High score! Urgent! About studying in Spain!

Spain is a relatively conservative and backward European country. Compared with France, Germany and Italy, both the gross national product and the per capita wage income are slightly less. But in general, a monthly income of 500 euros or a scholarship is basically enough. You'd better make your own consumption plan when you arrive in Madrid, otherwise it will be difficult to manage your money well.

For example, a month's rent is probably: single room, ranging from 200-300 euros per person per month; Double room, 300-400 per person per month; The price of a triple room and a multi-person room will be cheaper, but it is not recommended here, because many people living in one room will have a great impact on their study and daily rest. It's best to rent a double room. As for public utilities, water in Spain is relatively cheap and electricity is ok. The most expensive thing is gas, because all the gas in Spain is imported from Britain and Holland. So save gasoline as much as possible. If 3-4 people share a house, the total monthly water, electricity and consumption ceiling should be around 50 euros.

In terms of diet, food prices in Spain are relatively expensive, with pork around 8 euros/kg, tomatoes 1.25 euros/kg, potatoes cheaper, green peppers 1.50 euros/kg, eggplant and beans similar to green peppers, and so on. Therefore, it is best to leave some flowers when eating, but you must eat well, otherwise it will be bad for your health. Once you get sick, the consequences can be imagined. On average, everyone spends about 200 euros on meals every month.

Ok, you'd better buy a monthly ticket in Madrid. When you get there, you can first consider buying a monthly ticket with your passport, about 35 euros, because the monthly ticket in Madrid can take the city's buses, subways and light rail trains, which is very convenient; However, if you arrive in Madrid in the middle and late of a month, you can buy ten tickets (cupon de diez viajes) instead of a monthly ticket, because the price is around 6 euros (but ten tickets can't take the light rail).

Housing choice

It is best to share at least 2-3 people. For safety, it is also convenient to contact. It's good to be close to the school, but the price is also relatively expensive, and the house is generally small and old, and the decoration is also poor. The city center is the same, and it is very close to the red light district, which is very unsafe. Therefore, it is recommended to share an apartment, preferably in a local middle-class residential area. The house is good, the scenery is good, it is safe and quiet, which is more suitable for life and study.

Or find a Spanish landlord, but first, cooking is a problem, and second, because of different living habits, there may be small friction at ordinary times. But in any case, the house must be next to the subway station with convenient transportation or the light rail station. It's certainly better to have a bus passing by. It is very important for us to have a better kitchen, because we can do whatever we want. After all, Spaniards are seldom willing to rent their houses to people in China, because cooking and cooking are oily and harmful to the kitchen. Secondly, it is best to have a TV, refrigerator, washing machine and telephone in the room.

Food problem

The first is the seasoning problem. All China spices can be bought in local China stores, especially ginger, because there is no ginger in Spanish supermarkets, only garlic. The second is the problem of tableware. I don't need to say this. The third is cooking. It is suggested to bring a rice cooker (preferably double plugs) before going to the west, which will be revolutionary for your dinner! As for the local vegetables, they are basically similar to those in China, but the "quality" is poor-unpalatable.

Especially cucumbers, pay attention! Some supermarkets sell Chinese cabbage, so be careful. There are two kinds of lettuce, pay attention to your choice. There are many kinds of noodles there, but it is spaghetti. Just put it in boiling water for about 5-8 minutes, and then simmer for 5 minutes. It can be made into ketchup noodles, which is very good! If you don't want to cook, you can make do with a box of instant noodles in a shop in China, but it's more expensive.

Get dressed and wear a hat

You won't really find the weather in Spain until you arrive: it's wonderful. The weather is good, the sun is abundant, the air is fresh, and there is basically no pollution, not to mention dust, because there is no soil in the urban area. The coldest in winter is only MINUS 5 degrees, but it often rains. Based on this, I suggest not to bring sweaters and trousers, but a slightly thicker pair of autumn trousers and a thicker cashmere sweater or sweater (bring a sweater if you are afraid of the cold).

Bring more spring and autumn clothes and casual sports shoes; Consider bringing some rain-proof silk clothes or windbreakers, which are very useful; In addition, you should take a good umbrella, because it can keep out the rain in winter and shade in summer, especially in winter, when you use it so many times, you almost have to take an umbrella when you go out, so a good umbrella is very useful. In addition, it is best to bring some sheets, quilts, etc.

leave

Speaking of traffic in Madrid, public transportation is particularly developed, and subway, light rail, bus and monthly ticket are universal and very convenient. If any of you is under 2 1, you can also apply for a youth monthly ticket (yellow cover), and the price will be cheaper. Subway and light rail are divided into six areas: a, B3 B2 b 1, C2 c 1. It's enough for you to buy area A. If you lose your monthly ticket, report it immediately and apply again. The ticket window provides free subway route maps and light rail route maps.

Correspondence contact

You can buy a mobile phone in Madrid and recommend it to the special group subway station. There is an overseas Chinese shop at 307 Calle Bravo Burillo, where you can buy a mobile phone in Chinese. It would be better if there is a fixed telephone at home. Internet access there is not very convenient. There are Internet cafes near Sol Square in the city center, but the prices are relatively expensive, some are 200 for half an hour and some are 200 for an hour. And before going to the computer, you must ask the administrator if you can understand Chinese, because some Internet cafe systems are in western languages and cannot correctly identify Chinese. E-mail can be sent and received there, but Chinese input will be very difficult or even impossible.

As for the contact with China, the first is the telephone. If you use some cards, international calls to Madrid will be very cheap. These cards include: World Card, Tiger Card and Ping An Card. The first two can also be played with mobile phones. These cards can be bought in overseas Chinese shops, or consult the embassy, or you can buy cheaper cards. The second is to send letters. Envelopes can be bought in supermarkets, and stamps can only be bought in two places: tobacco kiosks or post offices. If you send a heavy letter, you need to go to the post office to weigh it. Time, about less than a month, about three weeks can be received (under normal circumstances).

Work and rest time

The timetable in Spain is strange to Europeans. The time for three meals is about 8: 00 am to 9: 00 am, lunch time is 2: 00 pm or 2: 30 pm, and dinner time is different, some are 9: 00, some are 1 1: 00. Try to adapt, do as the Romans do.

Usually go to work at 9 am or 10, and the traffic peak; Get off work at 2 noon, take a lunch break, then go to work at 4 or 5 pm and get off work at 7 or 8 pm. The business hours of shops and supermarkets are basically 9: 00 am (Saturday 10). Individual shops, such as El Corte Ingles, don't open until Sunday 12, usually until 8: 30 or 9: 00 pm. Individual supermarkets (such as El Corte Ingles, Fnac, etc. ) are open until evening 10. However, ordinary street shops are closed on Saturday and Sunday. On Sundays, all the shops and supermarkets are closed except a few (El Corte Ingles, etc.). ).

So, pay attention, if you want to buy something, you must buy it before Friday, otherwise it will be difficult to find several shops that are open for business on weekends, especially delicious food! ! ! You must buy good weekend food on Friday, otherwise everyone will taste the tragic situation of having to go hungry despite having a lot of money.

Living habits

Spaniards also have their own code of conduct. For example, when getting on the elevator, if you are not in a hurry, you must pay attention to standing on the right side of the elevator, because the left side is reserved for people who are in a hurry to get up and down the stairs. In China, it is normal to hum a tune or sing loudly in the street, but in Spain, people will treat you as a mental patient. Besides, we must be able to accept Spanish yellow jokes. They have a habit: three sentences are inseparable from jokes. So everyone must do as the Romans do and adapt to their own nature of life.

Residence application

Everyone must apply for a legal residence permit in Spain immediately after arriving in Spain, otherwise the consequences will of course be illegal and dangerous. Only one police station in Madrid is qualified to manage immigration and residence applications. It's in Calle de Los Madrazo, probably No.9, near Cibeles Square. You can get off at Sevilla or Banco de Espana subway station and ask passers-by. The application procedure includes: four forms with different colors but the same format received at that police station; A valid passport; A valid visa; Admission certificate issued by the school (use the course selection form and have the official seal of the school); Scholarship certificate issued by the embassy or AECI as proof of legal income in the West; Rental certificate issued by the landlord (signed by the landlord himself, and sometimes the landlord's real estate license is required); A valid medical insurance certificate shows that this can be handled in Sanitas, the medical institution in charge of this work in Madrid. It is estimated that the monthly insurance premium for young people aged 20-25 is about 100 euros for boys and 120 euros for girls. You can only apply for two or three months, because it is only to apply for residence.

Of course, if individuals want to be on the safe side, it is not impossible to apply more. We must consider and discuss it. Finally, there are four one-inch bareheaded photos. Note that the background of the photo must be white! ! Otherwise it is invalid! I suggest you take good photos in China and take them to Spain, because there is no bottom photo, just a few! You can take an inch or two more spare photos. If necessary, it's too late to take pictures now. In Madrid, there is a little Cajas in the subway station who took instant photos, which is really not so good. Yes, but the quality is not guaranteed.

Leisure time after meals

You can listen to the news. There are two TV stations in Spain that recommend news. One is National Television/KOOC-0/(TVE/KOOC-0/) and the other is Telecinco. Both have their own advantages. You can watch movies. The movie ticket price in Spain is generally 800 Spanish dollars, but there will be a discount if you show your student ID card or Wednesday, about 600 dollars. Large cinemas are mainly concentrated in urban areas, especially Callao Square and Granvia Street.

You can also watch it on TV, but good movies are usually shown only on Friday or Saturday nights. Antena 3 TV movies are very good, recommended. You can read newspapers and magazines. Spanish newspapers are more expensive, such as El Pais, Le Monde and ABC. , about 1 to 1.5 euros per book. Every Sunday, some newspapers add a magazine, such as El Pais, which costs about 2.5 euros. The newspaper is very thick, with comprehensive news, including political theory, economy, culture and art, literature, finance, real estate, tourism and sports, weather forecast, and finally TV programs. I recommend everyone to buy newspapers together, which has many benefits.

All literary books and dictionaries are recommended to be purchased in Building A or Building B of CommScope Rutans University, because there is a 10% discount if you pay in cash.

bank deposit

You should apply for a bank account as soon as you arrive in Madrid. The big banks in Spain include Caja Madrid, Caixa, BBVA(Banco de bilbaoviscaya) and so on. It is recommended to choose Caja Madrid Bank, because its branches are all over Spain, and its ATMs can be seen everywhere on the streets of Madrid. The conditions for applying for an account are harsh. I'm afraid it's impossible to open an account only with a passport, because ordinary branches will need to show their legal residence cards in the West. However, it is impossible to have a residence card just after arriving in Madrid. It is suggested to open an account in several branches with relatively relaxed conditions, such as a hospital near Moncloa (like San Juan Carlos) and a branch of Madrid Savings Bank nearby, where you can open an account with passports, visas and scholarships.

If you don't know anything, or you really can't find an account bank, you can ask the embassy for help. As for the carry-on dollars, please note that it is best not to put them in the bank, because every time you take them out, you will be charged a 5% handling fee, which is very worthless. It is recommended to put it in a private place at home, so it is better to share a house with everyone, because it is safer for this reason. About withdrawing money and spending by credit card. Note that in Spain, you don't need to enter any password to use a credit card (the savings card there can be used as a credit card, but it can't be overdrawn), such as in supermarkets, shops or restaurants! ! But sometimes, the other party will need you to show your residence card or passport, but just use a general college student card or other cards with photos. You can also use your own photos to get a card, which is more convenient. Generally speaking, you can withdraw money from our ATM, but you can try it at other ATMs, and there is no handling fee. However, the bank will deduct 10 euros from your account every year as the annual card fee. There is also an ATM that can be seen everywhere in Spain, which says Telebanco. On it, almost all cards can withdraw money, but, for example, if you withdraw money from Caja Madrid's card, you have to charge a 3% handling fee.

student card

Throughout the European Union, there is a card for students and young people called international student identity card. This card can be used as an ID card, which is common in Europe. Its cardholders enjoy various discounts, such as buying books, various tickets and admission tickets, especially museums, with different discounts. But not all points, but many designated places. Handling this card requires: a valid passport and visa, or a residence card; A valid bank account; Age is less than 26 years old. The condition is that you need to pay an annual fee of 10 Euro. The application place is Madrid and the address is 10.