Progetto Erasmus +
Individual exchange in Pamplona
From 14\09\25 to 19\10\25
Niccolò Zainini
My experience with the host family
During my time in Pamplona, I stayed with a Spanish family for a month. They were very welcoming and kind right from the start, which helped me settle in and form a strong bond with them. I had a great time visiting places with them and going on family trips with my cousins and uncles, who were also very inclusive and friendly. During my stay in Spain, they took me on various cultural and leisure activities. As for family dynamics, they were very similar to what I was used to with my family in Italy, as the culture is not particularly different. They also taught me a lot about the culture of the Navarre region and its most important festivals.
Overall, I had a great time and as soon as I get the chance, I will visit them with my family, as they are also curious to meet them.
My experience with the school
During my experience, I found the Spanish school system to be particularly different from the Italian one in several ways. First of all, the structure of the course of study is different. In fact, they have high school, which lasts for six years, from 12 to 18, followed by the choice of university.
Two things that struck me greatly are that in Spain, teachers do not give homework and lessons are much more interactive, with an almost egalitarian teacher-student relationship. In fact, in Spain, students call their teachers by their first names. At school, I got on very well with both the teachers and some of my classmates, who helped me understand certain dynamics and settle in better.
Overall, I really enjoyed it.
What I learned from this beautiful experience
During this experience, I learned a lot about Spanish culture and its festivals, such as San Fermín. Thanks to my host family, I also learned how to cook traditional dishes, which I later recreated at home with my family. From an academic point of view, I deepened and reviewed some topics I had already covered the previous year in Italy, as I attended a class that was one year younger. This experience also made me much more responsible and independent, as I had to use my ingenuity and adapt to a context that was totally different from what I was used to.
I really enjoyed this experience and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to do it.