My Experience in the Universide Autónoma de Lisboa Luís de Camoes, Portugal. By Tamara

Overall, what is the Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa like?

This University is private, and that's why I'm disappointed with it. The university does not provide any services for Erasmus students, in fact there aren't any Erasmus students. I don't know any. There are no sport activities. The library does not have new books (i. e. books with new ideas, books with postmodern ideas), the website offers courses that don't exist, the professors don't explain things even when a student is struggling. The cafeteria does not have student prices...

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How are the available facilities?

The library (beautiful, but not recently updated), the cafeteria (prices not suitable for students), reprography (normal prices). What's more, it does not have free space for speaking. There are no green spaces, no spaces for leisure (they are very clear about the sole purpose of university: studying, obedience and passing).

They do not provide activities nor do they make an effort to mix students and Erasmus students.

What do you think about teachers?

I don't know the teachers. I only know of the most important teachers, but they do not give extra or special support.

Are classes easy at Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa?

It depends on the teacher. It seems very subjective and unfair. But if you want to get an 80% or better in the final exam, you have to do an exam in front of a jury and be evaluated by them. If you want to do some extra work to get higher marks, it depends on the department and the office rather than the teachers (since you must write a written request, and within a fixed date, state your reasons... ). This is the highest level of bureaucratisation (or dehumanisation) I have ever seen (or heard of) in a university.

Does the University organise activities? If so, what are they like?

It doesn't organise anything. They don't have sports fields, no spaces for leisure either. They have no benches, no spaces with a garden.

Do you think the teaching is of good quality?

No, I don't. The teaching is aimed at participation, not at learning and maturing.

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Do you have any stories you can share?

My worst experience was at the end of the year when I had to take a final exam.

The teacher didn't even come (not just once, but this happened to me up to 3 times). Finally, on the third time he didn't come, I was able to take the exam with the department director, but my teacher never corrected my exam (I think he lost it) and I was not evaluated in that subject until September (3 months later). After much talking to the office and even making a formal request for my assessment, in September I wrote to say that I was disappointed. I was already back at my home country, of course, and I asked him to correct through the Internet, but he never answered. I contacted the whole university and this shows that I had no support from that part of the office, nor from my department... no one took responsibility for my situation.

They all defended each other.

This is why I am currently in the process of reporting my department, from here in Spain.