Class

February 28, 2017

The first week of classes went off very well. I could very well get used to the idea of not having Friday classes; it is such a luxury! Based on the set-up of my classes and my schedule, I have two classes each day, and each class twice a week. My classes don’t run late, which is exactly how I like it, get it over and done with by the afternoon! The format of the class is not too different from what I am used to at Northeastern University, a mixture of lectures and discussion. Some classes are more focused on readings than others and therefore, the material is more reliant on discussions. Our professors are very aware of us being study abroad or exchange students and therefore understand what we are used to and acknowledge the differences. However, to gain a true study abroad experience, we as students must adapt to the local way of teaching and delivery of material, including examination and grading. Grading is the only aspect that is different from US universities.

The grading scale is not based on percentages that translate to a letter grade, it is on a scale of 1-10. A lot of us were confused as to how that works and when looking around, there was a hint of panic in everyone’s eyes as to how that would translate when they returned to their home university. I suppose time will tell once we finish our first set of mid-terms and get an idea of how we are tested and then how our exams are graded.

Luckily for me, none of my classes require textbooks; all readings and class material are posted online on a platform like Blackboard. However, each teacher has a Google Site on which the same material is posted. This meant less money for me to spend on this front and more to save and spend elsewhere, airplane tickets for example! Having always had a textbook to refer to, not having a textbook in any of my classes took some time to get used to but now that I have, I like it, it is something I would not mind having for the remainder of my semester!

Written By

Mitali Mirle

I am originally from India, born and raised in Dubai UAE. I am studying Environmental Science with a minor in psychology and Spanish. I chose to study abroad because I wanted to experience a new culture, travel to new places and in the process, improve my Spanish. While some people speak English here in Barcelona, the preferred language is definitely Spanish, therefore if I want to communicate with others, I am forced to speak the language, which will help me improve my conversational Spanish. While abroad, I hope to use Barcelona as a gateway to rest of Europe, say yes to almost all opportunities, try new things, eat new types of food and witness and be a part of new traditions and customs of Spain. I would like to come back and share my experiences with others like me who also want to travel the world and see the world from different perspectives.