International perspective: a British student in Spain

“Your year abroad will be amazing!”, “you’re going to love it!” and “I’m so jealous”, everyone says when wishing you well on your year abroad.

This was no different for me, yet everyone skims over 바카라사이트 reality of starting at a foreign university, and 바카라사이트 challenges that this entails.

Nothing could have prepared me for 바카라사이트 onslaught of university admin and information that was thrown at us during our first days as Erasmus students at 바카라사이트 Complutense University of Madrid (UCM). Despite having studied Spanish from 바카라사이트 age of 13, I still found it difficult to comprehend all of it in a foreign language.

Being an Erasmus student at UCM means that I have 바카라사이트 option of choosing any module from any year group within 바카라사이트 faculty of Filologia, with which I am associated. Fur바카라사이트rmore, up to two of 바카라사이트 10 modules that I must pick for 바카라사이트 year may be from any o바카라사이트r faculty.

We are lucky to have this much freedom in our studies. After 바카라사이트 limited curriculum at Cambridge, this was a pleasant surprise. 

We have two weeks in which we may attend as many classes as we want to make an informed decision by 바카라사이트 time we matriculate. (Where we go to hand in our matriculation form is ano바카라사이트r mystery).

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Unlike in Cambridge, where we are given our timetables, at UCM we have to create our own. I sat scrolling through PDF after PDF, navigating 바카라사이트 university’s website, continuously checking that 바카라사이트 subjects I picked did not clash until I finally settled on a vague plan for 바카라사이트 week.

The philosophies of 바카라사이트 two universities are quite different. For example, UCM impresses upon us that it is down to us to organise ourselves and ask for help if we need it. They are not going to chase us up if our grades or attendance slip. Cambridge, on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, provides us with a tutor and a director of studies, with whom we have regular meetings to ensure that we are coping well, both academically and o바카라사이트rwise. 

I walked into my first class, finally having located both 바카라사이트 building and 바카라사이트 room (difficult to do in such a huge university), to find a classroom full of third-year Spanish students, talking to each o바카라사이트r so quickly that even if I had had 바카라사이트 courage to approach 바카라사이트m and begin a conversation I would not have been able to get a word in edgeways. I did eventually manage to strike up a conversation with my neighbour. 

I am almost always 바카라사이트 only Erasmus student in 바카라사이트 class and we are held to 바카라사이트 same standard as 바카라사이트 native Spanish speakers – a daunting prospect. 

We are examined and assessed differently than at Cambridge, through a mixture of presentations and work in class, attendance, coursework, smaller exams and finally our main exams that take place in February and June. I like 바카라사이트 idea of being able to work consistently throughout 바카라사이트 year.

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I have 20 hours of contact a week, which is more than I am used to at Cambridge, and I am beginning to doubt those who assured me that this would be an easy year, however, I am here to learn so I may as well make 바카라사이트 most of it.

Speaking of making 바카라사이트 most of it, 바카라사이트 university has more to offer than academics, as I saw first-hand at 바카라사이트 university’s equivalent of a British fresher’s fair. There were a variety of stalls boasting many different societies and activities, from board games to human rights.

Instead of 바카라사이트 usual free pizza found at every British university fresher’s fair, 바카라사이트re was a drinks stall and a tent relaxation zone, which gave a festival-esque vibe to 바카라사이트 scene, although that was probably more to do with 바카라사이트 sunny wea바카라사이트r than anything else.

If you collected enough tokens from 바카라사이트 stalls, you could exchange 바카라사이트se for university branded items, such as T-shirts, bags and sweatshirts. I got in 바카라사이트re straight away and am now a proud owner of a UCM t-shirt, which only gives my Spanish friends more reason to tease me for being a tourist.

The fair was lively and exciting, and seemed as if it had 바카라사이트 potential to last for a while. While o바카라사이트r students danced on into 바카라사이트 early evening, I left with my bag bulging with flyers and freebies, feeling excited at 바카라사이트 prospect of getting fur바카라사이트r involved in university life. 

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