It's been 20 days since my Erasmus experience in Zaragoza came to an end. Having had the time to reflect on the journey, I thought I'd explain what I think of it overall, my thoughts on Universidad de Zaragoza, and how those five months went in general.
I'll start by saying that although I had to go to classes and exams, my grades didn't matter. I think it's fair to say that this made my experience less stressful than an average Erasmus student going on an exchange in their third or fourth year, where credits need to be transferred to their home university. Although my grades didn't matter, I wanted to do the best I could and went to the majority of my classes.
Before getting there, I was warned by other Strathclyde (my home university) students that I should pick classes from first or second-year options to increase my chances of passing. I trusted their advice and did just that. I won't go into detail about what classes I chose as I've already covered that in a past post.
What the classes were like
Every class lasted nearly two hours. Most classrooms had 40-60 people in them. There is no distinction between lectures and tutorials/workshops. This usually meant taking notes from slideshows during the first hour of the class and doing some sort of work during the second part of it. Also, some lecturers were not concerned that a third of the class were Erasmus students who might find it harder to summarize their lectures and turn them into notes, and spoke at the pace they were accustomed to regardless. Topics covered in class were hardly ever accompanied by slides and notes on Moodle. Not going to lie, sometimes it felt like they were trying to make it harder to pass than it should have been.
Facilities
I may have been spoiled by Strathclyde and its five-story library, but for a library to not have a printer was shocking beyond belief. On their website, they do state that they offer printing services, but when I went looking for it, an employee advised me to go to a photocopy shop nearby (at least those were cheap). That same library is only open until 5pm on a Saturday, closed on Sunday. All other university buildings were also closed during the weekend. When the time came to gather for a group project, our only options were a public library 15 minutes away or someone's flat/house.
Assessments/ exams
This was one of the most confusing parts of the course from the get-go. There are two options for evaluation: continuous evaluation and global. Continuous meant that you'd be graded for the work of the semester: various hand-ins, a portfolio of notes as well as a 'continuous exam'. The global exam for most students is their last attempt to pass the class. It is only compulsory for students who failed the continuous assessment option. However, even if you pass the continuous assessment you may opt to take the global exam as well, as the better grade of the two would be rewarded. Also, all assignments and exams are handed in with your name on them, nothing is anonymous. Even exam grades are announced with everyone's grades visible to everyone else in the class.
My verdict
Erasmus is often described as a life-changing experience, where you meet people from various cultures, learn to live on your own, face a different environment from what you're used to, and are forced to make it your home, at least for a little while. Those things were irrelevant to me. I had already lived independently, had friends from all over the world, and had moved to a different culture on my own. But if you're going for the sake of the study programme, I'd think twice before choosing Zaragoza.
What's next
It's definitely not all negative and even before I left Glasgow after Christmas to come back for the second part of this journey, I was convinced this would be the time of opportunities and growth in professional areas in my life. That began with joining a team of freelancers at Orange the Blue, then an internship learning more about digital marketing. Erasmus can definitely open new doors and change you in ways you never expected, but before you choose where you go - think about what it is you really want from this experience and let that guide the way.
p.s. if you'd like to know more about my experience of studying in Zaragoza - I'd love to answer any questions you may have!
I'll start by saying that although I had to go to classes and exams, my grades didn't matter. I think it's fair to say that this made my experience less stressful than an average Erasmus student going on an exchange in their third or fourth year, where credits need to be transferred to their home university. Although my grades didn't matter, I wanted to do the best I could and went to the majority of my classes.
Before getting there, I was warned by other Strathclyde (my home university) students that I should pick classes from first or second-year options to increase my chances of passing. I trusted their advice and did just that. I won't go into detail about what classes I chose as I've already covered that in a past post.
What the classes were like
Every class lasted nearly two hours. Most classrooms had 40-60 people in them. There is no distinction between lectures and tutorials/workshops. This usually meant taking notes from slideshows during the first hour of the class and doing some sort of work during the second part of it. Also, some lecturers were not concerned that a third of the class were Erasmus students who might find it harder to summarize their lectures and turn them into notes, and spoke at the pace they were accustomed to regardless. Topics covered in class were hardly ever accompanied by slides and notes on Moodle. Not going to lie, sometimes it felt like they were trying to make it harder to pass than it should have been.
Facilities
I may have been spoiled by Strathclyde and its five-story library, but for a library to not have a printer was shocking beyond belief. On their website, they do state that they offer printing services, but when I went looking for it, an employee advised me to go to a photocopy shop nearby (at least those were cheap). That same library is only open until 5pm on a Saturday, closed on Sunday. All other university buildings were also closed during the weekend. When the time came to gather for a group project, our only options were a public library 15 minutes away or someone's flat/house.
Assessments/ exams
This was one of the most confusing parts of the course from the get-go. There are two options for evaluation: continuous evaluation and global. Continuous meant that you'd be graded for the work of the semester: various hand-ins, a portfolio of notes as well as a 'continuous exam'. The global exam for most students is their last attempt to pass the class. It is only compulsory for students who failed the continuous assessment option. However, even if you pass the continuous assessment you may opt to take the global exam as well, as the better grade of the two would be rewarded. Also, all assignments and exams are handed in with your name on them, nothing is anonymous. Even exam grades are announced with everyone's grades visible to everyone else in the class.
My verdict
Erasmus is often described as a life-changing experience, where you meet people from various cultures, learn to live on your own, face a different environment from what you're used to, and are forced to make it your home, at least for a little while. Those things were irrelevant to me. I had already lived independently, had friends from all over the world, and had moved to a different culture on my own. But if you're going for the sake of the study programme, I'd think twice before choosing Zaragoza.
What's next
It's definitely not all negative and even before I left Glasgow after Christmas to come back for the second part of this journey, I was convinced this would be the time of opportunities and growth in professional areas in my life. That began with joining a team of freelancers at Orange the Blue, then an internship learning more about digital marketing. Erasmus can definitely open new doors and change you in ways you never expected, but before you choose where you go - think about what it is you really want from this experience and let that guide the way.
p.s. if you'd like to know more about my experience of studying in Zaragoza - I'd love to answer any questions you may have!
I also share my views on dating done right and mental health, travel, and books on byAbigaile.
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