FIRST WEEKS OF UNI LIFE

I arrived in Canterbury on the 14th of September. When I first saw my bedroom I thought that it was not going to be difficult to call it “home”. As it was my first time living alone (and really far away from my country; Spain) the first days were completely strange. I had to do a lot of things, such as cooking, ironing or doing the laundry, but I also had the time to enjoy the fresher´s week, which was awesome. I already knew a Spanish student who I met on the open days in June, however I could make more friends in all the parties, meet people from many other countries and share similar experiences with those new students. Everyone was kind and I was feeling myself with a lot of energy and positivity to start university!

The coolest thing of it was the society´s fair. In Spanish universities this does not exist so I found it fascinating to have this opportunity to join a club about your interest and make friends with the same hobbies as you. I took advantage of it to improve my English, so I have participated in politic speech even at the beginning I did not understand it the most of the time.

What impressed me the most about living here was that many of the students also work. This is possible because the way of studying here is very different. When I realized that I did not have lessons on Tuesdays either on Wednesdays I felt really confused. I enjoy attending my lectures because I really like my course and my subjects but as it was hard for me to catch the rhythm I was cheerful that I could have more free time to study and prepare my assignments. We have many seminars in which we have to carry out group works to put into practice the theory we learn in class. Each one must organize to look for information on their own and be interested in expanding their knowledge. In this way, those who know how to make the most of their time are able to work, study and have fun. While in Spain students at the university have lectures from Monday to Friday during the morning, I barely have 12 hours per week. Then, my Spanish friends also have lots of exams and fewer holidays, but in my case, I have to do a lot of researching for my assignments, which makes me learn at the time I study for the subject I am working on. Personally, I think that this is a better way of learning rather than memorizing what your teacher want you to repeat in your exams. It is also a more practicable training as the student is not a passive element anymore.

My university, besides being enormous, is very well organized. Everything works automatically through the student card and via online, in a program with a personal account to which we access the information of our course, our schedules or the duties that the teachers send. It also has lots of information and helps areas, as on the first days we were given all the information to be able to take full advantage of our career years, and all the places are accessible for the disabled. It has a lot of study areas, dining rooms, and a spectacular library, and very often we are offered special talks of orientation to the labor market or specific topics about your degree. It is true that university fees in England are much higher than in Spain (9.000 compared with 2.000 approximately) but at least it is worth it.

I would also say that our culture is completely different and sometimes I wonder how amazing is it that both countries are not that far away but they have so many peculiar aspects. For example, English people say “sorry” for almost everything, and they work upside down in all: particular plugs and switches, distinct side for driving… People have dinner at 6 (when Spanish do it at 10) but go to bed at 12 as Spanish people do. How aren´t they hungry when they go to sleep? And the worst thing of being Spanish in a country where is raining all the time, is also that it gets dark at four in the afternoon. That is just depressing.

Nevertheless, to sum up I just want to say that I am living an incredible experience and, at the same time as learning English, I am also learning about new cultures and new ways of living that will make me grow as a person. Spanish and British education works absolutely divergent and as a person who has studied in both methods, I individually think that Spain still has a lot to learn from English universities in some aspects although in other fields as gastronomy I would be faithful to my country.