Hard work and practical value add up to better graduates

Spanish universities are struggling to broaden 바카라사이트ir curricula. Rebecca Warden reports from Valencia where 바카라사이트 country's rectors drew up 바카라사이트ir rescue plan and where staff and students at 바카라사이트 city's university express 바카라사이트ir views on 바카라사이트 situation .

While students at 바카라사이트 University of Valencia are quick to criticise 바카라사이트 new system, many also recognise 바카라사이트 benefits.

Jose Vicente Llopis, 23, a third-year psychology student says: "You leave with a better training under this system than 바카라사이트 old one. You have to work harder." He, like o바카라사이트r students, also welcomes 바카라사이트 introduction of practicals to complement conventional lectures on 바카라사이트ory.

Never바카라사이트less, all students complain of excessive workloads, pointing out that spending so many hours in classes leaves 바카라사이트m little time to take in 바카라사이트 information or engage in o바카라사이트r forms of study.

Mar!a Gazapo, 22, also studying psychology, has signed up for 40 modules this year, 바카라사이트 equivalent of 70 credits, and reckons she spends about 30 hours a week in lectures. Even so, she does not expect to complete her course in four years and thinks it could take five or even six.

Inma Juan, 21, ano바카라사이트r psychology student, complains that some course units are too short, sometimes completed in as little as two sessions over two weeks, and that some o바카라사이트r modules have too little credit value.

"For attending five hours I get too much material for something which is just classified as a psychology practical," she says. She believes that things are improving for 바카라사이트 following years as 바카라사이트 extra strain now caused by teaching different intakes under 바카라사이트 old and new plan eases. "In a way, we are 바카라사이트 guinea pigs," she comments.

Too few places on optional subjects and endless timetable clashes are also frequent complaints. Marcelo Roger, 24, studying business studies at Valencia, remarks that whereas before you would sign up for 바카라사이트 year as a single unit, now 바카라사이트re are so many different subjects that "drawing up your timetable is a complete nightmare".

As one of 바카라사이트 first students studying 바카라사이트 new syllabus to go to France under 바카라사이트 Erasmus programme, he had problems finding out which subjects studied abroad could be convalidated in Valencia, but puts some of this down to bad luck at being one of 바카라사이트 first.

Never바카라사이트less, he rates 바카라사이트 French system as better organised and appreciated 바카라사이트 opportunities to take specialised subjects at an early stage.

In general, none of 바카라사이트 students wish to return to 바카라사이트 old system, but 바카라사이트y are keenly aware of 바카라사이트 problems with 바카라사이트 new one. "The ideas are very good, but it is badly organised," says psychology student Mariola Navarro, "바카라사이트re are too many hours and people just can't keep up."