Courses
Academics in Spain vary from the United States in so many ways. In most courses, there are two meeting days for 2 hours a piece. One large group for lecture and the other in a reduced group for application of the material. The classes I am taking in Spain are Spanish Language, Spanish Culture, Engineering Statistics and Data structures and algorithms.
Grading System in Spain
The grading system in Spain is very different than the US, they use a 10-point scale that you start with 0 points and work your way up. A 5/10 is equivalent to a C in the United States whereas a 4.99/5 is an F. Large assignments/tests make your entire grade, in my classes there are 1-2 midterms/projects and the final. Instead of the final exam being weighted at 20% in the US, its weighted at 40-50%, so it will really make or break your grade.
Difficulty of Courses
Courses in Spain vary in difficulty, having no assignments or extra practices given by the professor can leave one quite clueless as to what is going on in the course. The Spanish students feel the same way with what I can tell. The United States tends to be very focused on making sure that the material is being learned vs a free for all. Don’t get me wrong, I love Spain but their education system needs to be revamped. My Spanish friends who are in Stem courses say that its normal for them to fail multiple courses over the course of their academic career, whereas in the United States this doesn’t seem to happen as often.
