Elena Pusčiūtė (AK): „There really was a lot to enjoy"

 

Erasmus+ experience in Portugal

I spent only one semester in Portugal, but it felt like one of the most exciting things I‘ve ever done. It was my first time living abroad for such a long time, and also my first time visiting the Iberian Peninsula. For a long time I was craving to visit those lands and to feel what it‘s like to live and study there.

I went through my Erasmus+ experience together with my groupmate. We chose to go to the University of Beira Interior in a small mountain city, Covilhã (I would compare it to Plungė in Lithuania in terms of its‘ scale). This place is quite different from other cities in Portugal.
The city is in the Serra da Estrela mountain range, with exclusively beautiful nature, original traditions, and local products.

For me, this sounds like a good opportunity to experience something different.

The spirit of the place

 About the culture and nature: amazing mountains, whispering river streams, noisy festivals, market full of amazing cheese and olives, fresh fruits and vegetables all year. All of this is followed by heavy rains during winter season along with ripe clementine trees in the wind that you can find anywhere in the street. Although the summers are hot, mountains stop the rainclouds above the city starting from October. Here you can feel somewhat meloncholic, but amazed by the nature surrounding you. The city is kind of contradictory. On the last day of our stay we even saw oranges in the background of snowy mountain peaks (snow is quite rare in the city). 

Me and Jonas found an apartment in a nice place of the city, with a beautiful view from the window each day. Sometimes we would wake up with our heads in the clouds (literally), sometimes the sky would be pink and bright, coloring the mountains visible down the valley. Covilhã, the former shepherds and wool factory city, is full of wool and cheese shops with plenty of other products that you would love to try and bring to your family and friends.

Studies at the University of Beira Interior – curriculum and professors

To begin with, the accepting university itself is very convenient for Erasmus+ students in terms of flexibility. We were able to choose, and change if needed, most of the study modules according to my own ambitions for the semester, as long as it was confirmed by VilniusTech. The curriculum of the course, I would say, was not very different from VilniusTech's curriculum. Since we study architecture, the module called Project (the main project of the semester) was, of course, mandatory. The program was pretty much as usual for us. The module itself was interesting because it had an intriguing theme and location for the project. It was an urban regeneration project in abandoned train station territory – converting it into the center of attraction with a new settlement. Also, we had an unusual task in the drawing module – drawing a person in real size; me and my groupmate drew each other. That was an exciting challenge.

Also, I would like to mention some very well-skilled professors, such as construction professor we had. He introduced constructional systems to architecture students from an aesthetic standpoint; I loved those classes. He also paid close attention to exchange students, giving them separate classes in English (this discipline was exceptional if talking about the English language).

There really was a lot to enjoy.

Studies at the University of Beira Interior – organization

 

The drawback of the course was a lack of organization and agreement among professors. It was quite confusing – there were changes in the program a few times during the semester. 

However, as I understood, it is not usual there. The cool thing is that the university organizes conferences with influential architects as guest lecturers. After one of the conferences, we even had a chance to have dinner with the guest architects and get to know them better. That was amazing!

 

Studies at the University of Beira Interior – language

 

If you choose this university, you have to be ready to hear Portuguese classes and only get around 5 to 15 minutes of English explanation at the end of the class (in almost all modules). It might sound displeasing, but I would say it wasn‘t a big problem. The explanations we received were usually sufficient to understand what we needed to do, but at times, that could be a little tiring. 

However, I think it was a great urge to learn the local language by trying to understand teaching in Portuguese better and better with time. Since there are no separate classrooms for exchange students, you get a chance to work in groups and study together with local students. Not all of them speak English, but at least half of them will understand you.

 

Local people and language

 

Although the people of Covilhã didn‘t look as open as other Meditteraneans, they were very kind. The most popular phrase when meeting someone is, "If you need anything, just knock on my door." Surprisingly, the landlord of our apartment gave us a ride from the station straight to the door, so we didn‘t have to carry the heavy luggage. Later, he even took us up the mountain by car to show us the highest point in Portugal (which is really near Covilhã).

There are quite a lot of Brasilian people (since Brazil was a Portuguese colony once), so you kind of get to know two cultures: Portuguese and Brasilian. Certainly not everyone speaks English, but that is a good chance to learn a new language. I came basically without any knowledge of Portuguese, and unfortunately, the university did not provide Portuguese language courses for exchange students. 

However, I was able to absorb the language gradually, just from hearing it every day. One of the fun parts of spontaneous learning was when I just met two Brazilian people on my way home and they started talking to me. They barely knew English, and I barely knew Portuguese, but they kept on talking. I had nothing to do but try to find a way to express myself with the knowledge that I had. Later, we arranged a meeting to teach each other the languages that we spoke, and it was going very well.

Prices

 

Covilhã is an extremely budget-friendly option. Since it‘s a small city, it is way cheaper than Lisbon or Porto. Subsistence costs are not higher than in Lithuania, and the rent is a lot cheaper. The best option for transport inside the city is walking by foot, so you will not have to spend on it. To go to other cities, "Flixbus" buses are very cheap if you buy a ticket in advance. Also, the University of Beira Interior provides amazing meals in the canteen for just 2.5 euros; you will not be starving!

 

Exchange students

 

Covilhã is also called university city, so it is always full of exchange students. You will surely get a chance to get to know people from all around Europe and overseas as well. Making a lot of new friends is a big part of an Erasmus+ experience.

Practical advice:

-        Get a strong umbella and be ready for heavy rain.
-        Have some extra space in your luggage (for the goods you want to take home).
-        Rent a place two months in advance.
-        When you get there, check if professors speak English, you might need to choose some other alternative modules.
-        Eat in the canteen.
-        Don‘t forget to travel around.
-        Plan trips up the mountain with other Erasmus+ students or locals.
-        Swim! Even if it‘s cold.
-        Spend Christmas in a Portuguese family.
-        Listen to Fado singing.
-        Get involved in „Cisma“ cultural activity.
 

Would recommend if: you want to experience living in a mountain city in close relation to nature, surrounded by local people and traditions, if your intention in the Erasmus+ program is learning about other cultures and cities.

Would not recommend if: you‘d rather go to a crowdy, dynamic city; or your main focus is studying your discipline in a well-organized university and achieving high results.