Should you study abroad? Yes! I think you will agree after
reading the following post.
Regardless of what you study, every student should experience living and studying in a different country; that is, if you like traveling and meeting new people.
Studying in a different culture gives you the opportunity to meet people not just from the states, but also from all over the world. It’s shocking how many Europeans actually stay in Europe and study abroad. Since being in Spain, I’ve made friends from Poland, Belgium, France, Austria, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, Argentina and many from different parts of the states. The two girls living in my apartment are both from Turkey and you learn a lot from living with people you can’t communicate very well with.
Not only do you get to meet amazing people, you also get to take classes that may not be offered in the states.
Most people may think that students with very general majors or language major can study abroad, but almost everyone can do it. I’ve met nursing majors, economics majors, political science majors, etc. The university in Murcia has a good journalism department, so a lot of the students around Europe are studying in the department and taking most of the classes I’m in.
The university system in Murcia, Spain, is a lot different than the university system at SDSU. It’s different in the following ways:
Some of the students studying in Spain this semester have either loved it or hated it because they weren’t expecting to have to depend completely on another language or change customs so drastically. Some countries do speak a lot of English but in Spain, for example, hardly any of the local people speak English in the smaller college towns.
Also, make sure you make friends outside of the other
students from the US. It’s easy to either meet locals in your classes or other
exchange students from places around the world.
Final Advice
Carmela Garcia Lammers is spending the semester in Spain at the Universidad de
Murcia, Murcia, Spain. She answered a few questions via email
Notes
about a few of the pictures:
The first picture is of the entrance to the university in the city. Carmela, on the right in the second picture, says, "Two of us don't look very excited because we were in complete shock by running into pig heads outside on the street." The middle picture was taken at one of the many international dinners students have in their apartments. In the photo there are people from Hungary, Latvia, USA, France, German, Philippines, Poland, and Austria.
Why should every student go on a university exchange in another country?
The first picture is of the entrance to the university in the city. Carmela, on the right in the second picture, says, "Two of us don't look very excited because we were in complete shock by running into pig heads outside on the street." The middle picture was taken at one of the many international dinners students have in their apartments. In the photo there are people from Hungary, Latvia, USA, France, German, Philippines, Poland, and Austria.
Why should every student go on a university exchange in another country?
Regardless of what you study, every student should experience living and studying in a different country; that is, if you like traveling and meeting new people.
Studying in a different culture gives you the opportunity to meet people not just from the states, but also from all over the world. It’s shocking how many Europeans actually stay in Europe and study abroad. Since being in Spain, I’ve made friends from Poland, Belgium, France, Austria, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, Argentina and many from different parts of the states. The two girls living in my apartment are both from Turkey and you learn a lot from living with people you can’t communicate very well with.
Not only do you get to meet amazing people, you also get to take classes that may not be offered in the states.
Most people may think that students with very general majors or language major can study abroad, but almost everyone can do it. I’ve met nursing majors, economics majors, political science majors, etc. The university in Murcia has a good journalism department, so a lot of the students around Europe are studying in the department and taking most of the classes I’m in.
The university system in Murcia, Spain, is a lot different than the university system at SDSU. It’s different in the following ways:
- If class starts at 3:00pm or 15:00 as they say here, it doesn’t actually start until 3:15pm.
- Don’t expect PowerPoint presentations or D2L documents. Students in Spain write down word-by-word what the teacher says and typically go back to re-write them.
- There are no textbooks. Normally, teachers will send some notes to the building printer and students have to go buy the copies.
- As a study abroad student, you normally show up to whatever classes you want in the beginning and don’t actually register until 3 or 4 weeks into the school year.
- Teachers and students tend to not have a problem with arguing in class.
- Instead of having finals last one week, finals last close to one month.
- An unhealthy difference, but a difference, students and teachers stand outside of the buildings to smoke together and serve alcohol in the university cafeterias.
- Unlike the US, most classes here don’t have very many tests and hardly any homework until the finals month.
- Almost all of the students live with their parents.
I would recommend being 100% sure you want to be completely immersed in whichever language or culture you choose to study abroad in. The customs in Murcia, Spain, took some time to get used to because, for example, all the grocery stores, pharmacies and shops close from 2pm-5pm for nap time and banks close for the day after 2pm.
Some of the students studying in Spain this semester have either loved it or hated it because they weren’t expecting to have to depend completely on another language or change customs so drastically. Some countries do speak a lot of English but in Spain, for example, hardly any of the local people speak English in the smaller college towns.
Final Advice
The key to surviving the Spanish university system is patience. Teachers and
students have a very relaxed relationship and students normally don’t expect
class to start on time and for grades to be posted on time either. There is
also no secrecy when it comes to grades in class. The professor for my
Political Science class posts all our grades online in an excel chart with all
of our names. It’s hard getting used to, but the educational system is still
very good!
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