Academics with Maryland-In-Barcelona

One of the main reasons I chose to study abroad in Barcelona was because of the opportunities to take classes that fulfilled my major requirements. This semester I am taking International Finance, Strategic Management and 6 credits of a Introduction to Spanish course. While the business-related classes teach similar concepts, the methods our professors use to teach are very different. At UMD, almost every one of my finance or accounting classes has intense classes, hours of homework, and 3 exams throughout the semester than majority of your grade is based off of. However, at UAB, my Barcelona campus, they use different methods to teach that are more interactive and require minimal work outside the classroom. I’ve found that none of my teachers presented a semester-long calendar on the syllabus because they choose homework and test dates based off when they think the class is ready. This system is must less structured but much more dedicated towards making sure the students are truly learning. A large part of our grade is participation, including coming to class, raising your hand, and offering your answers on the board. In my introductory spanish class, which I attend every night for 2 hours, we rarely speak any english. There is few individual assignments because we are always encouraged to do group work that allows us to learn spanish through constantly talking and participating with others. I noticed that nearly my entire spanish class is other UMD students, since UMD is one of the only american universities that require their Barcelona study abroad students to take a language abroad. However, I am glad I was required because the spanish course is structured around vocabulary that is helpful when studying in a foreign country. I have been able to take lessons and expressions I learned from class, and apply them in my daily routine.