Nicolás Riezler, a student in the Bachelor of Business Administration program, shares his exchange experience at the Public University of Navarra (UPNA).
-Why did you decide to study abroad for a semester?
-I’ve always been enthusiastic about the idea of studying abroad; I saw it as an opportunity to grow and enrich myself in every way. When I learned about the opportunity offered by Universidad ORT Uruguay spend a semester abroad, I knew that as soon as I met the university’s requirements, I would apply for the exchange program—and that’s exactly what I did.
-Why did you choose to do it there?
-Actually, it was a joint decision, since I did the exchange program with a friend who had been in my class the entire time. We knew about UPNA’s excellent reputation as a university, and combined with Pamplona’s reputation as a university town, those were enough reasons to convince us to go there.
-How was the experience? How did it enrich you?
-It was unbeatable. It was a well-rounded experience; the academic component ended up being just one aspect of the semester, not the only one. We had to adapt to a very different way of life, and we met people and visited places from which we learned a great deal. Our mindset and the way we view and approach things really changed during this trip.
-How did you find the academic rigor? Did you feel prepared to study there?
-The standard was similar to that of Universidad ORT Uruguay, and even the teaching methods had several similarities. In particular, I didn't find it difficult to adjust to academic life.
The professors and coordinators were available to be contacted outside of office hours to address any questions we had about certain formalities we weren't used to. Fortunately, our academic results at the end of the semester were positive.
-What classes did you take? Why did you choose them?
-I took four courses, but that wasn't a random number. Although, unlike in Uruguay, we weren't going to be working while studying, we wanted to find a balance that would give us free time to do other activities.
We chose the courses based on the programs that interested us most, and once we had chosen them, we checked with the program coordinator for our Bachelor’s degree in Management and Administration to ensure that those courses met the requirements for credit transfer. These were:
Corporate Strategy and Policy
Organizational Design and Behavior
Imagine Your Company
SAP – Business Management Topics
-What was your life like during the exchange program? How long were you there?
-I spent five months in Spain, from August to December 2011, and once my courses were over, I went to spend the holidays with relatives in Austria, before finally returning to Montevideo in mid-January.
During our stay in Pamplona, we rented an apartment about 15 minutes from the university, where we stayed for the entire semester. Classes were held Monday through Thursday mornings, so we often had three days free to go on a trip or do other activities.
We usually spent our free time with other foreigners who were in a similar situation to ours, and with whom we formed very close bonds.
-What kind of relationships did you form during your stay?
-The connections and friendships you make in these kinds of situations are what you end up cherishing the most. A week before classes began, the university brought together all the international students who were going to study there that semester, and I was struck by how many of us there were and how we came from different parts of the world.
And that was the starting point for building relationships with many of them—people with whom we traveled and shared many other activities, and with whom I’m still in touch to this day.
We also formed bonds with several “locals” (people from the area), some of whom had even studied at Universidad ORT Uruguay couple of semesters earlier; we shared many moments with them.
Student pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Management and Administration.—Did you get to travel to other places? Which ones?
-Thanks to Europe's excellent transportation network and short distances, as long as you plan ahead, you can travel.
We traveled extensively throughout Spain and saw a lot: Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Córdoba, Granada, Toledo, Valencia, Zaragoza, and the three Basque provinces.
Then we went to Sicily (a trip that came about thanks to the good rapport we built with a group of Sicilians at UPNA), to the south of France, and to Geneva. Once the courses were over and the holidays had ended, I was able to visit a few more places in Europe.
-What stood out to you the most during your time abroad?
-At first, the change is sudden and you have to adjust quickly—everything is new—but as the days go by, you start noticing the little things and begin to enjoy yourself.
It’s true that these are cities with the infrastructure and resources to function flawlessly, but it’s the people who really stand out: the tolerance, respect, practicality, and common sense they bring to every decision they make.