Classes in Cádiz

During my pastoral meeting with a lecturer from University of Birmingham we had been asked if there was anything that we would do to improve the Erasmus experience for future students. One of the things that I and the other students from the University of Birmingham suggested was that there should be more information available for incoming students about the classes that were appropriate for Erasmus students to take. When we arrived in Cádiz lots of Erasmus students had problems with lecturers telling them that the classes that they were attending were unsuitable for Erasmus students or that they simply didn’t want Erasmus students in their class. So I thought I’d write a little résumé of the classes that I have experience of, just in case it helps prevent someone else making the same mistakes that I did in the first few weeks of University. If I had known to avoid some of the classes then it would have saved me an awful lot of stress.

Historia de la Lengua Español (15 ECTS credits)

This was the first class that I attended that was a complete disaster; there is no other way of putting it. The class was due to last two semesters, hence the high amount of credits, and it was two classes a week each lasting two hours. However, in the first class I was the only Erasmus student, and once the lecturer found this out he seemed determined to convince me to leave the class, telling me that it was much too difficult for Erasmus students. He insisted that I needed to have studied Latin and have mastered the Spanish language completely, so basically I couldn’t do it. Then he decided to just outright insult me insisting that as an Erasmus student I would be too lazy to come to class anyway, and would spend all my time on the beach instead. I hate the beach. So yeah, basically I wouldn’t recommend this class, unless you are going to pretend not to be Erasmus to avoid any problems.

Geografía Regional de Europa (5 ECTS credits)

This class is held twice a week with two hour sessions for the first semester, the lecturer uses a combination of power point slides and diagrams drawn on the board to help with his teaching. There is also a lot of debate amongst the class on certain topics which Erasmus students are encouraged to join in, as well as this there are other interactive teaching methods used to good effect. The class register was taken for the first time about eight weeks into classes and only seems to be taken once a week if and when he remembers to take it. By way of assessment we have had a test in early November, which will count for 10% of the mark, we had blank maps of Europe and had to write on the Countries, Mountain Ranges, Rivers, Seas and Coastal features, as well as complete a list of the capital cities. This was not too bad if you spent time learning it. Or you could do as the Spanish do and cheat. We also have a presentation to give and an exam, although I am not sure what form either of these will take yet. The content of the class is fairly simple, advantages and disadvantages of immigration for example and all of the lecture slides are put up on Campus Virtual for reference.

Historia Contemporánea de Andalucía (6 ECTS credits)

The class is taught over two sessions per week, each lasting two hours. The classes are very structured using power point slides which are, of course all on Campus Virtual. It is possible to print off the information from the slides before the class and annotate them during class, to save you replicating notes that the lecturer has already provided. There is a register taken in every single class, and the lecturer made it clear that it is only acceptable to miss a maximum of three classes in the term. The lecturer does however insist on asking the Erasmus students questions, sometimes very specifically, for example, he insisted that the English students tell him what the most important thing in the industrial revolution was, when none of us knew he got angry that we conferred amongst ourselves in English. He seems to think sometimes that we are really stupid, because we don’t know the answers to some of his specific questions, which is a bit unfair considering sometimes we have never covered the topic before and he is putting us on the spot. The assessment for the class involves a presentation, lasting fifteen minutes, given only to the lecturer about what you have understood from reading a pre-set text about Andalucía. I personally found the text quite difficult to read, so would advise splitting it with friends, or starting really early! There is also an exam in the New Year, although we are yet to find out what that will entail. The classes in general are pretty much just a standard lecture, there is little interaction apart from the direct questions and occasionally we are made to read sources aloud for the class.

Cervantes y la novela (6 ECTS credits)

For Cervantes y la novela there are two classes a week one lasting two hours and the other for only one hour. There is a folder to copy from the copisteria with lots of texts in it to read, as well as a list of extra texts that you are expected to read once you have found them yourselves, but until now I haven’t found any of them. The classes seem to be vaguely following some sort of program that generally follows the novels that we are meant to be reading, however there are no slides to follow or any information on the Campus Virtual, which means that all notes must be made with no support, at times this is difficult because when you are making notes on something the lecturer has said and so you miss the end of the point, meaning you have a whole series of half finished points that make up your notes. For the assessment we are required to write an essay which we then have to discuss with the lecturer, we were given a choice of titles at the start of the year however I still haven’t chosen one – Yikes! There is also an exam, or so I believe. I would recommend this class to people who are very interested in literature, unlike me who can’t stand it, because if you don’t then you really won’t be able to follow or gain anything from the class.

Literatura Hispanoamericana I (6 ECTS credits)

There are two classes a week for this subject, one lasting two hours and one class for an hour. There is a folder in the copisteria to copy for this class as well which was very extensive, it contains a lot of information about the course including a lot of different sources all in order with a contents page which is very useful. However the classes themselves are, in my opinion at least, quite hard to follow, although this is probably due again to the fact that I don’t really like studying literature. The exam will account for one hundred percent of the assessment result and will be 3 questions to answer under controlled conditions. As with the other literature class that I attend, note making is hard as there is no structure to the classes to follow and help making notes, so I miss half of whatever the lecturer is saying whilst trying to write down the other half.

Geografía de los paisajes naturales y culturales (6 ECTS credits)

This is one of the most enjoyable classes that I have here in Cádiz, mainly because the lecturer is so positive and welcoming to Erasmus students in particular. The class is held twice a week in two hour sessions; it seems to have a very large Erasmus attendance. The lecturer teaches using slides, which you can get copies of from the copisteria, which helps for making notes. He often uses anecdotes and personal experience to make the subject more interesting, the Power Point presentations also include a lot of pictures and the lecturer’s enthusiasm for the subject makes them much more interesting. Every few weeks there are topographic maps of different continents to complete as homework, although Erasmus students have been told that they do not need to complete the maps or the exam. Instead we have to read a few chapters from a book and talk to the lecturer about them, if he is convinced that we have read the book and learnt enough from it then we will pass the class. The content of the class is quite simple, the principles are easy to grasp and more often than not are common sense, it is only the technical terms that can be at times difficult to understand, but the lecturer takes the time to translate each of the technical terms into the different Erasmus languages that are in the class.

General Tips for Choosing Classes:

-          Don’t take annual classes, you won’t get the chance to change it if it all goes horribly wrong.

-          Only take things that you are really interested in, unless the class is very easy!

-          Classes with presentations to accompany them are easier to make notes with

-          The lecturers can make all the difference, if they are hostile towards you it will make the class hell, no matter how much you like it or how easy it is.