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Hello, #Vivers! There are many methods to study, but not all are equally effective. If you are one of those who start studying when there are days or hours left for the exams, we have something to tell you: you are not alone. Many students have made this mistake, and for this reason, we want to explain the reasons not to do it again. The Selectivity exams They are of a moderate level that will require a great effort from us. We must think about whether it is worth throwing away a year of study (or more) if we do not have determination and perseverance.

Methods to study. Why is it not good to study only at the end of the course?

For many reasons:

1. Lack of time to complete the entire syllabus. There is a risk of not being able to study 100% of what is on the exam, so luck may not be on our side and they will ask us about what we have not studied.
2. We work on short-term memory and very little on compression. Knowing the mechanisms of what an agenda is about and putting it into practice takes time. When we study or read something it requires assimilation and practice. When we practice with exercises we are placing them in our long-term memory and, most importantly, we can scale the level of difficulty and we will be prepared for the next topic. If we reduce the study time we will be in the hands of remembering that answer by trying our luck again and for inspiration to come to us and we remember it.

When to start studying?

Many students ask us about the weekly teaching load they should have. The first thing we tell them is that it depends on what the starting level is, how much time is left for the exams and how difficult the syllabus to study is. Starting from the normal case that the content is unknown or you have a basic idea and it is preparation for the selectivity or access to a higher degree, we recommend an average of 80 hours of study per subject. This number of hours depends on what was mentioned above about the type of subject, but it can give us an idea of ​​the distribution we should make.

Methods to study. Weekly schedule

The best thing is that, from the first moment, we have a planning of the study. In this way we will organize time to use it more efficiently. In this way we can have time for leisure, work, travel, etc.

Let's see the calculations if we want to prepare from September for the May/June exams:

8 months is 32 weeks. Assuming the number of hours we have described, 80 hours, gives us 2,5 hours per week.

This small amount of teaching load can assure us an excellent result if we comply with it from the first day.

If we wanted to start studying with only 2 months left, this weekly amount increases to 10 hours a week. It may seem affordable, but we must add that, as we have mentioned before, the compression can be altered, making it difficult for us to assimilate a higher level topic.

We must also not forget that we must have enough time to, at least, review what has been studied. One of the best ways there is is to plan everything to do 3 laps of the agenda. The first quick one to see which points we need to focus more attention on and have a map of what we should study. Another intense lap, memorizing and understanding the contents. A quick third to clarify concepts and refine those contents that cost us the most.

Conclusion

Studying with a plan will save us time, effort and trouble. They are all advantages. If you have never done it, we invite you to do it. Furthermore, if we want to study at university, we must know and understand the theory. Create the foundation from preparation to Selectivity It will ensure us a good university start. 

We hope that this article is useful to you and that you get used to studying the different subjects from day one. You will surely notice it in the results.

Have you already decided? Do you want to come to study in Spain? Good! Spain is a very popular destination among international students. It has a great history, cultural wealth and a warm climate. That is why many young people decide to come to study in Spain and they do so from very diverse backgrounds: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, the United States, Morocco or Iran. In this article you will discover important questions that you should know, and what steps you should follow depending on your age and your level of education. And if instead of reading you prefer to be told, you have to see the video we have prepared about all the steps to follow to study in Spain as a foreigner.

What do I need to know to come to study in Spain as a foreigner?

To start planning to come to study in Spain as a foreigner, there are certain things that we consider important for you to be clear about.

• The language: if you don't speak Spanish, you will have to start studying it before arriving in Spain. And what better place to start learning Spanish than in our Spanish school.
• Visa: if you are from outside the EU you will need a visa to come to Spain. You can apply for a tourist visa (90 days) or a long-term study visa. 
• Accommodation: sometimes students come to Spain to live in the house of a friend or family member. If this is not the case, we recommend that you look for accommodation before coming.
• Cost of living: you must bear in mind that large cities are more expensive, you must include issues such as accommodation, food, transportation, courses or study materials in your budget.
• Culture: Spain has a culture that may be different from that of your country of origin. It will help you a lot to know what we Spaniards are like.
• Transportation: Public transportation in Spain is quite good and can be a cheaper option than having your own car. Most cities have subway and bus systems that are easy to use.

If you already have all this more or less under control, we explain the steps to follow depending on your age and level of education.

I am under 18 and have not completed my secondary or high school studies

In this case, it will be recommended that you continue your studies in Spain, completing Compulsory Secondary Education (up to 16 years of age) or the Spanish Baccalaureate (up to 18 years of age). Generally, these procedures are carried out by the parents or guardians of the minor, for which it is necessary:

• That the minor is registered in the city of residence.
• If one of the parents is in the country of origin, they must send a power of attorney to the other parent, so that they can carry out the necessary procedures to enroll the minor in the school.

With the above already prepared, parents can go to a formal education center to be guided on the course that the student can join based on their age.

If you are of legal age and have not finished your secondary or high school studies, you can prepare the free tests to obtain the secondary school graduate degree in Spain, access tests to vocational training cycles (official technical teachings to learn a trade) or the University entrance exam for over 25s. These tests are prepared for students of different ages depending on their academic objectives.

I have finished my secondary or high school studies in my country, I can homologate them to the Spanish high school, and I want to pursue higher education in Spain

In this case you can prepare to access these higher studies through the homologation of the qualification from your country. This approval is a procedure that is carried out in the Ministry of Education of Spain, and you can do it from your country of origin or once you have arrived in our country. 

In Spain, two types of higher education are offered: vocational training and university degrees. 

👉Higher vocational training titles are technical studies, they last two years, and are offered so that the student learns a trade and can enter the labor market. In fact, in the last weeks of this degree you will do internships in a company. You can apply for a place in a higher level training cycle if you have your qualification approved to the Spanish Baccalaureate.

👉University degrees normally last four years. In addition to starting your process of homologation to the Spanish baccalaureate, to access the university you must check the admission conditions of the university you want to enter. These universities may require you to take an exam similar to that of students with a Spanish Baccalaureate, called EBAU or EvAU. However, other universities may require you to appear at UNEDasiss Specific Competence Tests. These exams are held in May-June in their ordinary session (July-September in the extraordinary one), and you already know that you can prepare them in Luis Vives.

I have started a university degree in my country, but I have not finished it

If you want to study at university in Spain as a foreigner and in your country you have started a university degree but have NOT finished it, what you must do is approve your high school diploma and carry out the admission process at the university you want. Once you have achieved access, you can request validation of subjects approved at the university in your country. You should know that the decision to validate the subjects will be reserved for the Spanish university to which you enter.

I have a university degree in my country and I want to validate it to study a master's degree or work in Spain as a foreigner

In this case you can request the recognition of your university degree at the Ministry of Education. You should know that this process takes a long time, as of the date this article is written. We recommend that you attend an interview with the Ministry of Education. They will inform you of the time and options you would have to homologate your university degree.