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Elen Gasparyan, a student from the Department of Law at Northern University, spent a semester at the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain through the Erasmus+ Student Mobility program. Elen candidly shares her experiences, impressions, and learning outcomes from her time abroad.

Hello, I’m Elen, a 3rd-year student at the Department of Law of Northern University. Thanks to the Northern University and the Erasmus+ Student Mobility program, I spent the 2nd semester of my 2nd year in Ciudad Real, Spain. During these five months, I studied law subjects, learned the Spanish language, and immersed myself in Spanish culture.

Living alone in a foreign country for the first time brought a range of emotions, from despair to euphoria. I initially tried to keep my expectations low to avoid disappointment, but I was optimistic. Now, I can confidently say that I am completely satisfied with the experience.

I was warmly welcomed at the university and received support throughout my studies. Spaniards, in general, are very warm and friendly, though there are exceptions everywhere. The courses were taught in Spanish, as most students were Spanish, but the professors who taught foreign students spoke English and provided English materials.

I chose courses from the available list, selecting subjects I found interesting and valuable to study abroad. I took courses like "Private International Law" and "Law on International Cooperation in Development Issues," where we discussed global problems and international responses. The lecturer was very approachable, and we even had discussions outside of class. Although there were some language barriers, we managed with the help of translation tools, and I represented Armenia in my broken Spanish—now, I look back on those moments with a smile.

One of my main achievements was my final project for the "Law on International Cooperation in Development Issues" course, which I wrote in English on "Child Exploitation," a critical issue that deeply concerns me. My work was rated 8.5/10. I also took courses in "Commercial Law" and "Economic Public Law," studying topics like the "Eurasian Single Market," the "Economic Constitution of Spain," and the "Currency Market."

In "Argumentation and Strategic Negotiations," we had interactive classes where we practiced presenting arguments and conducting negotiations. Initially, I was nervous and tense, especially since everything was in Spanish. However, when I met a fellow student who spoke English, I felt a great sense of relief. I’m very grateful to Alba, who helped me throughout my studies and shared similar interests.

One memorable moment was in my "Economic Public Law" class. Although the lecturer had promised to provide materials in English, I was still anxious. My stress melted away when I met a Romanian student, which made me feel less isolated as a foreign student. To my surprise, this Romanian student was reading Narine Abgaryan's novel ''Three Apples Fell from the Sky'', showing a keen interest in Armenia. This was a delightful and heartening experience.

Throughout the program, I seized every opportunity to introduce Armenia and its culture to others. I spoke about our history, culture, and the beauty of the Armenian language, hoping to leave a positive impression.

In Spain, I had the chance to visit several cities, including Madrid, Barcelona, Alicante, and Córdoba. Córdoba is home to the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Great Mosque, a remarkable fusion of Moorish and Catholic architecture. Each Spanish city has unique charm, colors, history, and dialect. People were generally approachable and willing to help, even without being asked.

Thanks to Northern University and the Erasmus+ program, I experienced life in a different environment, embraced a new culture, gained valuable knowledge, explored various cities and countries, learned a new language, and earned a B1-level Spanish certificate. I also received compliments on my pronunciation and accent.