Universidad de Granada (UGR)

As food, telephone and accomodation is considerably cheaper in Spain than in Norway. However, Granada's nightlife was not to be missed so I ended up going out a lot more than I was used to do in Norway. The fact that I was in a new country with lots to see, I was also encouraged to travel around in Spain.

Take the courses that you feel will be of interest and use to you. There is no point taking up courses that will not be worth your time for one reason or another. I based my overall evaluation on the following criterias: - likelihood of accreditation by home university - of particular academic interest - of particular personal interst - lecturer (teaching method and clarity of language) - fellow students

I had a very good academic experience because I took up courses in which I felt a good reason to invest time and energy, however I felt that the system itself had several flaws. Firstly, the exams where very short and intense. They did not give you the chance to think things through and express your ideas throroughly. Secondly, good grades could be obtained simply by copying exactly what the lecturer had said in class. Another difficulty was the lack of support from the International Office at the university which was virtually absent. I did feel that I had a rewarding year at the univerisity, but there are certain improvements that could have resulted in an even better experience.

How cold it can be during winter! Bring proper clothing!

Granada University has experience with international students and has a rich variety of studies in many fields. Granada itself has a fantastic cultural heritage, student life and superb location as it is only 45 minutes by bus from the Sierra Nevada mountains and less than 2 hours by bus from the coast.

When you share an apartment with another person or more people, you have a unique opportunity to get know people, learn and practice different languages, learn to understand and appreciate differences in culture and customs.