Moving to another country to study dentistry also means finding somewhere to live, learning how to get around and settling into a new city. This is the experience of the 233 international students from 45 countries studying the Bachelor’s Degree in Dentistry this year at the UCAM Cartagena campus.

To help them settle in, UCAM Cartagena has agreements with a student residence, a co-living property and two private accommodation options. The Housing service advises students on location, price and individual needs, helps them find accommodation and sign their rental agreements, and continues to support them throughout the academic year.

Jullian Olivier Mathis, a German student of the Bachelor’s Degree, initially lived in one of the UCAM Student House properties before moving into a flat with a British flatmate. ‘It was a very good way to start because I met other students straight away and got used to living in a new country,’ he explains. Ghita Benaicha, from Casablanca in Morocco, chose to live alone in a flat, a decision she values for the independence it offers. Sia Shamaun, from the UK, shares a flat near the university and says that living with others ‘makes it much easier to adapt to life in another country’, especially when far from family.

None of the three knew much about Cartagena before starting university. Over time, they have come to appreciate its student atmosphere, climate, port, proximity to the sea and manageable size, which makes getting around and everyday life easier. Sia also values the opportunity to live alongside students from dozens of countries, as it helps her communicate with people from a wide range of backgrounds, a skill she believes will be particularly useful in her future career.

This adjustment is also reflected in their dental training. After the preclinical stage at the campus in Los Dolores, students undertake clinical placements with patients at UCAM Dental Cartagena, on Alameda de San Antón, a 2,000-square-metre university dental clinic with 26 treatment bays and a laboratory. This experience also gives them the opportunity to develop their skills in a different linguistic and cultural environment.