Studying in Spain

The Spanish enjoy one of the best lifestyles (and quality of life) of any country; in Spain work fits around social and family life, not vice versa. The foundation of Spanish society is the family and community, and the Spanish are noted for their close family ties, their love of children and care for the elderly. Spanish people are very open-hearted and communicative. You won't have any problems to get to know someone, especially in the big cities like Madrid or Barcelona. It's often said that the Spanish living room is the bar where the people usually spend a lot of time in the mornings and in the evenings. CATALONIA Best known apart from the capital, Barcelona, is of course the Mediterranean coast, especially the first rate tourist attraction Costa Brava, with its beaches and mild climate. Catalonia has a very marked culture of its own, most evidently of Mediterranean tradition, and is distinguished of most other Spanish regions in several aspects, not at least by its language, Catalonian (although everybody speaks and understands Castilian Spanish perfectly). Studying in Spain The Spanish take education very seriously and have a deep respect and thirst for learning that isn’t found in many other countries. In the current highly competitive labour market, parents and students are acutely aware that academic qualifications and training are of vital importance to obtain a good job. Spain has a 9-month academic year, usually divided into three three-month terms of lessons with holidays in between. For academic purposes, however, universities tend to use four-month periods (October to February and February to June). Lessons start in late September or early October for Degree, Diploma and Engineering students, although postgraduate courses follow a different calendar. With regard to lessons, there are usually two shifts: the morning shift (with lessons starting as early as 8 am and finishing at around 2 pm) and the afternoon/evening shift (from 4 pm to 9 pm approximately), but it is also possible to have both morning and afternoon/evening lessons. Although most universities give you a choice of shift, some do not have this facility. In some cases (for example if you prefer a specific teacher or you need a time change due to work requirements) you may be allowed to attend a lesson in a shift other than the shift allocated on enrolment. In such a case, you will have to follow the appropriate procedures at the university. You will also need the teacher’s approval. Notes should be taken in most lessons. These are usually supplemented by reading from a reading list provided by the teacher. To avoid unpleasant surprises, you are advised to find out each teacher’s requirements from your classmates. It is worth noting that the Spanish university system consists mainly of lectures. The most common assessment system is exams.  Although written tests are more frequent, some teachers test their students orally. Continuous assessment based on coursework and one-to-one tutorials is still fairly rare in Spain. Working in Spain Foreign students are allowed to get a part-time job proving that your work will not interfere with your studies. Work permit is automatic for EU citizens. Be aware that unemployment in Spain is more than 20 per cent and thousands of people are looking for work. Unless you speak Spanish fairly fluently you will find very few permanent contracted jobs on offer and in some areas you may find that you also need one of the other 4 main regional languages. There may be a few exceptions, largely in the entertainment field or in the regional areas that have high English speaking communities,  but even these are very limited. For more information: Living, working and studying in Spain.