E-mail:
Study Program:
Exchange semester:
Academic year:
Host University:
Country:
anoukjanris@gmail.com (may be shared)
Human Resource Studies
Fall 2015
2015/2016
Universidad de Deusto (Bilbao)
Spain
I GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Please, describe:
 The school and its surroundings:
 please describe the city you lived in;
I lived in Bilbao. It was a busy city during the day but relatively quiet at night. There was a
sustainable amount of tourists because of the Guggenheim museum but other than that there
were not a lot of things to see or do in the city. Casco Viejo (the old town) was very pretty as
well.

where is the university located in the city?
Next to the river near the district: Deusto. Deusto is also the best place to live when attending
the university.

please describe the campus of your host university
It was quite small, the different faculties are placed in different buildings or parts of buildings.
There is a gym where you can play basketball or other team sports and a soccer pitch.
 what is the best place to go to eat/drink/dance/do sports/etc.?
We usually went drinking on ‘Pozas’. The barstreet form Bilbao. On Thursdays the
international students always went partying in Backstage and in the weekend Sonora or Fever
were very popular. I played in an international soccer team. We trained on the soccer pitch at
the university but if you are more of gym kind of person there are enough of those in Bilbao as
well. Especially in Azkuna Zentroa you have everything. This is in the district Indautxu. You
have a gym with a swimming pool, a cinema, a library to study and food places.
 what are interesting things to see and do in your host city?
The Guggenheim is a must-see, the museum of ‘belles artes’, Casco Viejo (the old city
center), the ‘hanging’ bridge near Portugallete metro station, San Sebastian (a bit further
away), the animated forest, where an artist painted the trees.
 what was different than in Tilburg?
The way of teaching. Classes we’re with less students and it was a lot more interactive than in
Tilburg.

Current faculty divisions and special areas
- Business
- Social and human sciences
- Law
- Engineering
- Psychology and education
- Theology

Number of students: 14.174

Number of international students: 1596 (including campus San Sebastian)
II PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Information before you left
 When did you receive the pre-arrival information from the host university?
 Any difficulties?
End of May, no difficulties.
Arrival
 How was your arrival organized?
I booked my ticket to Santander and took the bus to Bilbao.
 Did someone pick you up from the airport/station?
Yes, my landlord.
 How was the reception at the school?
It was okay, there were a few welcome meetings where I met the other international students
and a tour of the city. People at the international office were very helpful!
 Was the administration and faculty well prepared for your arrival?
Yes.
 What problems, if any did you encounter?
Non.
Orientation/Introduction activities
 Was an orientation or introduction activity organized?
There were a few welcome meetings and a city tour and IESN organized welcome weeks with
parties and trips.
 Did the school’s students participate in the reception of the exchange students?
No.
 Did you have a student mentor/buddy?
No.
Housing
 How was accommodation organized?
There was an office taking care of everything.

Did you have to book your accommodation in advance or did you have to search
for a place to live after you arrived?
No.
 What kind of housing does the university provide?
Colegio mayor, where you can live with a lot of students from Deusto University and get food
made for you or just like in Tilburg subletting rooms with other people.
 What support did you receive from the school in locating housing?
They arranged everything.
 Were you satisfied with your accommodation?
Yes, it was a bit of a far walk to university but the view from the balcony made up for that.
 Any special issues or good ideas/useful websites for prospective students?
No.
Living Costs

How did you finance your exchange period, apart from the grant you received from
Tilburg University?
My parents gave me money to eat every month, I received about a 100 euros for my student
transport card I was not using in Holland and of course student finance.
 What were your living expenses abroad like compared to Tilburg?
Because you’re abroad you spend money a lot easier but in general to get food or coffee at a
café was a lot cheaper, groceries were about the same amount of money, rent was about the
same as in Tilburg, maybe a little more expensive, alcohol in the supermarkets was a lot
cheaper and going out was about the same.
 What did you spend most of your money on?
Food and going out.
 What would you advice future students to spend their money on?
Whatever they want, traveling, going out, food just enjoy!

Please outline your approximate monthly budget whilst on exchange:
 Housing
290 euros
 Food
150 euros
 Transport
20 euros
 Books
0 euros
 Miscellaneous
Academic Calendar
Arrival date: 30th of august
Introductory week: 31st of august
Classes: 4 September, 2015 – 17 December, 2015
Exams: 1st part of ordinary session 18 December, 2015 – 22 December, 2015
Break: 23rd of December – 6th of January
2nd part of ordinary session 7 January, 2016 – 18 January, 2016
Re-sit exams: 2 February, 2016 – 10 February, 2016
The International Office
 Is there an international office?
Yes
 Who is responsible for incoming exchange students?
Elena and Laura from the international office.
 How does the international office function?
They arrange the welcoming and the administrative issues for the students and they can be
approached if there are any questions.
 Are you satisfied with the information provided to you by the international office?
Yes.
Exchange promotion
 What kind of activity did you take part in to promote exchange to Tilburg University
at your exchange university?
When working in teams with my Spanish groupmates I told them about how much fun Tilburg
University is.
Social Activities
 Which social activities are organized by the university/students for exchange
students?
Parties, city tour, trips to other cities, activities where you can learn other languages,
kayaking, surfing, playing soccer, dinners.
 Is there a student organization for international student?
Yes, IESN.
 Did you have contact with local students?
Only during class.
 Did you have contact with other exchange students?
Yes, a lot! Made a lot of friends.
 Did you travel to other places/countries during your exchange?
Yes, to Oviedo, Santiago de Compostela, Gijon, a Coruña, Santander, animated forest,
Gorbeia natural parc, the beach, and small places surrounding Bilbao.
Culture and Language
 Did you experience culture shock while on exchange?
No.
 How would you compare your host culture to your own culture?
A lot more relaxed, people are more in the streets and seem to never be in a rush.
 What did you learn about your own culture while on exchange?
That Dutch people are very direct and should be careful not to be rude.
 What was different about your host culture than you expected?
Nothing really.
 How would you describe your host country’s culture?
Very relaxed, never in a rush, friendly (talk to everyone).
 What did you like and not like about your host culture?
I liked that the people were friendly but the slow pace annoyed me, especially when I was in a
rush.

Do you feel you learned a lot about your host culture, and if not, what would you
like to learn more?
Because I was especially in contact with other international students I haven’t learned a lot
about the host culture. I would like to have known about their habits more.

If you travelled to other cities/countries during your exchange, were they different
than your host city/country, and how?
Their accent was different.
 Did you have any language problems with the faculty or other students?
No.
 Did you follow language courses during your exchange?
Yes, Spanish.
 Did you follow the Erasmus Intensive Language Course?
No.
Personal Development
 How do you think the exchange experience will affect you from a cultural and
social point of view?
I am a lot more open to not-Dutch contacts and cultures.

How do you think the exchange experience will influence your future career
possibilities?
I think they will improve, especially since I want to work in an international environment.
 What did you learn from the people you met during your exchange?
To be myself and make my own choices instead of following the crowd.

Would you do things differently if you had the chance and what would you do
differently?
I would travel more.
 What was your best experience, and what was your worst experience?
Best experience: meeting new people.
Worst experience: death of international student.
 What will you never forget about your exchange period?
The fun I had with the international students.

What was the most important lesson you learned about yourself during your
exchange period?
That I am able to survive and make new contacts in an environment where I know no one.
III ACADEMIC INFORMATION
Academic level at a host university
 In what language(s) are the courses offered at a partner university?
English, Spanish, Basque.
 Did you follow any courses taught in the language of the host country?
Yes, the language course.
 Which courses did you take and why?
Advanced Marketing, Operations Management, Corporate Strategic Analysis to get to know
other parts of the company aside from my study HRM. Leadership and Team Development, to
learn how to become a better leader. Spanish, to get by in Spain.
 Which courses would you recommend?
Corporate Strategic Analysis and Spanish.
 How would compare the academic level at your host university to the academic
level at Tilburg University (e.g.: level of the courses, use of extra material, level of
English, workload, etc.)?
You are less free in dividing time you spend on the subjects. There is a lot of teamwork and
attendance in classes is mandatory. There are more examination moments but I’d say the
workload overall as in the content of the subjects is lower/less. Level of English is quite bad.
 Is the teaching style primarily practical or theoretical?
A mix of both.

What teaching method is practiced by the host university: case studies, group
work, seminars or lectures (or a mix)?
A mix of case studies, group work, lectures and seminars.

How would you describe the relationship between the students and the teaching
staff?
Very informal.

In general, were you happy with your academic achievements during your
exchange?
Yes.
Exams
 What types of exams did you have to sit?
Group assignments, open ended questions, multiple choice questions, midterm and
presentations.
Other
 Can students easily access the library and its resources?
Yes with your student card.
 Were there public computers available on campus/in university buildings?
Yes, even public laptops!
Description of Courses
Course
Advanced Marketing
Prerequisites
Some
knowledge of
marketing
None
Exam
Written
ECTS
6
Written
6
Leadership and Team
Development
None
Multiple
choice
6
Corporate Strategic
Analysis
None
Written
6
Spanish A2.1
A little
knowledge of
the Spanish
language
Written,
multiple
choice
6
Operation management
Comments
A lot of presentations,
and one final open
question exam.
Team assignments,
mid-term, final open
book exam
A few presentations,
report about your own
competences, final
multiple choice exam
A group essay, in class
group assignments,
open questions final
exam
Every few weeks an
exam containing
especially writing
assignments (open
book) and a final exam
with listening, writing
and grammar
comprehension (closed
book).
taken
Tips for the future students:
 Would you recommend an exchange period?
Yes for sure! I had such a great time and I am much more confident now.
 Would you recommend your host university?
No. All the teachers were quite unclear in what was expected of the students and I did not feel
appreciated as an exchange student at my host university, more of a burden. This was not th
case for all my classes but overall I would not recommend.

What should prospective students absolutely not forget before going on
exchange?
That you should be able to afford it. Before I went on exchange I thought I would spend a lot
less money.
 How can they better prepare before going on exchange to this destination?
Nothing really.
 Was there anything you should have arranged before departure that you haven’t?
No.
A picture is worth a thousand words