Vocabulary

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Video

 

 
 
 
 

Transcript

Really?

Yes, at some universities in Spain, drinking beer is allowed.

But of course that’s not the reason why the students are here. And neither are we.

Anyway, Spain is one of the most attractive European countries for international students.

But why?

Here is what you need to know if you want to study in this country!

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International students

Spain has more than 135,000 international students, and it is in the top 10 of European countries to study in.

I came to Madrid, the city with the most international students in Spain, to find out more.

45% of the international students in Spain come from the European Union,
from countries like France and Italy.

30% come from Latin America, mostly from Ecuador and Colombia — which is my home country. It actually makes sense for many Latinos to come here to study
because of the language.

I went to uni in Germany. And I have to say: Studying in another language was a bit challenging.

And if you don’t speak Spanish, no worries! There are also a number of courses in English here!

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Let’s talk about money!

An important thing that you need to know is that the prices to study in Spain vary depending on the autonomous community and the programs.

An academic year in a public university can cost between 500 and 1400 euros.
Ok . . . but wait, hold on: Do all international students pay the same?

I’m meeting María del Rosario Cristóbal from the Universidad Complutense to learn more about it.

Journalist: “The tuition fees at universities in Spain are very moderate compared to many other universities in Europe. But for non-European students, they are different. Tell us the difference.

María del Rosario Cristóbal: Vice Rector for International Relations and Cooperation: “Tuition fees are public. A credit can cost between twenty and fifty euros for national students.

For non-EU students, the fees are higher: four times more.

But the president of the Community of Madrid has committed herself to review the new degree coming out in 2024, and to lower these fees to the national level.”

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Why Spain?

Guys, we’ve discussed prices and numbers, but what about prestige?

Spain has dozens of top-ranked universities and it offers many degree programs in about 80 institutions. Business Administration, engineering and law careers are very popular.

Not bad!

But there is also another reason why internationals choose this country!
Let’s see what students have to say!

Student, Male, One: “I’m from Germany and I decided to come here because I have always been interested in Spain and Spanish culture.”

Student, Female, Two: “I come from Germany. I really like student life here. The campus is huge and people are always outside, and spend a lot of time here, drinking coffee together all day.

I like this ‘living la vida loca’.”

Student, Female, Three: “I love it. It’s more like a quality of life, the weather, the way of living. All this. It’s close to my family in France, but it has another culture, and I love it.”

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Housing & student jobs

Time to talk about life in Madrid! Let’s see what students get up to!

I’m meeting some internationals in the city center.

Journalist: “Let’s talk about practical things, for example, tell me, is it easy to find a place to live here? And also, how are the prices?”
Duvan Barrera, Colombian Student: “As for housing, I think it is one of the issues that people complain about the most, especially Latinos.”

Only Latin people complain? I asked a student from China for her opinion.

Ruqi Qiu, Chinese Student: “I think it is one of the hardest things for foreigners.
You have to find information on the web and even in the streets to find a flat.

And I think the price is also a little higher than in my country.”

Duvan Barrera, Colombian Student: “The cheapest can be 400 euros per month for a room without major amenities. And it can go up to 1,400 euros if you want a space, a loft with two rooms.”

Jobs and Work

Journalist: “How easy is it to find a job here, as a student?”
Duvan Barrera, Colombian Student: “The good thing here is that students can work up to 30 hours a week; there are many places that accept students to work on weekends or evenings.”

Ruqi Qiu, Chinese Student: ““It’s really, really difficult to find a job here, even just a part time job, because I can’t speak very good Spanish.”

Insider Tips

Journalist: “What tips would you give to international students who want to come to study in Spain?”
Duvan Barrera, Colombian Student: “The first step is to look for a flat close to your place of study so you don’t wast time getting around.

Second: the language. Be able to speak Spanish — not everyone speaks a second language here.

And third is to find an extracurricular group. Whether it’s a sports team, theater, or friends, so that you can start to get to know the city a little bit more.”

Alumni

Let’s say you made it and you finished your degree! What are the options after that?

Alumni can change their status to a working visa, if they get a work contract of a minimum 6 months.

Since 2022, students can now search for a job as soon as they graduate. Before that, it was not possible until they completed three years of residence in Spain.

That’s all for now! Tell us in the comments if you are planning to come here or if you would like to study in another European country!

Where shall we go next?

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Questions

 
Pre-School, Nursery School. People only come to Spain to visit tourist attractions. True or false?

Kindergarten. Do most international students come from China, India, and Nigeria?

Elementary School. All foreign students must be proficient in Spanish before they can enroll in university subjects. Is this right or wrong?

Intermediate School, Junior High School. All students at Spanish institutes of higher learning pay the same tuition. Is this correct or incorrect? Might it change anytime soon?

High School. Do German and other international students study in Spain (strictly) for academic reasons?

Vocational Technical School. Is housing in Madrid plentiful and inexpensive?

Community College. It’s easy to find work in tourism and hospitality? Do you completely agree, partially agree, both agree and disagree, disagree or totally disagree?

Apprenticeship. Should students only focus on academics? Should students concentrate on getting top grades?
 
 
 
Private College. My friends and I have studied abroad. Yes or no? If no, would you like to study abroad?

University. Do many students from your nation study abroad? What are some popular countries to study?

Department, School. Are there many international students in your country? Who are they? Where do they come from? What do they study? What happens after they graduate?

Master’s Program. Why do students study abroad? Are there any downsides to studying abroad?

PhD. Doctorate Program . What might happen in the future?

Post Graduate, Internship. What could or should people, institutions and governments do?