Want to try the adventure of studying abroad...

To answer this question about the benefits of studying in Spain, we decided to ask FEEDUC students who have decided to take the plunge and study in Spain for their opinion.

Here is what they told us:

Margot, Thibault and Marion had definitively given up their dream of becoming veterinarians. The first two were in the final year of high school and Marion, who had not been admitted to the preparatory program, had started a degree in biology. After 5 years of study in Spain and a lot of hard work, Margot and Marion graduated in veterinary medicine last June. They both work in one of the most famous clinics in France, specialized in equine veterinary medicine. Thibault still has a year of effort left and he too will be able to feel the happiness of having worked to reach his goal of becoming a veterinarian thanks to the access to his veterinary training in Spain.

In his final year of high school, Arnaud was in despair: his results weren't going to get him into a school of architecture, and he wasn't considering any other career! When the family met FEEDUC in April of his final year, Arnaud didn't speak any Spanish, so we started talking to them without much hope. We suggested that Arnaud attend one of Europe's top universities in Madrid. This university offers a course in architecture taught in English. After a number of international internships (USA, Asia), Arnaud is about to start his ^5th year, full of confidence in his future professional life as an international architect. He's making his dream come true!

Maëlle is an excellent senior in high school. She and her family have already traveled a lot. She is very independent in her search for a post-baccalaureate orientation and is looking at the different proposals of the most prestigious business schools in Europe and North America. Following our exchanges, her choice was quickly confirmed for one of the best business schools in Europe, located in Spain, and for which we accompanied her in the implementation of her admission. After a "magical" year, as she says, she is more and more convinced that she made the right choice and she is just looking forward to starting her second year.

Much more than the opportunity to access a training program that is difficult to integrate in France, it is often the teaching approach and the quality of the teacher/student exchanges that are highlighted by the students: "The PASS or previously the PACES is a huge pressure and sometimes 1 or 2 years are lost despite serious work that allows you to be accepted/glued but not to access the profession of your dreams. After 2 years of dental studies in Spain, by working seriously I passed in the^3rd year and was already close to the practice on patients in internship in the university clinic" says Raphael.

This is also the case for all the courses that in France go through pre-pas (engineering or business, journalism, etc.)...the advantage of Spain is that you go directly into the real world and after their high school years some students need it!

For Inès, it was another unknown factor that led her to study physiotherapy in Spain: "I was enrolled in a STAPS course with the uncertain possibility of a transfer to a physiotherapy school in France, whose fees would have been the same as the physiotherapy school offered by FEEDUC in Spain. I'd been wanting to become a sports physiotherapist for several years, so I didn't hesitate for a moment. I started working hard on my Spanish and, thanks to their advice, I left to study physiotherapy in Spain. I like Spain so much that I've decided to stay for the time being. It's been easy to find work, I've had an interesting job offer from one of the clinics where I did one of my internships, and I'm going to follow an official Master's degree in Sports Physiotherapy at the same time, where I'll be taught by physiotherapists from several countries.

French students generally do not regret having crossed the Pyrenees: "It takes two or three months to adapt. At the beginning, following courses in Spanish is more tiring, but from January, you understand everything and you already express yourself much more easily!

If the experience is really enriching, you have to be aware that, at least at the beginning, there are moments of dread... "Be open, go towards others, meet Spanish people. For this, the sports and student associations within and outside the universities are an excellent way to really integrate", advise Quentin and Pauline.

This experience can also be complicated if you are not really motivated and open to accepting differences. Spain is a very different country from France, both in terms of administrative procedures and the organization of the rhythm of life. There are really cultural specificities...and you don't just go for ERASMUS!

"In Europe, there are no more borders and most of the diplomas obtained in Spain allow you to practice in France, and even if expatriation requires a certain personal investment at the beginning, if you are determined, it goes well!" says Jade who has been practicing as a dentist for 2 years in the Lyon area.

In Spanish universities, the French pay the same tuition fees as the Spanish. Tuition fees vary from a few thousand to several tens of thousands of euros per year over several years. At these prices, you have to consider this choice as an investment. "In the end, I would have had to invest in a preparatory program after which I was not sure I would get what I wanted," Chloé tells us. "I told myself that it would be almost the same price as if I had opted for studies in France." Be careful, however, because even though the cost of student life is generally lower in Spain than in France, choosing Spain will often mean missing out on social aid (Aide Personnalisée au Logement) and scholarships, which are based on merit (Bourses d'excellence) in Spain and therefore depend on academic results.

This will of course depend on the sector of study but also on the university chosen. In many sectors (medical in particular) it is the recognition of the diploma in France that is sought.

In other sectors (architecture, arts, business, design, digital, marketing, ...), choosing to study abroad - this is also the case if you choose Spain - will open you, if your choice of university is relevant, the doors to an international career.

Your teachers will generally be practicing professionals, recognized in their sector and often within large groups or prestigious companies.

You will have no trouble finding a job at the end of your training and often this will be negotiated even before the end of it. "When you have demonstrated your desire, both in class and during your internship, it is not uncommon for a professor or tutor to offer you a job. Most of my internship tutors (4 internships in South America to their credit) went to the same school as me. We understand each other. All of them offered me work, but for the moment I'm thinking of looking for a new experience, maybe in Asia. There are so many offers coming in to the school that I'm confident I'll quickly find something that suits me," says Julie from the campus of her business school.