252 reviews
4.17 / 5 based on 252 reviews
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anonymous
Academic
Course recommendations
Don't rely on your home university to have arranged everything before you get there. Tutors won't necessarily be aware that your exchange programme exists: don't expect them to be cooperative.
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My academic experiences
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with international students
Interaction with local students
Personal comments
Better organisation/communication between the respective university departments.
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My opinion of the university assessment
Exams throughout the course
Essays and/or projects at the end of course
Essays and/or projects throughout the course
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anonymous
Expenses
Main source of funding:
Family
Other sources of funding:
An ERASMUS grant
Work opportunities:
I didn't explore any work options
Personal spending habits
Standard of living was cheaper in spain than in England (despite the poor exchange rate at the time.) Spent more money on international calls keeping in touch with friends/family. Occasionally spent money on taxis locally otherwise travel cost were on international flight and long national journeys to other cities. Spent A LOT of money on nightlife but still cheaper than in UK.
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Telephone, Nightlife, Travel:
was more expensive than at home.
Food, Housing, Overall:
was less expensive than at home.
Accessibility of student needs
Second-hand household items
Personal comments
Getting a telephone installed in Spain is extremely expensive compared to the UK. Travel by train is often cheaper than by coach but because of the rail network design journeys will often take a surprisingly long time.
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anonymous
Languages
Language of instruction: Spanish
Was learning Spanish a key decision factor?
No, it wasn't.
How much did you improve your Spanish?
My level before: At ease in most situations
My level after: No problems in any areas (including slang)
Language difficulties
Administrative / Institutional
Personal comments
Because we usually mixed with other Erasmus students rather than local students: meant that we would often copy each others' mistakes in Spanish, errors would go uncorrected. Ultimately, I learnt more Spanish working in Spain the year after I graduated.
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anonymous
Overall
I wish I had known...
During the summer Valladolid was like a ghost town. I was surprised by the change when people returned from their summer holidays.
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In my opinion:
Most people loved it.
Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important
Personal recommendation
The university is very traditional in its teaching methods (very little interaction between teachers-students: teachers teach, students learn.) Recieved very little help from the university during our time there. The registration process was more complicated adn less well organised than in the UK and that wasn't only because it was in a foreign language.
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During my experience abroad, I ...
(1) Never – (4) A lot
Became familiar with another culture
Met people from other countries
Experienced a change in life
Advanced my studies & career
Final comments
Valladolid isn't necessarily the prettiest of places in Spain but there's a lot going on and a very good nightlife. It's only a couple of hours' by coach/train from Madrid and half that from Salamanca, which has the night life of Valladolid but is a lovely place to visit anyway. Valladolid could also sometimes seem a bit stuffy and traditional but there is a counter-culture.
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anonymous
Student life
Describe host city:
Student life dominates the city
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Travel: Takes place mostly within the university/student environment
Activities: Takes place mostly outside the university/student environment
Nightlife: Takes place both within and outside of the university/student environment
Personal social experience
Personal comments
The chupiterias on Calle Paraiso; Prada al Tope bodega; some of the clubs around Paco Suarez; the Caja Espana film seasons
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anonymous
Housing
Type of housing: Apartment/House
Arranged by: Independently - My choice
If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House
Why?
Greater independence/freedom; real experience of living in a foreign country; opportunity to meet people from different backgrounds (i.e. not necessarily students.)
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Personal comments
No experience of university halls of residence. As I understood it, it was more expensive than finding private accomodation, although this did include meals.
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