Spanish Universities

 Dear Barbie:

I am so happy to read abouyt your story!

Congratulations!

Maria

 Hi Barbie! Lovely to read your post and yes I will update with pleasure and pride!

Where to start??

Ok, first - Vicky. She has just started 3rd year in Uni - its the old system and a 5 year course in Biology. Through both summers she worked in a local restaurant here which has helped fund her and her position is open every summer. She is an Honorary student and with the credits she earned last year and with the top results achieved, she got 400 euros deducted from the Uni fees this year! The way it works is the top 6 students in the uni in the year in that subject get the credits so well done her for having such top results!

She is in Seville and loving where she is - has a share in a beautiful apartment and she has developed so well. Its great to have her back now and again but not now until Xmas , that took me a while to get used to but Im very used to it now!! This and next year she can apply for work experience which could lead to a position in a spanish company - one is a biotechnology company in Seville which she is quite interested in and having Spanish/English fluently, means the USA is also a top spot for her in her field. This year she is also studying Japanese!!!

Second is son Chris. I hadnt mentioned much about him as at the time Vicky is 2 years in front and he was at school, but he started 1st year Bachillerato last year and didnt get on with it! He got very into sports and via Marbella Rugby club was selected to represent Spain in the under 18s group in an international tournament in Italy! Spain came 2nd to Portugal, a very worthy result.

He decided he wanted to study in Sports and also to pursue his rugby career - its obviously more advanced in the UK - so the decision was made for him to go to UK to study and follow his rugby dream (watch this space as who knows!!!) He just started a 2 year sports science course at a college in Hartlepool, where his father lives (staying with Dad) which could lead to University degree or at least qualify him to teach and coach. He has just been asked to go to Madrid (next week the 6th to 10th oct) to try out for the U19 Spanish side and if selected, will represent Spain in the European tournament at the end of october in Brussels! (Trip totally paid for by the rugby federation!). It looks like there has been interest from the Newcastle Falcons but I havent got any more info on that - he will have to go and try out.

Its taken me a few weeks to get used to not having any kids around and to be able to be as selfish and lazy as I was as a teen is marvellous!

I will try and remember to keep this updated as to how Chris gets on. Have a great day everyone! :)

Well. I am glad to hear that some people manage at Uni in Spain.  It is nice to hear how the next generation is getting on.

Still there are many that can not access the Uni system here due to lack of funds!

There is no such thing as student loans in Spain and what some offer as a student load is actually a personal loan that parents need to back and thats has to be refunded straight away!

Not everyone has access to €1.400 a year inscrption plus rent or transport to get there and unfortunately not all kids will be top of their class and be able to access the free first year or reduction in the following years.  For many people down the Marbella end of the cost it puts too much preasure on the kids and they end up dropping out and findins a dead end job if they are lucky.

The transport alone can cost you another €1.000 per school year and the buses will not run during exam periods and so on which can be real nightmare for some. 

In some cases and depending on which studies the amount of time it takes IE: 5 years for adiministration has been reduced to 4, nevertheless they have not reduced the amount of subjects or material that needs to be covered!

I do belive that even if more expensive the UK system is far easier and more organised and therefore will always beat the Spanish system hands down!

Nevertheless this does not mean you can not achive the same in Spain but you need to be far more lukcy and priviliged than in the UK.

Joan

 Hi Joanmalaga,

Yes it can be more difficult here, but nearly all cities have a university in them.

Vickys course is 750 euros per year. We have moved into smaller accommodation so the excess pays her 240 euros per month rent and bills, then its food. No transport needed as she lives within walking distance of the uni.

Being a student she gets discounts on so much as well. The uni offered new laptops for first students for a deposit of 100 euros - at the end of the course you either keep it or give it back and get the money back.

I wanted her to go to Seville as she had studied hard and earned it - otherwise it would have been Malaga with all the hassle that would have entailed and it probably still would have been cheaper and easier for her to live there.

I dont know about the Beca system as we applied but were turned down - I had to take on extra work to help pay for it, luckily now my business is able to cover all our costs but for a couple of years it was very hard going.

I know in the UK the loans are loans and have to be paid back putting many into severe debt at an early age.

I cant comment comparing systems as I have no knowledge of the Uni's in the UK but both my kids level of comprehension, grammar in both languages plus a third and forth (french and german) means to me they have more doors and opportunities open to them. 

Maria, thank you for your kind words, we are so happy with the way our childrens lives have turned out here. Barbie.

Rixxy. Good to hear from you after so long! It sounds as though both of your children have done very well in their own particular ways, its lovely to hear of their success, I am from Newcastle and the Falcons would be a fantastic team for your son, the North East is a very friendly place to live. Your daughter is doing so well at uni, you must be very proud of her, we are hoping Jessica will stay in Spain but she is considering returning to the UK for uni, she will do whats right for her I am sure.  We are missing Jamie so much at the moment, but I speak to him most days and he is very much enjoying his course, he didnt ever really settle here and is happy to be back home. Jessica is also studying science at the moment but stil doesnt know what she wants to do in the future, she had wanted to train to be Doctor but has now decided that this is not for her.

So good to hear things are going well - must keep in touch.

Its wonderful to read that your children are doing so well in Spain, this is one of the things that is holding up our decision to make the move. We have four children the younger two are 9 and 7, but it is the older two that we are worrying about the most. My son is in his last year of high school and will sit his gcse in may (obviously we wont make any move untill he has completed them) and my daughter has just started college, she wonts to work with children so she is taking a diploma in  child care.

What are the options for school leaves there in Spain, this is really the only big concern that we have.Thank you in advance for any help .