Vic OE
Student Evaluation Form
A. Student Information
Degree(s) enrolled in at VUW
Major(s)
Exchange Institution
VUW Trimester(s) and Year of Exchange
BA
English Lit, Spanish
Universidad de Oviedo, Spain
1 and 2, 2011
B. Finances
Please provide an estimate on how much you spent on your exchange (in your host country’s
currency).
Food & personal spending
Accommodation
Return Airfare
Local Travel
Books, misc. levies
association)
Visa
Insurance
Other (please specify)
(e.g.
student
300 euros/month
250 euros/month
Around 2000 euros
200-300 euros for a weekend away, all up approx
1500 euros, not including summer.
nothing
N/A (British passport holder)
800 euros
Total = approx 5000 euros
How did your financial expenses compare to what you originally expected to spend?
I spent a lot more on travel than I had intended.
By what means did you maintain your finances? (Credit card, foreign bank account, travelers
checks, etc)?
Foreign bank acc, ANZ travel card to start off with which I pre-loaded with euros.
What financial advice would you give students attending the same university as you?
Get a job teaching English- super easy to get and pays really well. I lived off the money I earnt for the
second semester there.
Were there any extra or unexpected costs which future students should be aware of?
Nope, none I can remember… be aware landlords may ask for a bond is all. Banks do try to get you
with unexpected costs, things like withdrawing cash from ATMs that aren’t your bank’s.
What was the average cost of a can of coke or coffee in your host country?
Coffee 1 euro at the university cafeteria, Coke around 1.50
C. Visas & Insurance
Do you have any advice for future students when applying for visas to your host country?
Sorry, didn’t need a visa as I have a British passport
What insurance company did you use and would you recommend it to future students?
STA, they were good, yes
C. Academics
Which courses did you take while on exchange? Please rate the difficulty of each course (1-5,
1 = Very Easy & 5 = Extremely Difficult) and leave any comments you may have.
Course Title
Lecturas
de
literatura:
Shakespeare
VUW course
VUW
Rating
equivalent
points/credits
(1-5)
(if applicable)
value
SPAN 100 level
20
elective (general
points
VUW
2
Comments
The teacher was
incredible. Quite
points)
an easy course,
exam
was
the
only assessment
Lecturas
de
literatura
Norteamericana II
SPAN 100 level
20
elective (general
points
VUW
2
Interesting
course, studied
some
good
books, did a lot
of history along
with
the
literature
2
Studied books
and films, great
texts but not a
particularly
interesting
or
well-taught
course
3
Actually Black
British
Literature.
Studied
some
interesting
novels,
points)
Lecturas
de
literatura
Africana
SPAN 100 level
elective (general
points)
Literatura contemporánea I
SPAN 100 level
nglés
elective (general
points)
definitely harder
than the 4th-year
courses. More of
a focus on group
learning
and
teaching.
General
and
Inverse
Translation
Traucción
general
y
SPAN 100 level
3
Very interesting
elective (general
course. Spanish
points)
teachers,
so
English students
inversa
were
the
authorities
for
translation
into
English, but very
good
for
my
Spanish and a
good intro to the
study
of
translation.
Theoría literaria
SPAN 100 level
3
Not
very
interesting,
I
didn't go very
often.
Fairly
easy to pass.
4
Fascinating
elective (general
points)
Lituratura
Francesa
y
-
-
Artes Visuales
course, v good.
Much
higher
level of French
than
the
other
2nd-year French
courses and a
lot
of
work
required,
but
fascinating.
Gramática Francesa II
FREN 200 level
20
elective (general
points
VUW
3
Basic grammar
course,
some
interesting
assessments.
VUW
2
Not
much
grammar, more
a
focus
on
points)
Lengua Francesa II
FREN 200 level
20
elective
points
(general points)
reading
writing.
Intensive Spanish course
SPAN
elective
for foreigners
(general points)
20
VUW
and
Very
well
taught,
would
definitely
reccommend
4
points
How did you find the teachers at your exchange university?
The majority were very kind and welcoming, and passionate about their subjects. Some were
useless, but not many.
How did your academic experience differ from your time spend at Victoria?
It was a lot easier, I had a lot less work to do.
How did your academic experiences differ from what you expected?
Do you have any advice for future students when choosing and applying for courses?
Try out courses, just go to classes at the beginning of the semester- they can vary a lot from course
rd
descriptions. The system can be confusing as it is divided into 2 cycles, 1-3
courses. For Spanish classes, I would recommend the 2
nd
th
year and 4-5 year
rd
year or maybe 3 year classes.
D. Accommodation
What form of accommodation did you stay in?
Flat
What were the pros and cons of this form of accommodation?
Cons- Spanish landlords are a nightmare. Pros- definitely best option available, rooms are generally
let individually so you pay for room, internet, power in one lot and don’t have to set it all up. Exchange
students often live together but it is easy to find a place where Spanish is the home language.
What accommodation would you recommend to future students?
Flat, definitely
Do you have any tips of advice for future students when applying for accommodation?
Everything is online, through websites and also exchange student facebook pages, check these out.
E. Support
How did you find the support with….
- your host university?
Confusing systems, but all the people were helpful and nice
- the lecturers?
The majority were kind and helpful and very welcoming
- the International Office at the host university?
Only went there at the start/end for paperwork, but very nice and helpful
- the Vic OE office?
Very helpful when I had doubts/problems
Do you have any suggestions for improvement?
F. Culture
What were some of the hardest cultural differences you faced while abroad?
Food is different- what is available in supermarkets. I stopped being vegetarian as there were too
many lovely tapas to try and it was too hard eating out. Also Spanish do everything a lot later, from
meals to going out. Shops are open at different times too.
How would you recommend students to prepare for these differences?
Be ready to change eating/sleeping habits, don’t be too set in your ways and be happy to adapt.
Did you face any issues regarding discrimination in your host country? What were they, and
what advice would you give to future students?
Nope, none. Only English people mocking my accent, and I would recommend giving as good as you
get.
G. Personal Response
Please write one paragraph about your exchange experience. Plus, don’t forget to submit
some photos to the exchange office!!
Spain is a wonderful place to be a student. Living is inexpensive, people are friendly, and the rest of
Europe is just a hop, skip and a bus ride away. I spent two magical semesters in Oviedo, a small city
in the province of Asturias, right by the north coast. It is a green and mountainous place far from
stereotypical Andalucía and the tourists who flock to the Costa del Sol. I met billions of interesting
new people, some of whom I will stay friends with for the rest of my life, and discovered a lot about
myself too. I travelled a lot, and over the summer I was au pairing in Italy, sleeping in train stations in
Austria and going to festivals in England. And obviously, my Spanish improved mucho. Living in a
country where they speak a language other than English is a fascinating experience that forces you to
think in so many new and different ways.
Going on exchange was probably the biggest but also definitely the best thing I have ever done. It’s
hard to find the superlatives to describe the experience, and I can’t recommend it enough.