I will be studying in Granada next semester at La Universidad de Granada. All of my classes will be with other spaniards (however I will have a tutor through CEGRI, a private language institute). I am really really excited about it, but also a very nervous about taking all the classes as a regular student with all spaniards (as opposed to other study abroad students). Has anybody done this, or know what the differences are between classes in spain, usa (grading systems, tests, papers, size, expectation...etc).
Any advice as to what to expect would be great! -Kelly

Two years ago I studied at the Universidad de Salamanca and found out the the Spanish university system is very different than that in the USA. The classes I had were all lectures where the professor just stood there and read or talked the whole hour and the students said very little or nothing at all. There's no emphasis on class participation like there is in the US. You basically have to copy down everything the professor says because often there are no books for classes so the only material you have is your notes. This takes some getting used to even if your Spanish level is high because it's hard to write down everything, so you may want to try to borrow a Spanish friend's notes to make sure you have all the information. Class attendance is not mandatory and many people just get the notes from friends then show up on the day of the exam and pass the class.
For most of my classes the only grade I had was the final exam, some had a paper to turn in along with the exam. Exam period lasts one month and you'll spend the whole month doing nothing but studying, eating and sleeping. Since your whole grade depends on the exam you really have to study a lot and memorize everything the professor said. I studied more than I ever have when I was there and my grades were lower. If you're used to getting all A's in the US be prepared to get much lower grades in Spain, but the only thing that matters is if you pass or not. If you have any more questions let me know. Good luck in Granada

Hi kelar!
Although Universities in Spain can differ among them in their methods, you can expect the classes to be less participative, as Superguiri said, than American's. You go to classes mainly to listen to the professor, take notes and, very ocassionally, students discuss a subject with their teacher.
Some professors will ask for papers, but you'll be mainly evaluated with an exam, usually at the end of each semester. The grades don't go from A to D but from 0 to 10, being 0 the worst grade. You pass with a 5 or more.

Depending on which College you are, you have more or less subjects of choice, but in general, to achieve a degree, you'll have to stick to subjects related close to your major in a much more important percentage than in American Universities. It's changed in some renovated plan but I could only choose which speciality (from the 4 that existed in my degree) I wanted to follow. So, as an example, we had 19 anual subjects mandatory for everyone and then depending on your speciality another 24 also given to you.

Wow Thanks for the replies...this is the kind of stuff I need to hear. I go to a rather large university here in the usa, and on any given semester I have at least one BIG lecture class(more than 800 students) that by the sound of things, must be similar to spain. I studied in Bilbao over the summer, but with other americans, so I am excited to really experience the spanish university (la universidad de Granada), without the "americanized classes." Keep the great info coming!!!!
-Kelly

I Pretty much agree with everything that was said here. Get used to teachers showing up 15 to 20 minutes late to class. There is no sense of time here.The program I am attending is in coordination with the Univ of Sevilla.Pretty much your professors will not tell you how you are doing throughout the quarter, then you will have a final. I am taking classes with mostly americans, but what I have seen the spaniards don´t seem to have it different, except for maybe a faster pace.The professors are knowledgeable however.

800 people in a class!! Well, depending on the "massification" of your college it could be more than 100 people in a class, but 800... Now, I'm in my final year and most of the times we're less than 20.
Matador, I guess you had bad luck with your professors, mine are punctual to the minute 99% of the times (8:30 is 8:30 not 8:40 for them).