The Student Room Group

Studying abroad

Is moving to Spain to study a good idea? I want to study the entire course in Spain, not just a year. (The language isn't a problem as I am learning it). Does anyone have any experience in this? Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated :smile:
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/postgraduate-study/study-abroad/study-in-spain
Here is a short guide on how to study in Spain for you to inform yourself. There will also be a lot of Youtube videos if you want to see.

I have some points that you might want to consider before deciding:
-Why do you want to study in Spain? If you just want to study there because you like going there on holiday and want to live there full time...don't. As I'm sure you can imagine, living in Spain is worlds apart from being a tourist there.
-UK universities are some of the best in the world. I'm not saying the Spanish universities aren't good, but judging by international rankings, UK unis rank way ahead of Spanish ones on average. I know so many Spanish students who come to the UK to study so that their degree is more 'prestigious'. Are you willing to give up the opportunity that studying in the UK will bring you?
-Do you want to live in Spain after you complete your degree? Remember that Spain has a massive problem with unemployment, so finding a job there will be difficult if you don't go that extra mile. It might even be better to get a degree in the UK to increase your employability.
-What is your level of Spanish?

If you are willing to move past all of these points, then I think you'd really enjoy Spain and you should definitely go for it! My cousin actually went to study in a private Spanish university because she didn't get the grades to study dentistry in the UK and she loves it (although it is very expensive)! Many people from my school similarly have gone to Spain and are enjoying it so far!
May I ask what you want to study and where? :smile:
Reply 2
Original post by chloenix
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/postgraduate-study/study-abroad/study-in-spain
Here is a short guide on how to study in Spain for you to inform yourself. There will also be a lot of Youtube videos if you want to see.

I have some points that you might want to consider before deciding:
-Why do you want to study in Spain? If you just want to study there because you like going there on holiday and want to live there full time...don't. As I'm sure you can imagine, living in Spain is worlds apart from being a tourist there.
-UK universities are some of the best in the world. I'm not saying the Spanish universities aren't good, but judging by international rankings, UK unis rank way ahead of Spanish ones on average. I know so many Spanish students who come to the UK to study so that their degree is more 'prestigious'. Are you willing to give up the opportunity that studying in the UK will bring you?
-Do you want to live in Spain after you complete your degree? Remember that Spain has a massive problem with unemployment, so finding a job there will be difficult if you don't go that extra mile. It might even be better to get a degree in the UK to increase your employability.
-What is your level of Spanish?

If you are willing to move past all of these points, then I think you'd really enjoy Spain and you should definitely go for it! My cousin actually went to study in a private Spanish university because she didn't get the grades to study dentistry in the UK and she loves it (although it is very expensive)! Many people from my school similarly have gone to Spain and are enjoying it so far!
May I ask what you want to study and where? :smile:

Thank you so much! I've been looking into Granada or Madrid to study biology or business, although I'm really not sure yet as there are different things I would like to do. Would you say that a degree from Spain would be less useful within the UK?
Original post by James-2002
Thank you so much! I've been looking into Granada or Madrid to study biology or business, although I'm really not sure yet as there are different things I would like to do. Would you say that a degree from Spain would be less useful within the UK?

Oo that sounds really cool! Bio and business are good subjects to study abroad, in my opinion, because unlike subjects like Law, you can use your knowledge in jobs that aren't just confined to Spain (should you ever want to move!).

Also, I think it's hard to compare Spanish and British degrees in general. You could look at international university rankings (https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/best-universities/best-universities-spain), but those change every year and it's mostly a matter of opinion so they're not too reliable.

However, I think it is quite plain to see that British university degrees are very well respected internationally, and people come from all over the world to study at British universities (lots of Spaniards too!). That doesn't mean that a Spanish degree has no value, however. All degrees have value and employers consider a hell of a lot more factors than just the university you went to!

That being said, if you have very good A-Level grades and you have a shot at getting into the top UK unis, I think it wouldn't be the best idea to throw away that opportunity in search of a Spanish degree. But that's a matter of personal opinion, and sometimes it's better to follow your heart rather than your head!

As you can tell, this is a very complicated question and I'm struggling to answer it. Maybe if you told me the names of the exact universities you're looking at in both UK and Spain, as well as the grades you're achieving right now I would be able to give you better advice? :smile:
Reply 4
Original post by chloenix
Oo that sounds really cool! Bio and business are good subjects to study abroad, in my opinion, because unlike subjects like Law, you can use your knowledge in jobs that aren't just confined to Spain (should you ever want to move!).

Also, I think it's hard to compare Spanish and British degrees in general. You could look at international university rankings (https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/best-universities/best-universities-spain), but those change every year and it's mostly a matter of opinion so they're not too reliable.

However, I think it is quite plain to see that British university degrees are very well respected internationally, and people come from all over the world to study at British universities (lots of Spaniards too!). That doesn't mean that a Spanish degree has no value, however. All degrees have value and employers consider a hell of a lot more factors than just the university you went to!

That being said, if you have very good A-Level grades and you have a shot at getting into the top UK unis, I think it wouldn't be the best idea to throw away that opportunity in search of a Spanish degree. But that's a matter of personal opinion, and sometimes it's better to follow your heart rather than your head!

As you can tell, this is a very complicated question and I'm struggling to answer it. Maybe if you told me the names of the exact universities you're looking at in both UK and Spain, as well as the grades you're achieving right now I would be able to give you better advice? :smile:

Right now, I'm looking at BCC grades, but I'm hoping to improve. As for the universities I've been looking at, they are the University of Granada, la Universidad Complutense de Madrid and la universidad Autonoma de Madrid. I think these are some of the best ones in Spain so I guess if I were to go for any then these would be good choices. :smile:
Original post by James-2002
Right now, I'm looking at BCC grades, but I'm hoping to improve. As for the universities I've been looking at, they are the University of Granada, la Universidad Complutense de Madrid and la universidad Autonoma de Madrid. I think these are some of the best ones in Spain so I guess if I were to go for any then these would be good choices. :smile:

Those universities, from what I've heard, are apparently really good! I think that a degree from those universities would certainly be valuable! I would advise you to apply to UK unis as well as Spanish ones, and once you find out where you've been accepted you can make the comparison by considering: the prestige, the course, the teaching standards, student satisfaction and others factors like the location etc.
For now keep your options open :smile:
Reply 6
Original post by chloenix
Those universities, from what I've heard, are apparently really good! I think that a degree from those universities would certainly be valuable! I would advise you to apply to UK unis as well as Spanish ones, and once you find out where you've been accepted you can make the comparison by considering: the prestige, the course, the teaching standards, student satisfaction and others factors like the location etc.
For now keep your options open :smile:

Thanks so much for your help and advice, it's good to hear other people's opinions and I'll definitely keep my options open. Have a great day! :smile:
Original post by James-2002
Thanks so much for your help and advice, it's good to hear other people's opinions and I'll definitely keep my options open. Have a great day! :smile:

No problem hope it works out for you! :smile:

Quick Reply

Latest

Trending

Trending