The Student Room Group
Student in halls, University of Sunderland
University of Sunderland
Sunderland
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Doing Spanish at Sunderland?

I've just graduated from here and I don't want to scare you, but here's a few things just to be aware of.


From what I know, there are four Spanish teachers at the University. I only had two of them so I can only comment on these two but I can't use names.


Be prepared for teachers NOT emailing you back when you have a problem. In my final year, our teacher didn't email back at all, to the point when one of us tried to contact said teacher on Facebook, who read the message and still ignored it. Said teacher only started replying FOUR months later because I tweeted about it and the University looked into it. We had also tried to tell him in the lessons we'd emailed him but he still ignored us up until that point.

The other teacher only works Monday to Wednesdays and is the head of the department. Don't bother trying to get in contact after Wednesday no matter how important or urgent your problem is, you won't get a reply.

Ask what your assignments are out of. I only realised for the homework portfolios that they are out of 75% rather than 100% which would add 4% to your module score if the portfolios had a score of 100% and that could be the difference between you getting a 2:2 or a 2:1.

Speaking of homework portfolios, if you add any extra work into them than what's specified because you think you'll get praise for doing more work, you will be marked DOWN. I don't understand that logic.

One teacher will mark part of your work wrong, then when you go through it, (that's IF you go through it,) said teacher will re-read it, say they don't know why they marked it wrong, but won't change your score. Just be prepared for that.

Also be aware that if you ask teachers for help with an assignment (do it face to face, then they can't run away), they will tell you to write something and obviously you'll write it because it's what they told you to do. After you've done this, get them to take a look at it again, because more often than not, they will ask you why you've put that in or say to take it out because they never remember it was their suggestion.

Sorting out the year abroad was a complete mess. If you want me to tell you about it, please ask me. Remember as well that you DON'T have to do a year abroad. I heard from someone that they were never told about the minor/major route. If you don't want to do a year abroad, you can minor in Spanish and major in your other subject.

With all these negatives, the best thing was the year abroad. If you want a dual degree, you have to do the year abroad and it is something I would definitely recommend.

If you do have any more questions or need help in general to do with the University or the city, please feel free to ask me!
Reply 1
I agree with the bad organisation and the not replying of emails for ages.... Omg I have so much to talk! Not a good place to study Spanish!
Student in halls, University of Sunderland
University of Sunderland
Sunderland
Visit website
Reply 2
Original post by GPT1
I agree with the bad organisation and the not replying of emails for ages.... Omg I have so much to talk! Not a good place to study Spanish!



Nearly destroyed my degree and my soul for lack of a better phrase. Staff didn't like me because I would complain about the problems to their face rather than do it behind their backs like a lot of other students did.
Reply 3
Speaking about that, I have the feeling that all of my lecturers hate me because I expose all bad things about my programmes and the low quality of this place, as you said face to face and also in front of many people + spreading the information among the students : ))) I applied for a transfer though, I really hope to go somewhere else.

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