Tips for a successful study abroad project in Spain

It really is the best thing to do, both to prepare in Spanish ( https://www.feeduc.eu/se-mettre-a-niveau-espagnol/ ) but also sometimes to have time to take and obtain a certification.

It is best to take an interest and start working on your project as early as high school, junior year, or the beginning of senior year. The month of September or October for a September start of the following year is the minimum to prepare your project in good conditions. You will need time to find out which university is best suited to you and which one you might be admitted to.

The sooner you start your preparation, the better your chances of studying in Spain the following year.

In public universities, the answers are only available in July, but you must prepare well in advance to have time to prepare and take the complementary tests (PCE) and have a chance of being admitted once you have evaluated the feasibility of your project.

Our team will tell you about it every day... or almost every day. The first thing to remember is that if you want to study in Spain in the short or medium term, you'll need to speak Spanish ( https://www.feeduc.eu/se-mettre-a-niveau-espagnol/).

Whether it's when you're taking your university admissions tests, or when you're moving to Spain, or when you start your first day of classes...

Many students tell us that they would like to study in English or French. Our answer to this will depend on the course you choose: if your aim is to study at a business school (https://www.feeduc.eu/formation/formation-business/) or to study architecture(https://www.feeduc.eu/formation/ecole-architecture-espagne/), we would encourage you to opt for the English language option, as this will enable you to finish your studies trilingually, and this choice will give an even more international dimension to your degree.

On the other hand, for students wishing to study health care such as kinesiology, dentistry, medicine, veterinary medicine... in English or French, there are many reasons why we would advise you against studying in a language other than Spanish.

In any case, there will come a time when Spanish becomes compulsory. For example, when the time comes for internships (as early as the second year for physiotherapy students in some private universities https://www.feeduc.eu/formation/etude-kine-espagne/). You should be aware that universities are legally obliged to check the level of Spanish of students taking courses in languages other than Spanish. Consequently, if you have not reached the required level of Spanish (generally B2 or even C1 in some courses and at some universities)(https://www.feeduc.eu/etudier-en-espagne-certification-du-niveau-despagnol-dele-siele/ ), the university has the right to refuse you access to compulsory internships so as not to endanger patients (given that your patients are Spanish). That's why my number 1 piece of advice is to start learning Spanish as soon as the idea of studying in Spain crosses your mind?

"Do not leave if you have not validated all of your financing. Prepare this part of the project well by looking for financing that will allow you to study for 4, 5 or 6 years in Spain without any problems. This often involves self-financing and bank loans. But be careful, the latter do not always cover the totality of the studies.

Studying abroad, in Spain in this case, is always more expensive than studying in France:

- Forget about the CAF aid,

- Forget about most of the benefits and social assistance available in France (you'll find those that exist in the financing section of our website https://www.feeduc.eu/financer-etude-espagne/),

- Forget about the low tuition fees of French universities (even in public universities some courses can cost up to 2000 euros per year for 5 or 6 years of study).

Going to study abroad is never neutral. You will have to make a personal investment (leaving your family and friends, going to live in a country whose culture is different from yours...). You must therefore be certain that you have the maturity and the necessary tools to succeed in this project.

But above all, you need to be sure of the training you're going to choose. Studying in Spain is just the first step on the long road to your chosen profession. To help you make your choice, you'll find contact details for guidance counsellors at https://www.feeduc.eu/formations/, qualified professionals whom we recommend for their reliability and whom you can call on if you need them.

As Nathalie indicated above, you have to anticipate as much as possible to be sure to succeed in your study project. To do this, you must be well organized and not rush. Some universities open their admissions process in November/December, but you should know that most of them are only ready to process applications in January/February, so there is no rush to send your application as soon as admissions open. You should not rush, if you do not meet the admission requirements, you will not be accepted, even if you are the first to apply. On the other hand, if you take the time to prepare your language level well and apply as soon as you have reached a good level, you will have a better chance. The thing to remember is that in Spain "it's not the first one in, the first one in!"

"Opening up to people and reaching out to the Spanish".

"When I arrived in Madrid, I expected everything to be easy. I idealized my project because I had just finished two years of Paces, where my social life was limited, two years of stress, but also two years of failure. So I dreamed of Madrid, of the capital, of a real student life and above all of being able to do the studies I wanted. The first two weeks in Madrid were very euphoric: you discover, you are in another city, a new university, everything is new. After these two not very cool years everything was really great
And then the third week of September, it was a bit of a downturn. I already missed my family, my friends, the courses are difficult to understand, the discussions between Spanish students go so fast...the "bad mood" after the euphoria. My school was not very "fun" from what I saw, integration was more difficult than I thought. In fact, it was clearly me who 1) didn't understand everything, and 2) closed myself off to others. At that moment, I had the chance to meet Clément who advised me to step back and provoke "what I was missing". And the next week or 10 days at the most, I opened up to the people in my class, I met friends and then friends of friends, I progressed enormously in Spanish, everything became easier, classes, outings, sports etc. ....
So here I am, one month before the end of the year exams (my first semester went extremely well, I had an average of 8/10), I realized that I hadn't thanked you for having made it so easy for me to enroll in this great university and for your help in helping me bounce back from this bad patch.

"You have to choose your course of study carefully.

"Before starting my design studies at the IED, I chose to do a gap year at the IED. The Foundation Course in Global Design at the IED allowed me to test all the specializations in product design, interior design, fashion design, etc., and then choose the path that best suits me. Today I am in my 3rd year of Interior Design and I am fully satisfied with my studies.

"You have to know the Spanish language well

"Before I arrived in Spain, I thought that I would learn Spanish when I arrived. And... it was a big mistake because I had to take a Spanish language course in addition to my dental course at CEU San Pablo in Madrid. When I arrived in Madrid I realized that the level of Spanish was much too high for my level and I didn't feel well. Today I am fluent in Spanish after 3 years in Spain and thanks to my various efforts, living with a host family in Madrid, making Spanish friends and taking Spanish classes."

"Don't be in a hurry and I advise you to follow FEEDUC's advice. Applying implies taking the admission tests and paying the reservation fee if you're accepted. So there's no point in making the same mistake I did and applying to all the universities at once. Take your time, prepare well and only apply once you've met the compulsory prerequisites for admission.

"I absolutely wanted to be admitted to UEV because Madrid scared me (too big a city for me) and I wanted to be near the sea. I got in touch with the FEEDUC contact students, who advised me to prepare my admission carefully and not to rush into applying for the first session. Today I'm in my^2nd year and I love my classes, the relationship with the teachers... Here, students are considered by the teachers as future colleagues and not just as students who are there to learn".

"Every year is profoundly new and brings freshness. Life in Madrid makes me grow every day, makes me evolve, makes me appreciate the little moments of everyday life. So, my advice is this: don't hesitate to follow your dreams, take the plunge, and embark on this adventure that you won't regret."

"Being a veterinarian does not only extend to animals, we also look after the human good. How many animal experiments have led to achievements in human medicine? I am thinking, for example, of Caesarean sections, many vaccines, the study of drugs, body mechanisms... You have to choose your course carefully because in Spain you get straight to the heart of the matter."

"Initially I wanted to study medicine, then dentistry and I realized that my file would not be accepted in these two courses of study so I consulted a guidance counselor who allowed me to opt for studies in nursing. This allows me to be in the medical field, in contact with patients and doctors. Today I am in my^third year of nursing and I love my studies, the university and I do not regret having made the choice to go to Spain."

"My mother being Spanish, the language was not a problem for me and I was looking for a study that would allow me to have a job related to travel, tourism and expatriation. The UEC is a university located in Tenerife, it allows me to have courses and to see directly the practical side on this tourist island.

"I prepared my project in^high school. I took intensive Spanish courses and I set myself the goal of getting the best possible grade on my BAC in order to achieve the famous "nota de corte" required by public universities. Once I had passed my BAC with honors, I went to Spain to do a GAP year following the advice of FrancEspagne. During this time I prepared for the PCEs and today I am in Madrid in a public university. I am therefore living proof that with anticipation and good preparation, access to public universities, even in the Spanish capital, is not impossible.

Laure: "I was looking for a university where I would be totally immersed with the Spanish people. If I'm going to Spain, I might as well live the experience to the full. That was my philosophy before I left, and thanks to the FEEDUC team I've found the university that's right for me. If, like me, you're looking for a university where you'll experience total immersion and study with Spanish people, choose La Florida https://www.feeduc.eu/universite/universidad-la-florida-valencia/. Are you leaving from France and don't want to find yourself in a French classroom as if you were in France? La Florida is the university for you. The Spanish people are welcoming and after a few months I felt like a Spaniard.

Enzo: "Studies have never been my thing, I'm the creative type and I want to create my own company with my ideas. LEINN, offered by the Florida https://www.feeduc.eu/universite/universidad-la-florida-valencia/ is the program I needed at the school I needed. It teaches us to be autonomous, to develop our ideas, to work in projects, and in the first year I was able to create and develop my own business project. Next year we'll be going on an international immersion program to test our projects. So if, like me, you're looking for a university unlike any other, one that teaches you how to create your own start-up, give yourself the means to make your dream come true at LEINN".