4 years in UJA (University of Jaén)

I have just finished my studies at the University of Jaén, and perhaps because I miss it now, I feel encouraged to write about my experience.

The University campus

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The University of Jaén is considered to be "young" since it has only existed as an independent entity since 1993, although the city has had university life for a long time, however it was dependent on the University of Granada.

The University of Jaén is considered to be 'young'

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Lagunillas campus is where all the degrees are taught; it's an enclosure and expansion located in the north of the city. There are also offices in Linares (a polytechnic school, specialising in telematics and mining) and Ubeda (the school of dual teaching degrees). All the buildings are either modern or have undergone a renovation process and encorporate the most advanced technologies.

The Lagunillas campus is situated in the northern part of the city

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There are many modern buildings on campus

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In the University of Jaén you can study many different degrees and there are important lab and technology facilities in the experimental sciences and engineering faculties. The philology department is the one which is probably the most lacking in equipment (Hispanic and English studies) as many of the languages laboratories have few audiovisual and support materials, but nevertheless the department as a whole (teachers) are of the European Union quality standard, and the library catalog is very broad. The Faculty of Nursing and Physiotherapy has quite a good reputation within the Spanish university system, and is waiting for the implementation of medicine degrees.

The faculty of experimental sciences has very good facilities

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The campus is laid out as a large garden, each building surrounded by grass, fountains, sculptures and flowerbeds that delight students every time the sun rises, and it is a place for meet-ups, coffees, meals and card games.

Views of Lagunillas campus from the Rectorado building

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The campus is the perfect place to relax

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Plaza de los Pueblos, on the Lagunillas campus

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The cost per credit is 11 euros in the first enrollment, and it increases considerably in the second and third enrollments. The difficulty level in the University of Jaén is considered to be neither easy nor hard, they don't just give degrees out for nothing (or almost nothing) so you have to work, but teachers are very approachable, they care about the students, and the classes are taken very seriously by both students and teachers, because they can help you pass.

The teachers are really approachable

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The international relations office is in the process of moving, but regardless of where it's situated, the staff are attentive and very competent. The University of Jaén accepts around 400 Erasmus students, but this figure triples when you take into account the number of students at UJA who leave their home country to study abroad every year. The grant provided is 600 euros a month, with the possibility of increasing depending on the student's personal merits.

When it comes to food or grabbing a bite to eat, there are two cafeterias where coffee costs less than a euro, and half a toast with tomato and oil is only 60 cents. Every day there is a menu for about 5 euros, whilst there is also an air-conditioned room with microwaves, drinks vending machines and comfortable sofas for students who choose to bring food from home, or you can buy something from one of the many competitively-priced shops which are all over the campus (sandwiches for 2. 60 euros, or a plate of macaroni and cheese for 4 euros).

In the cafeteria in zone C4 you can buy natural orange juice

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There is a copy service in each campus building, where you can take notes from teachers, since each subject has an assigned folder. Photocopies, book-binders and print-outs on campus are the cheapest in the entire city.

The cultural and sports scene is very varied. There are rugby, football, basketball and handball teams, and you can do aerobics, paddle tennis, spin classes, swimming, mountain climbing, pilates, for 25 euros for 3 months, and use the gym (1 euro a day) with the SAFYD (Secretariado de Actividades Físicas y Deportivas) sports card, which costs 3 euros. There are various theatre groups, which do video and film activities, seasonal exhibitions and many live shows for the university community.

The sports scene is very varied

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There are teams for many sports

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It's also important to note that outside of the campus there is a zone of new buildings, which are ideal for student living, of whom basically make up the entire neighbourhood, as the houses are new and consist of 2, 3 and 4 bedroom houses, and come with some nice benefits (air conditioning, a lift, heating, swimming pool, ceramic hob, etc) priced between 170 and 200 euros.

The best thing about the university is its campus, and how all the buildings are built close together - which allows the close contact between the university community to continue - and that it is a university which despite already offering a lot, continues to grow and expand (this course is unveiling 4 new buildings).

The University of Jaén continues to grow

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I have done four years of English Philology and Tourism in this university, and after seeing other things out there, I can say for sure that this is a very good university, both to study at and live in.

Students at the University of Jaén

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Thinking about following in these footsteps? It can be very affordable to study at the University of Jaen, as well as many other Spanish public universities, click here for more details.