University of Lisbon; A short guide to the student life.

Continuing my “Promoting Erasmus and studying abroad” pages, I now introduce you to the University of Lisbon. Let’s suppose that you are an Erasmus student or in general a student planning to study abroad for a semester or so. What are the factors that you would take into consideration before choosing your next destination and university? How would you organize your background research? What are the things that you’d love to know about your university in advance? Here’s a short research I did about one of the biggest universities in Portugal that welcomes thousands of Erasmus students every year.

Welcome to the University of Lisbon!

Background info; The university; Universidade de Lisboa, is the largest and most prestigious university in Portugal and is one of Europe’s leading universities. Heir to a university tradition that spans over seven centuries, ULisboa acquired its current status in July 2013, following the merger of the former Universidade Técnica de Lisboa and Universidade de Lisboa. ULisboa brings together various areas of knowledge and has a privileged position for facilitating the contemporary evolution of science, technology, arts and humanities. The quality of teaching, research, innovation and culture of ULisboa is attracting an ever increasing amount of talent from around the world.

The life in the city

Lisbon, capital of Portugal, city of beautiful views, buildings, amazing weather and fantastic people. It's a place you need to visit and Erasmus or doing an internship is the best option to do this! Excellent weather means that you can spend more time outside than ever before, food is abundant, cheap, and of high quality (and often locally produced!), and the level of crime is extremely low.

Everything is very relaxed, generally speaking. Just keep in mind, especially if you’re coming from the north the fact that everyone is always late. We the Mediterraneans are just like that, be aware and try to get used to it as soon as possible! Concerning the important things, like food and drinks are wonderfully cheap, leading to a much more vibrant restaurant, café, and bar scene.

If you’re up for some sightseeing, easy to explore in a day or two, Lisbon’s historic centre is fairly compact for a European capital. Belém Tower is to Lisbon what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris or the Big Ben to London. It is the city’s most photographed landmark, which, along with the marvelous Jeronimos Monastery, should top your list of must-see monuments.

Housing and accommodation;

Foreign students can rent a room or an apartment and share it with other students. It is common to find apartments for rent throughout the city of Lisbon. Prices vary by location and property conditions.

The International Relations / Erasmus Offices of Universidade de Lisboa (ULisboa) Schools have accommodation contacts outside the ULisboa campus.

Useful websites while searching for accommodation;

Important info;

Average rental in shared accomodation; 340 euros. Monthly transportation subscription; 35 euros . Monthly food cost; 145 euros. Average lunch price at a restaurant; 8 euros. Average Fitness subscription; 35 euros. Beer Price at a bar; 1,50 euros.

..and of course do not forget to join the local ESN community!

ESN works in the interest of all international students, not just for Erasmus students. ESN offers a clear introductory programme for all international students to introduce them to the laws, rules and customs of their host country.

Pack your bags and choose Lisbon as your Erasmus or studying abroad destination! Cheers!