Are they any different from the usa colleges?

they are different. Typically the US uses semesters and sometimes quarter systems for classes. In a Spanish university, the classes typically last a year and exams are cumulative. This, and a much stronger emphasis on memorization, rather than analysis and interpretation, led to a lot more blatant cheating that I found in the US...

Actually, with the new syllabus, university lessons are divided into quarters:

1st: from October till end of January
Exams held in February

2nd: from end of February till mid of June
Exams held in late June

This is how the system works in most faculties (those having the new syllabus). This change has led to an increase in the number of subjects (often between 12 and 14 subjects per year). Furthermore, they also include practices? you have to make to pass a certain subject.

Anyway, each faculty and each university is different from the rest. Some of them have good reputation and some other don't.

Unlike in the US, public universities have better reputation than private ones and, of course, they are much cheaper.

Regards,

Antonio

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The best tips from your favourite hostal in Madrid.
Hostal Chelo at http://www.chelo.com

Hey How bout do the schools have the traditional sport teams, clubs(like student council) or dances like the usa schools do?

You won't find the Universities to be anything like the ones in the US in that regards. Perhaps you could find a society or two or a soccer team here or there but not on the scale of the US. They don't have that sort of thing in high school either. Definately no dances.

Hey Jules,
Thanks for the website reference. I studied at the University of Complutense. The classes basically consist of pure note taking, and like the others said, the grade is most likely going to be based on one final exam. Its kind of stressful, but I had a lot of fun.
Lisa
p.s. take advantage of student activities posted around school for weekend trips...like LAS FALLAS!! u can't miss it!

I think you may want to have a look at this page . You will find there links to all the universities in Spain.

Hope this helps.

Antonio

------------------
The best tips from your favourite hostal in Madrid.
Hostal Chelo at http://www.chelo.com