My Erasmus+ Mobility for studies at ESADA: Hanna Johanson, EKA (Estonia)
Hanna Johanson, Fashion Design student at ESTONIAN ACADEMY OF ARTS (Estonia)
Erasmus+ Mobility for studies at ESADA from February to June 2023.
I am a fashion design BA student from Estonia and I joined the ESADA family for the 2023 spring semester.
When I was choosing my Erasmus destination, the decision was quite spontaneous. I knew I wanted to visit someplace warm, and as some of my friends were in Spain during that time, they recommended it to me because of the friendly communities and rich culture. Therefore I researched the Spanish partner universities and after coming upon ESADA, I locked my decision in pretty quickly. What I had imagined after my research was that ESADA was a school which made students feel included and gave them creative freedom, being professional yet having the energy of the community being a big friend group. That was proven to be right after I started my studies there.
On the first day we were welcomed very warmly. We got a chance to get to know each other, got our schedules and information, looked around the school and had lunch together. We went on a walk and were introduced to the sightseeings of Granada. The whole time, there was nothing but very welcoming and friendly energy in the group. But surprisingly, the energy stayed just like that for the whole semester. I have not been in a group with nothing but such positivity before. The people around me were the main reason why I liked ESADA and Granada so much.
The teachers and students have a calm and friendly relationship, which was important to me because it made me feel safe while I was completely alone in the other side of Europe without knowing the language. One of the more difficult things for me was the fact that most teachers and students barely spoke English, but I did not count that as a minus because I liked the challenge, though it might be a problem for some students. Despite the language barrier, people were still very supportive and helpful. The study system we had was unusual but interesting and likable for me.
As an Erasmus student, I got the image that ESADA is a school where students' opinions matter and their happiness relevant. There were many outside school visits during lessons, events and workshops. These opportunities make studying more exciting. Our exchange student group also had many separate gatherings, from going out at night to eat tapas (one of many interesting cultural features of Granada) to the guided night tour of Alhambra (completely paid for, by the way).
After living there for half a year, Granada became one of my favourite cities. As an Eastern European, the culture is very exotic for me. The city is big yet cozy, there is always something to do and someone to hang out with. There are beautiful sightseeings and architecture - very different compared to my home; green parks and fun events. Considering everything I said, Granada and ESADA are a perfect change especially for someone from the east part of Europe. As an outgoing but at the same time introverted person, I enjoyed both the school system and city so much that midway through my stay, I decided to come back after summer for another semester.
I am happy that I got to meet the Erasmus coordinator Félix - the friendliest person I have ever encountered, and all the other workers and students. Studying at ESADA will definitely be a fun experience.
