCS of the courses at Universitade Católica Portuguesa. academic preparation I did not have to prepare academically. The courses suited perfectly in my bachelor degree. There is also no need to buy any books as the professors will give you hand outs of everything you ll need. page 8 of 27

9 language preparation As all my courses were in English I didn t need any language preparation. finances Due to the Erasmus grant I financed my exchange in Lisbon. study/placement abroad period study programme/work plan (concerning content and organisational issues) My plan was to do 8 courses, with the total amount of 30 ECTS. When I arrived this was too much. Because of this I only took 6 courses eventually. The ECTS in Católica is not comparable the amount of work that you have to do for one course. academic quality of education/placement activities As I needed 30 ECTS, I had to follow 8 courses. These courses were all 3 of 4 ECTS. The ECTS given to the courses was not comparable to the amount of work we needed to do for every course. However, the quality of the courses was good. counselling/support at host institution/organisation Catarina from the international office at Universitade Católica Portuguesa was wonderful. She helped me with all my questions. transfer of credits The credits given at Católica are different. They use a system with grades from student life welcome/orientation programme The orientation programme consisted out of various fun activities during the first week. accommodation I stayed in an accommodation in Baixa. I got the accommodation through uniplaces.com. leisure/culture Lisbon has a lot of really fun activities. Besides this, it is most of the time sunny which makes Lisbon ideal for outside activities. suggestions/tips The beach is only 25 minutes away by train. conclusions page 9 of 27

10 would you recommend this host organisation/destination to others? please explain I would definitely recommend Lisbon to my fellow students. Lisbon is a beautiful city with many things to do. do you have any additional advice or comments? No PREPARATION exchange application process It went really smoothly they gave to the information you had to hand in and that was it. I really put an effort in to deciding which University i wanted to go by looking at the courses that they provided. counselling & support at Utrecht University I did not had much contact about my time abroad, but on the other hand i did not really needed it. academic preparation I did not do any academic preparation onfore hand. language preparation I did no language preparation beacause the classes were in English. finances I worked hard to safe money for Lisbon, also the Erasmus scolarship was a welcome treat. Try to safe as much as possible to make the most of your stay! STUDY ABROAD PERIOD study programme (content and organisational issues) I really enjoyed studying at Catolica. The classes were givin in small groups of aproiximatly 25 people. The teachers were from all over the world for instance America, Portugal and Belgium. It was really nice to find out about their views on law. Classes differ from 1 week courses to courses that last the whole semester. This was a bit strange at first. academic quality of education activities The level of the courses was the same as in the Netherlands, sometimes you had to read more though. 150 pages for the next for International criminal was normal for that course (a 1 week course) Most of the exams are essay exams which for me was new. counselling & support at receiving university abroad Catarina helps you with everything she is lovely and super helpful. If you have any problems what soever she will help you out. Everytime you walk in to her in the hallway she'll ask you how you are doing and invite you for something to drink or to eat. transfer of credits page 10 of 27

11 I never revceived any information about this. In portugal you will receive grades between 1 and 20. welcome & orientation programme STUDENT LIFE There are 2 big erasmus groups that u can join. ESN and ELL both are quite similar and organise trips around portugal, parties in lisbon and many more things. Get both cards for discounts and free entrance to the many clubs Lisbon has to offer. They are both very cheap and it's worth your money. During the first month they both organise events every day, which is perfect to meet new people! Meeting point is at Erasmus Corner where there is always someone to do a drink and talk with you. accommodation I had an amazing apartment with 12 other people in the center of lisbon near Marques Pombal, 15 min walking to the city center and 20 min by metro to the university. I strongly recommend to find an apartment with other erasmus students to make your stay as fun as possible. the erasmus group of ELL can help you find a suitable appartment. I paid 410 euro's wich was quite expensive for Lisbon, if you start looking for a place early you should be able to find something cheaper. leisure & culture Lisbon is amazing and has so many different parts, there is the old town of alfama with hunderds of streets and stairs were you can wonder around. There is belem with the famous pastel de nata and bairro with 100 bars. suggestions/tips Do not go for food in the standard places, but walk around in the many small streets of lisbon to find the small restaurants with typical portugese food. (Tinatercia is a really good one!) tip; make sure you always have cash, in most restaurants/shops you cannot pay with your bankcard! tip: go to LX factory on Sunday, there is a nice market there and an amzing cocktailbar with view. tip: spend your afternoons and evenings at a miradouro (vieuwing point) all the people from Lisbon gather around at those places to drink a beer, listen to music and watch the sunset. CONCLUSIONS would you recommend this university/destination abroad to others? please explain Yes definitly, i would not be able to think of a better place to do my erasmus. The people are friendly, the city is amazing and the pastel de nata's are delicious. The University is well organised, it was a bit of change to come here from the Netherlands, but after a month you are completely settled in. do you have any additional advice or comments? Apply for Lisbon, it has everything amazing city and a beach nearby. page 11 of 27

12 Universidade Catolica Portuguesa - Lissabon exchange application process PREPARATION We had to make a top 3 list of places you would like to go to. I only had a first and second preference, which were Lisbon and Porto. It changes per Faculty which changes you have on specific locations. When you're not selected for any of your preferences there will be other options you have to choose from. Make sure you motivate your preference in your motivation letter! counselling & support at Utrecht University The main support you get form the University is from the International Office of your faculty. You can go there with question or struggles. academic preparation For me the courses I took on the exchange were mostly extra curricular. I needed only 15 ECTS to finish my bachelor. language preparation I didn't take any Portuguese or English classs in order to improve my skills. I knew on beforehand that my classes will be in English, so there was no urgency for learing Portuguese. Make sure you know, mostly via other students, if the classes will for sure be in English! I know several students who thought there classes would be in English which turned out different. Learning Portuguese on an academic level is not that easy! Prepairing your English skills might be useful if you think your level is insufficient. In general you don t need a high level of English to start with, since you will learn a lot from having to speak English the whole time. finances Before I left I made an overview of the incoming and outcoming money for the semester abroad. For me it was enough to loan some extra money from the government, so I didn t have to save a lot of money on beforehand. In the end, even though living in Portugal is not that expensive, you will probably spend more money than you're used to do at home. So keep this in mind! And don't forget that if you won't gain 22,5 credits, you will not get the last amount of Erasmusfunding (around 300 euros)! study programme (content and organisational issues) STUDY ABROAD PERIOD Except for one portuguese culture course I took only courses in political studies, which I do back home as well. Make sure the courses you choose are approved by Utrecht University otherwise you might have troubles in the end because of overlapping content. It is also possible to take courses at other faculties like economics or law. You have to keep in mind that the time schedule avoids overlap especially with the exams. When it comes to organization Portuguese people are less strict than Dutch. This results in somewhat choatic or unclear information about the time schedules. I changed several courses when I was there, which was luckily not that complicated (don't forget to change the learning agreeement). academic quality of education activities The quality of Catolica University is higher than many other Universities. The teachers are on time and they expect you to participate to a certain level. The courses I took were mastercourses which I didn't know before. This leaded to a classroom with half erasmusstudents and half Portuguese master/phd students. The part that makes it easier than back home is because you mainly had to write one essay per course which was the only grade to finish the course. page 12 of 27

13 counselling & support at receiving university abroad As I said Portugueses can be a little bit chaotic. My coordinator from the University was a little bit unclear. Make sure you make an appoinment before you to go University, since they used to have very long lunch breaks! transfer of credits The system with credits works different than at Utrecht University. I used to have two courses of 7,5 ECTS and in Portugal the credits per course varied from 3 to 6. So, you need to do more courses at the same time than in Utrecht. Also the grading system works different ranging from 1 to 20. Make sure you ask the international office of Utrecht for an explanation of the grading system to the Dutch one. welcome & orientation programme STUDENT LIFE Our welcome programme was not that extensive as the one of the Economics faculty of Catolica. We had a welcome ceremony with some snack and drinks. Also in the first month we went on a trip to Porto to meet the students of Catolica Porto. Besides a University related welcome, there was a busy schedule of welcoming activities by Erasmus Life Lisboa. accommodation I booked my room via placetostay.pt. I wanted to live together with Erasmusstudents and there are a lot of students places where this is possible. Check your location on the map, and pay attention to the location of the University. Catolica is out of the centre of Lisbon so you have to choose to live close to University or in the centre of the city. I chose to live in the centre of Lisbon, which was great, and further away from University. I took me 50 minutes to get to University, but luckily I only had to be there three evenings a week. leisure & culture Since you're on an erasmus you will have a lot of free time to spend. Lisbon is an amazing city and Portugal has a lot to offer so you won t be bored. I recommend to go to Porto, Nazare for the big waves and the Azores. suggestions/tips The neigborhoods Baixa-Chiado, Santos and around Avenida are really nice for students to live. CONCLUSIONS would you recommend this university/destination abroad to others? please explain I would definitely recommend Catolica University to others! The quality of the classes is not too easy and the atmospehere of the city is amazing. Especially the climate will make your stay feel like one big and instructive holiday! do you have any additional advice or comments? page 13 of 27

14 Universidade Catolica Portuguesa - Lissabon exchange application process PREPARATION The information meeting organized by International Office was very helpful. I received a lot of important information and the information market was interesting. For my application I had to write a motivationletter and I uploaded my CV, besides I had to fill in the financial plan and study plan. counselling & support at Utrecht University academic preparation language preparation There are no additional language requirements for studying in Lisbon. I started the LEAP course in the Netherlands but I found out that it was not very helpful because this course was more focussed on the common law system instead of the civil law system. finances You will receive more or less 210 per month from the Erasmus+ grant. Since life is Lisbon is more cheap then in the Netherlands it was not necessary to arrange extra financial support. In Lisbon I paid 350 eur per month for my room and to take the public transport cost 35 euro per month. study programme (content and organisational issues) STUDY ABROAD PERIOD I took 7 courses from the Law faculty; - Federalism and the European Union - Human rights - International law of the sea - Introction to anglo-american law - Public international law - Law, information and Technology - International investment arbitration. You are also able to choose some courses (not all of them ofcourse) from other faculties, for instance the political science faculty. When I arrived in Lisbon I had some problems with my courses. In my first week in Lisbon I found out that some of the courses I filled in in my Learning agreement had some overlap with courses in the Netherlands, and therefore I was not able to take these courses anymore. I was a bit surprised that International Office in the Netherlands did not tell me about this overlap and that I had to figure it out myself when I was already in Lisbon. So, when you choose your courses and fill in the learning agreement make sure that the courses will not have overlap with the courses in the Netherlands. academic quality of education activities The level of the Law coures was lower than counselling & support at receiving university abroad page 14 of 27

15 Catarina Tourais is the lady with who you will have contact during your erasmus periode. You can contact here at any time and the is always available to help you with everything. With every question of problem you might face, you can contact her and she will help you to find a solution. transfer of credits In Lisbon they use the ECTS creditsystem as well, but the grading system is different. In Lisbon you can receive grades from 0 to 20. When you have a 10 or higher you pass. welcome & orientation programme STUDENT LIFE I had three welcome days in my first week. On the first day I met all the other erasmus students and we received some information about the courses, the city, the university and Portugal. During the second welcome day we had a tuctuc tour with all the other erasmus students to explore the city. The third day we had a bus trip with all the erasmus students and all the freshmen to the city Sintra. Those days were very nice to get to know eachother and to see Portugal and specially Lisbon. accommodation I fixed mt room when I was still in the Netherlands. I think this is very nice because once you arrive there is no need to search for a room, and a lot of people were still searching for a room so then it could be quite hard to find a room in a short time. I found my room on the website of Erasmus palace, the company is called Place to stay. It is a good company, they offer nice rooms for a good price. And I want to let you know to NOT rent your room at Uniplaces. Some of my fellow students rent a room with Uniplaces and all the rooms were dirty and you pay a lof of money per month for what you receive. leisure & culture I really liked Lisbon. The weather was great and the people are really nice and interested. There are a lot of places where you can get really good food and drinks for a cheap price. I think it is really nice that Lisbon is a big city, but not too big. The metro system is working very well, so you can go wherever you want in a short period of time. There are a lot of nice areas and beautiful views. suggestions/tips All the restaurants, bar and cafes are nice and I would suggest them all. I really liked the rooftopbar called 'Park bar'. Besides that, I liked all the viewpoints in Lisbon. The most beautiful one is the one called ' Miradouro senhora de monte'. CONCLUSIONS would you recommend this university/destination abroad to others? please explain do you have any additional advice or comments? page 15 of 27

16 Universidade Catolica Portuguesa - Lissabon exchange application process PREPARATION The application was clear and the internet website of the host university was quite clear. Everytime I wrote an e- mail to international office of UCP, I had a reply the same day. Therefore, the process was quite easy. counselling & support at Utrecht University The counselling & support at Utrecht University was nice. Everytime there was a problem I could contact International office at Utrecht University and they would reply within a few days. It is nice to know you are not completely alone abroad but that they will help you in case you are having problems. academic preparation I didn't prepare anything for the university, eventhough I was studying law in the Netherlands but following some business courses abroad. I chose the most easy courses so there was no problem at all. Usually the 'erasmus-courses' are a lot easier. And you are used to a high level in the Netherlands so you can handle a lot. language preparation I didn't prepare much for speaking english all the time. You get used to it very quickly and eventhough I was not the best speaker in english, everyone understood me and now I am really comfortable with speaking english. I really made progress and I think the english language isn't anything you should worry about. Everyone knows the basics and you learn fast. finances Since the rent in Portugal is a lot cheaper than in the Netherlands, I didn t had problems at all with the finances. Ofcourse you spend a lot more money than normal by doing nice stuff, but it's worth it. I also had a special grant for 90 euro's each month because I wasn't using my free transport card from the Netherlands. And the Erasmus grant helps a lot as well. study programme (content and organisational issues) STUDY ABROAD PERIOD I was following courses from the law school but also 2 courses from busines school. The only problem was that there might be some overlap, since they are not used to students who are following law courses and business courses at the same time. And then you have 2 different coordinators so information isn't really that fast available since they have to communicate first. But after all, there were no problems at all and this is a really good solution if you don't have enough ECTS with only law courses (which was my problem). academic quality of education activities Since Catolica is a private school you could notice that the acadamic quality was very high and good. The section of law is ranked in the top 10 of best law schools in Europe. counselling & support at receiving university abroad Counselling & support at UCP was very nice. They might not be that fast as we are used to (since it is portugal) but they are always very nice and are trying to help you out when having problems. transfer of credits I noticed that they give a little less credits for a subject than Utrecht University does. That's not a problem but this means that you need to follow a little more courses than you are used to. page 16 of 27

17 welcome & orientation programme STUDENT LIFE I haven't been there since I still had some exams in the Netherlands. But I heard it was nice, it was a 3 days programm to get to know everyone. accommodation I was living in the city centre, which really made me happy. Eventhough everyone in the beginning reacted a bit shocked since it's not that close to the university and everyone is used to live nearby the university, it was the best decision I made! I didn t had to go to school that often and it was only like 20 minutes by buss. And the busstop was 50 metres from my house. In the city centre you see much more about the 'portugese life' and since I liked going out a lot, I was really happy there. My house can be found on facebook and it's called the Bombarda house: leisure & culture People are so friendly! But it didn t feel like I was so far away from home. I think that was the best because therefore I didn t miss the Netherlands that much. It actually felt like home. suggestions/tips Live in the city centre! There is a lot more to do than living in Foz, near the University. I can really recommend my own house which is on facebook (see the link in accomodation). It's 10 minutes from the party streets at night, a beautiful parc is around the corner, the copy shop is in the same street just as the busstop who will bring you at the university and the Breiner house (a legend house for parties) is one street further. CONCLUSIONS would you recommend this university/destination abroad to others? please explain Yes I would recommend the university! It's not only known in Portugal for one of the best university, it is also ranked into the top 10 of best law schools in Europe. And it is 5 minutes walking to the beach. And I loved the city Porto, it has so much to offer! Choosing this city was one of the best decisions I made in my entire life. do you have any additional advice or comments? X page 17 of 27

18 Universidade Catolica Portuguesa - Lissabon exchange application process PREPARATION After a lot of information and presentations I decided that I wanted to study abroad. The application included a study plan, motivation letter, financial plan and Curriculum Vitae. I would advise to put a lot of effort in the motivation letter, this seems to be very decisive. Don't worry too much about the financial plan, this is just a general estimation of the living costs while studying abroad. Your study plan will probably change during your stay abroad. However, it is helpful to prepare yourself for your academic experience. counselling & support at Utrecht University My study advisor was of great help. She helped me to structure the process, to write down the deadlines and to handin the right documents. Thanks to her, it was quite easy to apply. The UU support was fast and efficient. academic preparation My perspective broadened because I was able to study in two different study areas than my regular bachelor programme. I followed courses in political science and business administration. It was quite an adventure to work in a different way academically. However, it gave me new insights to bring home to my courses at my home university. language preparation Everything is taught in English and roughly everbody speaks English fluently. Consequently, there was no need for preparation. finances In my preparation I didn't have to save yp a lot of money. Portugal is cheap. The grants of Eramus and the Dutch Government together, are higher than the minimum wage in Portugal. My parents also wanted to support me, so my financial preparation was basically zero. study programme (content and organisational issues) STUDY ABROAD PERIOD As mentioned before, I followed courses in political science and business administration. The UCP ( Universidade Catolica Portuguesa Lisboa) is a private university. It is very well organised and the courses are well taught. Because of the different academic roots, the new study areas are challenging and provide a lot of new knowledge. I followed 8 courses. The courses are often ECTS. The study load is often divided between (50 percent homework, 50 percent courses). However, this depends heavily on the subject you are studying. academic quality of education activities The academic quality was good. In my opinion, the professors were well-informed and experts on their field of expertise. The courses were very short ( often 9-18 hours), because of this it was sometimes hard to dive deep into one subject. In conclusion, what we've learned was well-taught but still a little bit shallow. counselling & support at receiving university abroad Good. We had an office manager (Miguel) who responded immediately. He uploaded grades, signed learning agreements, gave information on university activities. Because of this, there was little room for mistakes or uncertainties. Besides, the professors themselves were often very responsive. transfer of credits I followed 27,5 ECTS. My grades are good and will be transferred to Osiris at my home university. However, the page 18 of 27

19 workload was often not equal to the ECTS. Some courses were 18 hours and stood for 6 ECTS. However, I also followed a course of 42 hours for 5,5 ECTS. The partner university UCPL should maybe revisit this distribution. welcome & orientation programme STUDENT LIFE UCP Lisboa had a great welcome and orientation programme. They provided me a helpful welcome package, including a portugese simcard, a map and discounts. Besides they organised an introduction with all the Erasmus students of my faculty and the porefessors of the department. All of this was well-organised with tasty food and nice drinks. Besides, UCP Lisboa organised a day for all exchange students of all faculties across Portugal in Porto. This was an amazing day, we had a boat tour, did a port wine tastery and had a lot of fun. accommodation The class rooms are good. They have enough fresh air, a lot of light and are big enough. The facilities are not always as digital and modern as in Utrecht. However, it did not constrain me at all. It was'nt great, but good enough! leisure & culture Lisbon is a wonderful city. It is full of great viewing points, acient buildings, a fruitful culture and adventurous activities. You can surf, explore the city, go and drink a beer etc. The Erasmus programme is well developed, with activities for around 5000 students per semester. You will have no chance to be bored, because there are so many things to do and so many people to share expiernces with. suggestions/tips - Sintra - Panoramico de Monsanto - Artis bar - Damas bar - Bairro Alto -Surf in Costa da Caparica -Peniche -Porto - The Asores - Madeira - Football match Benfica - Park Rooftop Bar - Sentido Proibido 2 - Alfama, fado and food - Bèlem - Cheap coffee CONCLUSIONS would you recommend this university/destination abroad to others? please explain Definitely! Lisbon is MADE for studying abroad. The city is full of life. The climate is outstanding and there is so much to do. However, it is not too big and you can find your way. Because of the rich student culture, youw ill meet a lot of people and get to know different cultures and traditions. Portugal is not extremely expensive, so this enables you to travel and explore a different country. Above all, Lisbon provides the perfect conditions to develop yourself and it gives you enough time to relax and reflect on life. This all, in combination with a good page 19 of 27

20 univerisity and academic growth, makes the Lisbon exchange experience absolutely fantastic! do you have any additional advice or comments? 1. Always go south ( I would recommend a sunnier exchange than for example Norway or Sweden) 2. Just do it! page 20 of 27

21 Universidade Catolica Portuguesa - Lissabon exchange application process PREPARATION The process was a lot of bureaucratics but eventually it was possible to complete it. counselling & support at Utrecht University My exchange coordinator Paula Banning helped me to fill in, complete and sent all the forms in time. She was the person that was in contact ith the abroad university before my arrival. academic preparation I was wel prepared. the University of Utrecht has a high level. language preparation None. finances Parental contribution, own savings and governmental loan study programme (content and organisational issues) STUDY ABROAD PERIOD I took part in 5 courses. Three of them were from Law and two of them were from Economics. The content was very broad and different per course. Overall they were very interesting and helpful for my education. academic quality of education activities The level of education on this university, compared to other universities in the region, is quite high. Especially the economics part. Most of the teacher can speak English well. counselling & support at receiving university abroad The communication with my exchange coordinator at the University in Porto was not always as it should be. Some mails were replied late or not even. Communication with professors from the courses was very good, and they were very helpful and kind. transfer of credits 25 welcome & orientation programme STUDENT LIFE Very well organised and diverse welcome & oreintation programme. A good way to start your Erasmus ans to get in touch with other (exchange) students. accommodation Perfect. Prices for a room can divide between euros, dependent upon the location. A lot of student houses / apartments, close to the city centre. leisure & culture A lot of churches, bridges page 21 of 27

22 suggestions/tips Try out as much places as you like. Porto is an amazing studentfriendly and safe city. The prices for drinks and food are low, compared to the Netherlands. CONCLUSIONS would you recommend this university/destination abroad to others? please explain The level of education on this university, compared to other universities in the region, is quite high. Especially the economics part. Most of the teacher can speak English well. Sometimes the communication with my exchange coordinator was not as good as it should be. Overall I would recommend this university to others. The destination, Porto, is on of the best cities I have ever been. It has so much to offer for students. So I would definitely recommend it to others. do you have any additional advice or comments? No page 22 of 27

23 Universidade Catolica Portuguesa - Lissabon exchange application process PREPARATION The most challenging part of the application process was writing my motivation letter, because I worried (too much) about how it would be received. Despite of the letter, the overall process was fairly easy. counselling & support at Utrecht University Very kind and helpful. academic preparation Non. language preparation I did the course Legal English for Academic Purposes. I also tried to prepare a bit of Portuguese, because I wanted to learn the language during my stay in Lisbon. finances Next making my financial plan, I prepared by saving a bit of money and renting out my room in Utrecht. study programme (content and organisational issues) STUDY ABROAD PERIOD The curriculum at Católica had no more than 23 ECTS of law courses without overlap. However, there are enough other course you can do at other faculties like Human Sciences, Political Sciences and Business Economics or and only if necessary - at the master programs of law. Please be aware the faculty I mentioned last has an earlier deadline for enrolment (ask Catarina for details). Another option is to do the language course (4 ECTS) at Católica, which comes with an extra fee. I did law courses and the language course with a total of 30 ECTS. One course had overlap and probably cannot be added to my profilerings ruimte. Fortunate for me I had enough ECTS without that one course, but please do be careful when choosing your courses. On few occasions there was overlap of classes within the schedule, but nothing problematic. If you check the schedules of your courses before enrolling, and especially from other faculties, you should be fine. Basically all of your arranging (like enrolling on courses) will be handled through Catarina. She is your contact person at Católica, very kind and helpful. There is no OSIRIS or something similar to that (it is a small university). However there is an equilavent of Blackboard, which works fine. academic quality of education activities I found the teachers to be very skilled*. They all had proficient knowledge and good teaching skills. Most of the teachers came from abroad, so they were also quite diverse in their way of teaching. The classes are usually smaller then at UU and there is more interaction. Classes were also more frequent. Overall I found the quality of education activities was similar to UU. * Try to avoid one of the teachers at the Portuguese language course. I can share her name if you are interested. counselling & support at receiving university abroad Very kind and helpful. page 23 of 27