Greguito--
A bunch more questions (hope you don't mind)...

--When you got your student residency, they gave it to you for the entire year, not just for the part of the year that you had paid for? Did you have certificates from Complutense for the entire year?

--Did they extend the visa that is in your passport? Or does the residency card supercede what the visa on the passport says (ours if for 6 months)?


About the classes...

--Are all of the classes in the afternoon from 3-6?

--What building are they in? Is it walkable from the metro stop or do you have to take a bus?

Thanks! We're still waiting to hear back about our paperwork. Can't imagine there is a lot of paper-pushing going on right now...

quote:

--When you got your student residency, they gave it to you for the entire year, not just for the part of the year that you had paid for? Did you have certificates from Complutense for the entire year?

I got it for about a year, and just one month less than I actually need it for (for some reason!). Am planning to enrol in more study and try and extend it anyway...

quote:

--Did they extend the visa that is in your passport? Or does the residency card supercede what the visa on the passport says (ours if for 6 months)?

They don't touch the visa; the card replaces it. In fact, the visa in my passport is already expired.

quote:

--Are all of the classes in the afternoon from 3-6?

They were.

quote:

--What building are they in? Is it walkable from the metro stop or do you have to take a bus?

Filolog�a, across from law. An easy five to seven minute walk up from the Ciudad Universitaria metro station. There a zillions of buses that go up the road too, so it's often quicker to jump on one of them; you get there in two minutes then.

Cool, thanks Greguito. Kind of amazing that they'll give out the residency for the whole year without you having paid tuition. How would they know if you ever really matriculated or not? I wonder if they ever follow up to check.

One other thing... Do you know anything about the Hispanic studies program at Complutense? I'm still contemplating enrolling in it (vs. the language program), mainly because it has a more flexible schedule.

quote:

Cool, thanks Greguito. Kind of amazing that they'll give out the residency for the whole year without you having paid tuition. How would they know if you ever really matriculated or not? I wonder if they ever follow up to check.

I doubt that they do, but the way the Complutense works, the government basically have to consider "pre-enrolment" valid rather than waiting until the fees have been paid. The university has very rigid timetables about when they open for enrolments and accept payment. They just aren't interested in your money until they're "good and ready" for it.

quote:

One other thing... Do you know anything about the Hispanic studies program at Complutense? I'm still contemplating enrolling in it (vs. the language program), mainly because it has a more flexible schedule.

So far I've only done the language course so I don't know much about the other one. The thing with the Estudios Hisp�nicos course is that it's designed to run over a full year. The language course is broken into the three terms and could get awfully repetitive if you did three in a row of the same thing. The worst case scenario would be if your Spanish is very good and you get put in the very top class ("Superior A") in the first term. There's no higher level to go to, so you'd end up repeating the same course again in terms 2 and 3...

Hey all--
A quick question: has anyone ever gotten a response from Complutense via email?

If so, what address did you use? The one on their site--cursoex@filol.ucm.es--is bouncing. Maybe they just shut it off for the summer to avoid having do deal with stuff when they get back from the beach. Can't really blame them, if that's the case.

I'm trying to find out what the schedule is like for the Estudios Hispanos program and would like to avoid having to go up to Monocloa... I'm guessing that someone might be in the office next week.


P.S. Still waiting to hear back on our student residency...

quote:

originally posted by mariposita:
[qb]A quick question: has anyone ever gotten a response from Complutense via email?[/qb]

Never.

RESIDENCIA: Just reporting back again... I love to use this thread as a receptacle for all of the minutia of life right now! A few days ago, we got our letters directing us to pay the "tasa" (an ingreso of 5,26 Euros) and go to the comisaria on a given date at 10:00am.

NOTE: For those who don't know, an ingreso is a tranfer into a bank account. You take the form that they send you to a bank and pay the "tasa" in cash. The bank stamps the form and you bring it with you to the comisaria. It's very common in Spain to pay for bills, tuition, deposits, etc. using an "ingreso".

Of course, life being as it is, I wasn't able to go to the comisaria at the time they specified. I got there around 1:00 instead. No problem. No one cared. In fact, I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem if you had to go on a different day. I didn't have to wait in line outside. They sent me straight to #5 (the huellas--fingerprint--line). I had to bring:

1. The stamped form from the bank stating that I had paid 5,26.
2. My passport (with visa "in vigor")
3. The stamped copy of my original request (solicitud).
4. Three passport photos.

They fingerprinted me and gave me back a stub. I'm to bring this and my passport in 20 days to pick up my residency card.

So--assuming all goes as planned--we will get our residency three months after starting the whole process.

On another note, I've decided to switch to the Curso de Estudios Hispanicos (instead of the straight language program):

curso de estudios hispanicos

This program is in semesters--as opposed to trimesters--and it meets in the mornings. It requires a "high level" of Spanish, though they do no testing to weed out posers like myself.

The main reason that I've decided to switch is so that Christian and I don't go to classes at the same time, thus making my son's schooling situation easier to manage.

I'm assuming that I'll be in quite over my head at first, but I've been there before. The curriculum looks very interesting: history, language, culture, art, geography, etc. The tuition is 1330 Euros per year, so it's actually a bit less expensive than the language program, if you go the full year. I'm going to go for the first semester (765 Euros) and see how it goes. I'll be sure to report back to my very favorite thread on what the classes are like.

UNISPAIN: Throughout all of this craziness, Daniel Rodriquez from Unispain has helped me out immensely. They are going to switch my registration and matriculate us. They sent us what we needed for the visa. And have responded to my ridiculous barrage of questions. I've never had to deal with Complutense directly. I can't recommend Unispain enough, especially for those who want to start the registration process in advance from a foreign country. They will also arrange housing.

PHONE NUMBER FOR COMPLUTENSE: We did finally find a number for the Espa�ol para Extranjeros program at Complutense. And best of all, someone answers! It's 91 394 53 25. They are in the office (theoretically) from 9-1 and 3-6.

Just to close out the residency adventure... Today Christian and I picked up our student residencia cards at the General Pardi�as comisaria. No problems, no wait. Our residency is good until September 9, 2005.

I ended up doing the Curso de Estudios Hisp�nicos program at Complutense. The classes are in the morning from 9-1. The horario is killing me... it's the first time I've had to get up so early in years and years! Thank god every building has a cafeteria in the basement with cafe con leche flowing freely. Still I'm going to be a zombie these first few weeks.

It takes me about 40 minutes to get from the center of Madrid to school. Filologia Edificio B is about a 10-15 minute walk from the Ciudad Universitaria stop on the Circular line. Edicifio A--where the language classes are held--is a bit closer.

And who should turn up in my class? The legendary Greguito who blazed the trail for us!

I'll write a little about the classes, because Complutense doesn't really relinquish any practical info about how the program is set up (though there is a link some where in this thread to their course description page):

Every day there are four hour-long classes from 9-1. Monday through Wednesday we have Art History, Spanish Language, Spanish History and Spanish Literature. Thursday and Friday are Spanish Thought/Philosophy, Spanish Geography, Spanish Literary Criticism, and Current Events. Other optional excursions and seminars are organized on weekends and off-hours.

The classes are mainly Spanish university style classes--which is to say that they are a bit dry with not a lot of interaction (though there are exceptions). But the teachers seem to really know their stuff--most teach regular classes at Complutense, as well.

I would say that a good level of comprehension along with an intermediate level of speaking and writing is necessary. Those who already know a lot about the subject matter or with lots of academic experience might be able to get away with less.

quote:

Originally posted by Greguito:
I desperately want to spend a year in Spain and am considering a student visa as a way to do it...<br /><br />But all the schools are sooooo expensive! Anyone have any recommendations about the cheapest way to do this in Madrid?

Alright!! This is THE thread. Just stumbled upon this site and have spent the afternoon, evening and most the night going through this whole Greguito / Mariposita saga. It has answered just about everything I needed to know ... Greguito, YOU ROCK!!! You've really taken one for the team here.
Basically, I have been planning to study an academic year of Cursos de Espana para Extrajneros at Universidad de Malaga from 2 Oct 2006 unitl 18 May 2007. I found this via the UniSpain website www.unispain.es and costs 1240 euro for both semesters.
The two questions that I have are these:
1. Is UniSpain offering a legitimate service?
2. How does the cost of this course compare to other courses available for a full academic year? (I too am on the "povo" budget!)

I would like my course to be with an academic institution (way cheaper for a longer period) and so it means something if I decide to do the whole Greguito saga ***where do you go? One day you were all positive and resolute, then "pop" gone***

Anyway, I have neglected my guitar practice for the entire day with this particular topic, so must get back to it. Will return soon.

hey pocoloco, welcome to the group.

aaaaaahhhh yes, these 6 pages so far make up possibly one of the best (most useful) threads on the board to date.

one thing, i thinkl the site you meant is www.unispain.com as there is nothing at www.unispain.es (comes up dead when i try it).

quote:

1. Is UniSpain offering a legitimate service?

sounds too cheap to be true. do they give you university credit australia for the year abroad here?

quote:

2. How does the cost of this course compare to other courses available for a full academic year? (I too am on the "povo" budget!)

been a looooong time since i studied here but about 10 years ago, my masters cost me $10,000 via middlebury college and that was a STEAL.

could you provide the link directly to that program so we can have a closer look?

saludos,
jer...

Yes, Unispain is for real. They helped me set up my first year of study in the Curso de Estudios Hispánicos at Complutense in Madrid.

They charged me 90 euros to reserve a spot, get the paperwork that I needed for the visa (reserva de plazo) and send it to me in DC. Now that I'm here and I know how everything works, I could do this for myself and save the 90 euros. But it's pretty hard to do from another country, because the university wants you to pay the fee via an "ingreso"--which you can only do from a Spanish bank.

My full-year course also cost around 1200 euros. I think that's what most of the public "para extranjeros" courses cost. In my classes, there were lots of foreign students getting credit via their home universities, but that's something you have to arrange on your end. The Americans went through a US program (Univerity of Texas, I think). Given the racket that higher education is in the US, they paid much more to the accredited US program (which skimmed off the top) to take the exact same classes.

It's even cheaper to study as a Spanish student would (around 600 euros a year), but that would be nearly impossible to arrange prior to coming It took me eight months to finalize my matricula this year--and I'm still a little wary of using the word finalize, as I get a letter about once a month saying that my registration is on the verge of being cancelled for one reason or another. There's another thread around here on that whole odyssey. Only for the truly masochistic.

Another option is to study in Spanish classes as an alumno visitante. I think this costs about the same as it would to take the classes as a Spaniard. The catch is that you may not be able to get the paperwork (a letter of invitation) until September, which wouldn't be good for getting a visa. If you study as an alumno visitante, you can go to regular Spanish classes and take the exams. Some universities will accept these credits. The catch is that these credits will never be recognized by the Spanish university if you decide to try to enter into a carrera later on (though I think you could work something out one on one with the profs...).

Incidentally, I really liked the Curso Hispánico. I learned an amazing amount in a short period of time. It's a great way to get to know this crazy country. In some cases, I enjoyed the classes even more than the ones I am taking now (in Filología Hispánica), because they were taught in the spirit of informing and making the material interesting. The regular university classes are--in general, not always--drier and academic to a fault... And it was fun getting to hang out with people from all over who were mostly just happy to be here. I'm in with a distinctly more disgruntled crew now (which can be fun in its own way).

Good luck, let me know if you have any other questions.

P.S. I think greguito has left the premises... If you check out my other thread about getting into a masters program, you can learn more about his saga. I'm guessing he'll be back...

Hello again, this seems like a pretty close knit forum
Yep, sorry jer, I did make a mistake with the UniSpain link, here is the UniSpain link I was reffering to:

http://www.unispain.com/Malaga_University.htm

and the page for the cursos de espanol para extrajneros, offered by Universidad de Malaga:

http://www.uma.es/estudios/extranj/iextranjeros.htm

The particular course I have in mind is the complete course of the 59th Course of Hispanic Studies 2006/2007.
I don't know if Australian universities will recognise this course for credit purposes, to me it seems quite low key. This said, I don't expect any credit to be given. I have studied a little spanish outside uni, but outside class time I do not have the opportunities to practice what I have "supposedly" learnt. Remedy ... go to spain.
The cost, duration and location are the draw cards here. I am a warm weather kinda guy, and used to living near the beach. I've heard of the winters in Madrid! (you guys would know better than I) and that alone ... hhmmm, I'll come and visit in summer
My degrees in Australia were Electrical Engineering and Physics (Uhhh ... what a bore!! ... haha). There is no opportunity for credit with these anyway.
Thanks mariposita, you have been a great help here on this forum, I read your other thread and you seem to be getting through it quite successfully (bureaucrats make it hard, determination makes it happen).
Thanks to everyone who make forums like this work, this thread is a benchmark for all who wish to follow. It has helped me tremendously and I hope to repay the favour and add anything else I come across that may help anyone.
It's pioneers like Greguito and mariposita who who give meaning to the word "society".
Thanks to you two especially.
Brad

Wow, thanks Brad. This is a tight-knit group. I really don't think I could have gotten my act together without the support of these folks. Everything from finding an apartment to knowing which line to stand in at the comisaría to where to get the best bocadillo de calamares...

When you pass through Madrid, let us know and we'll have a get together. And please do keep us posted on how it goes.

Hello everyone,
Registered with UniSpain for the course in Malaga on Sunday night and paid the 200 euros deposit via PayPal.
Here's a hint for anyone planning to do this, or something similar.
UniSpain requires the deposit to be paid either by direct deposit or credit card (via PayPal). If paying with credit card, as I did, PayPal can change your local currency (AU$ in my case) into euro with a 2.5% fee or you can elect to charge your credit card in euro, where the visa network will change the currency for you with a 2.5% fee.
PayPal exchange rate: AU$1 = 0.576323 euro
Visa exchange rate: AU$1 = 0.59 euro
PayPal quoted AU$347.03 + 2.5% fee = AU$355.71
Visa charged AU$339.28 + 2.5% fee = AU$347.76
Checking the visa exchange rate and electing to charge my credit card directly saved me AU$7.95 ie. it pays to check
Got a response back from Suzanne at UniSpain confirming that they had recieved the deposit the next day and that I will soon be receiving confirmation of my course.
So far, things are going well. Will need to start checking out insurance very soon, so will let you know what I can come up with.

hey pocoloco, thanks for the update!!!
looks like you are well on your way.

paypal: yes, they are known for having a pretty bad exchange rate, worse than the "real" rate and also worse than visa and other payment service rates.

i have been working with paypal for years but keep the money exchanging to a minimum as they tend to pull their exchange rates out of their a$%&s!

saludos,
jer...