A student of Spain, Sweden and the US: How do the Systems Compare?
 I am a Swedish student that is currently studying as a Spaniard in the US. I know this sounds awkward, but the path I have chosen is unusual. Let me explain.
I began my studies at the Political Science program at the University of Lund in the South of Sweden. This is how the Swedish system works: the students focuses on one subject at a time, taking a 5-hour exam on their comprehension of the subject from reading a book of approx. 500 pages. In this way, the Swedish student develops very good analytical skills, critical thinking and thorough knowledge of the subject and its underlying mechanisms, primarily by being forced to engage with the material and learn on their own. I believe that the Swedish university system gives the student deeper academic knowledge than in Spain or in the US. However, I find the Swedish studies far too theoretical and many times unable to provide the student with the tools that facilitate an entry in the real job market. A book is a book, after all. And the practical world is often far from the theory of those pages.
After one year in Lund, I entered the International Business Program at Universidad Pontificia Comillas (ICADE) that consists of two years in Madrid, Spain, and two years in Boston, USA. The international atmosphere was exciting with a class of students from all over the world. The first few weeks I felt as though I had found my place in paradise. But soon the struggles began. The first year is seen as a “threshold.” The pressure of a possible elimination was felt every day and the teachers reminded us of it constantly: “Next year I will probably only see half of you here.” The schedule was gruesome. We had classes from 8 am to 6 pm, with a 2-hour siesta in the middle. You study nine subjects at a time and the teachers gave plenty of assignments in each. In every class, you had to be extremely alert and take notes constantly, because books are rarely used. Many teachers also called upon students randomly to come to the board for public examination. “Respecting” authorities is crucial in the Spanish educational culture and you cannot come far if you disobey the rules of conduct. Finals consisted of nine exams that counted 100% of the final grade. These exams were taken during the three last weeks of the semester. These weeks were crucial and a small slip could be devastating. I remember a friend that had 14 final exams. Before the first one, a friend told him that his girlfriend was cheating on him. He failed all the 14 exams in a row and had to redo the year. breaking down under the pressure During my first year in ICADE, my heart was always beating a little faster than normal. Many times students broke down in tears under the pressure. For the most part, this happened to the international students. The Spanish students were less stressed. I believe they have an advantage of being accustomed to long hours, multitasking, handling Spanish authority and delivering top quality work within inhumane deadlines. Internationally, Spaniards are often seen as a very “relaxed” people with a “mañana, mañana” approach to things. This could not be further from reality in ICADE where the most ambitious students in Spain are gathered.
After two years in Madrid, it was time to move on and continue my studies at Northeastern University in Boston. At this point, with experience from three very different educational system, I believe, without a doubt, that the American model is the superior one. At Northeastern, I only have four courses during each semester and the workload of each is distributed evenly, so that, at the end of the semester my final exam only counts for 20% of the total grade. Participation in class is highly valued and students are not afraid of voicing their opinion and asking questions. They thereby train their argumentative skills and are forced to question their knowledge. In comparison to Sweden, but even more compared to Spain, pedagogy is extremely developed in the US and greatest effort is put into facilitating the learning process. I find that professors in the US have a closer relationship to their students than in Spain or Sweden. When my American professor tells the class that he can be reached on his cell phone during the weekend, my Spanish peers almost fall off their chairs. what it means to be a global citizen
My experience at the different universities have taught me a great deal about different ways of learning and of working. It has also taught me what it really means to be a modern global citizen who can study and work anywhere. Perhaps the most important lesson learned is the importance of adaptation. Over the past couple of years, I have not only been forced to adapt to a new education system to study in a foreign language, but I have had to adapt to a new culture where the esoteric rules often are the key codes for success. All the same, bringing some of the old into the new can be a very good thing. For instance, my Swedishness came in handy during an internship at a large corporation in Spain. Because I was raised in the Swedish egalitarian society that lacks a prominent hierarchical structure, I was not afraid of approaching authorities. The result? It was easier for me to establish good relationships at the company and get involved in more complex tasks with greater responsibilities. And, I hope that perhaps my Spanish-learned multi-tasking and high-stress-coping will come in handy in my new American environment, as well as in the international “real world.”
The mantra for the global citizen is adapt, but also accent: learn and compromise, but also add your own intonation to the local language. - Barbara Wennerholm is a Swedish student currently studying at Northeastern University in Boston. Her international background began early: nine years at the German School in Stockholm, three years at a Swedish high school, a 4-year International Business program in Spain, and now the USA. Eventually, she hopes to work in the international arena.
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