Name: Alex Barenys
Degree: Business Management and Administration
Home University: IQS School of Management, Spain
When did you study at Northumbria University?
From
September 2017 to January 2018.
What subject did you study at Northumbria?
Marketing
research and planning, Marketing management and strategy and Culture and
organisations (Plus Academic language skills).
Why did you decide to do Study Abroad?
I
felt the need to disconnect from my daily routine and I wanted to face a new
challenge and meet new people and if that could be done by learning/improving
my English, even better.
Why did you decide to come to Northumbria
University?
I
was 100% sure I wanted to go to an English-speaking country, so I had to
chose between the UK or the USA. For the 5-month period that lasted the
Erasmus program I thought it wasn’t enough time to go to the USA, so I
decided to go to England. The options that my home institution offered were
London, Cardiff and Newcastle if I am not wrong. After asking older students
who had been on an Erasmus program and researching through the internet, I
thought that Newcastle would be the best option (and I am pretty sure I was
right!)
What is your favourite memory of being at
Northumbria?
People
and the University atmosphere. Even though at first it is hard to understand
them, people in Newcastle are the most familiar from the very first moment. I
had the luck to join the Northumbria University Futsal team and that helped me
to integrate and I met lots of fantastic people.
Did you find living in Newcastle expensive?
Yes.
I live in Barcelona which is not a cheap city, but I found everything more
expensive, apart from having to “adapt” to see prices in pounds instead of
euros.
How will you use your experience of Studying
Abroad at Northumbria in the future?
Mainly
to interact with people from different countries and cultures, as I have
learnt that not everybody thinks in the same way and there can be huge
differences between people. Also, I think that having the opportunity to
learn a language in a country where it is spoken has given me a boost that is
impossible to get by only practicing in English schools in Barcelona.
What advice would you give to a student who is
thinking of coming to Northumbria to Study Abroad?
There
is no need to think about it. You should just go and enjoy every second because
when time to go back home comes you will wish you could stay longer!
