Studying abroad in Spanish: enrolling, classes, professors, exams and student life in Mexico, Spain, Colombia and Argentina
For a semester at a Spanish-speaking university there is a whole vocabulary to learn. The office that handles your papers has a different name in each country, a “subject” is materia in one place and asignatura in another, and with a 5 out of 10 you pass in Spain and fail in Mexico. Below: enrolling, exchange programmes, the admin office, classes, professors, exams and grades, and student life, for Mexico, Spain, Colombia and Argentina.
The university words
| Mexico | Spain | Colombia | Argentina | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Degree programme | la carrera, la licenciatura | la carrera, el grado | la carrera, el pregrado | la carrera, la licenciatura |
| Master’s | la maestría | el máster | la maestría | la maestría |
| Subject, course | la materia | la asignatura | la materia | la materia |
| Term | el semestre | el cuatrimestre, el semestre | el semestre | el cuatrimestre |
| Classroom | el salón | el aula | el salón | el aula |
Carrera is the whole degree, and ¿qué carrera estudias? is the usual first question between students. ¿En qué semestre vas?, which semester are you in, is the second in Mexico and Colombia; in Spain it is ¿en qué curso estás?, which year are you in.
El máster in Spain and la maestría in Latin America are the same degree.
Aula is feminine, but you say el with it: el aula 3, las aulas.
La facultad, the faculty, and los apuntes, your class notes, are the same in all four countries. A cheat sheet is un acordeón in Mexico, una chuleta in Spain and un machete in Argentina.
Enrolling
| Mexico | Spain | Colombia | Argentina | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| To enrol | inscribirse | matricularse | matricularse, inscribirse | inscribirse |
| Enrolment | la inscripción | la matrícula | la matrícula, la inscripción | la inscripción |
| Tuition fee | la colegiatura | la matrícula | la matrícula | el arancel, la cuota |
| The admin office | servicios escolares | la secretaría | registro académico, admisiones | la secretaría, la bedelía |
Matrícula in Spain and Colombia is both the act of enrolling and the fee you pay for it. In Mexico the fee is la colegiatura, and in private universities it is paid each semester or each month.
Bedelía is an Argentine word: the office that handles class schedules, rooms and signing up for exams. La secretaría handles certificates and your student file.
| You want to say | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| I want to enrol in… | Quiero inscribirme en… / Quiero matricularme en… (Spain) | |
| What documents do I need? | ¿Qué documentos necesito? / ¿Qué papeles hay que traer? | |
| a certified copy | una copia certificada / una copia compulsada (Spain) | |
| an official translation | una traducción oficial / una traducción jurada (Spain) | |
| my transcript | mi certificado de notas (Spain) / mi kárdex (Mexico) / mi certificado analítico (Argentina) / mi certificado de notas (Colombia) | |
| the deadline | la fecha límite / el plazo (Spain) | |
| Is there a late fee? | ¿Hay recargo por pagar tarde? | |
| my student ID | mi credencial (Mexico) / mi carné (Spain, Colombia) / mi carnet (Argentina) | |
| a scholarship | una beca | |
| the student visa | la visa de estudiante (Latin America) / el visado de estudios (Spain) |
Kárdex is the Mexican word for your academic record. Libreta universitaria is the traditional Argentine booklet where grades were recorded; many universities now keep it online, and people still use the word.
Beca is a scholarship everywhere, and in Spain un becario is also an intern.
Exchange programmes
| You want to say | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| I’m an exchange student | Soy estudiante de intercambio. | Everywhere |
| I’m here for one semester | Estoy aquí por un semestre. / Estoy acá por un cuatrimestre. (Argentina) | |
| The international office | la oficina de relaciones internacionales (Spain) / la oficina de movilidad / de internacionalización (Mexico, Colombia) / la oficina de relaciones internacionales (Argentina) | |
| Student mobility | movilidad estudiantil | The term Mexican and Colombian universities use |
| My home university | mi universidad de origen | |
| The host university | la universidad de destino | |
| The learning agreement | el acuerdo de aprendizaje / el learning agreement | Erasmus students in Spain usually say it in English |
| Credits | créditos | Ask how they convert: ¿Cómo se convalidan los créditos? |
| to have a course recognised | convalidar / homologar |
Erasmus is the European exchange programme, and in Spain un erasmus is also a person: es un erasmus, he’s an exchange student. The Erasmus parties are part of the student calendar in Spanish university cities.
Convalidar is a verb you will hear often in the admin office: to have a course or credits from one university accepted at another.
Classes
| You want to say | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| I have class at nine | Tengo clase a las nueve. | |
| Where is room 204? | ¿Dónde está el aula 204? / ¿Dónde está el salón 204? (Mexico, Colombia) | |
| Is attendance compulsory? | ¿La asistencia es obligatoria? | |
| They take the register | Pasan lista. | Everywhere |
| I missed class | Falté a clase. | |
| Can you lend me your notes? | ¿Me pasas los apuntes? / ¿Me pasás los apuntes? (vos) | |
| the reading list | la bibliografía | |
| the syllabus | el programa / el temario (Spain) / el syllabus (Colombia) | |
| a group project | un trabajo en grupo / un trabajo en equipo | |
| an essay, a paper | un trabajo / un ensayo | Trabajo covers most written coursework |
| the deadline | la fecha de entrega | |
| to hand in | entregar | |
| lecture vs seminar | la clase teórica / la clase práctica | Argentina shortens them to el teórico and el práctico |
The photocopy shop is part of student life in Argentina, where course readings are often sold as photocopied packs. Ask for el apunte or las fotocopias de la materia.
Professors
| Mexico | Spain | Colombia | Argentina | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What students call them | profe, maestro / maestra, doctor / doctora | profe, by first name | profe, profesor / profesora | profe, by first name |
| Tú, usted or vos | usted | tú | usted | vos or usted, as the professor sets it |
| Office hours | asesorías | tutorías | asesorías, horario de atención | clases de consulta |
In Spain people are informal. Most students use tú with professors and call them by first name, and usted can sound stiff. In Mexico people are formal: usted, and maestro or maestra is an ordinary title at university too, as is doctor for anyone with a doctorate. In Colombia students use usted and profe together, which is warm and respectful at once. In Argentina it is mixed; many professors take vos after the first class, and students follow their lead.
| You want to say | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Excuse me, professor, do you have a moment? | Disculpe, profe, ¿tiene un momento? / Perdona, ¿tienes un momento? (Spain) |
| I didn’t understand the last part | No entendí la última parte. / No he entendido la última parte. (Spain) |
| Could I have an extension? | ¿Me podría dar una prórroga? / ¿Puedo entregarlo más tarde? |
| I’m an exchange student and my Spanish is still improving | Soy estudiante de intercambio y todavía estoy mejorando mi español. |
| Can I take the exam in English? | ¿Puedo hacer el examen en inglés? |
| When are your office hours? | ¿Cuándo tiene asesorías? (Mexico) / ¿Cuándo son las tutorías? (Spain) / ¿Cuándo hay consulta? (Argentina) |
Exams
| Mexico | Spain | Colombia | Argentina | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| To take an exam | presentar un examen | hacer un examen, examinarse | presentar un examen | rendir un examen |
| Midterm | el parcial | el parcial | el parcial | el parcial |
| Final exam | el final, el examen final | el final, el examen final | el final, el examen final | el final |
| Resit | el extraordinario | la recuperación, la convocatoria extraordinaria | el supletorio, la habilitación | el recuperatorio |
| To pass | pasar, aprobar | aprobar | pasar, aprobar | aprobar |
| To fail | reprobar | suspender | perder, reprobar | desaprobar, bochar (slang) |
| I failed | Reprobé. | He suspendido. / Me han suspendido. | Perdí la materia. | Me bocharon. / Desaprobé. |
Suspender is Spain’s word for failing, and elsewhere it means to suspend or cancel. Perder una materia, “to lose a subject”, is Colombian for failing it. Rendir in Argentina is to sit an exam, and ¿cuándo rendís?, when is your exam, is asked all through the exam season.
Argentina’s finales are organised differently. At many universities you pass the course and then sit the final on one of several dates, las mesas de examen, sometimes months later. In some courses you can skip the final with a high enough average; that is called promocionar.
Grades
| Mexico | Spain | Colombia | Argentina | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scale | 0 to 10 | 0 to 10 | 0 to 5 | 0 or 1 to 10 |
| Usual pass mark | 6 (7 at some universities) | 5 | 3.0 | 4 at many universities |
| Grade | la calificación | la nota | la nota | la nota |
In Spain the grades have names: suspenso (below 5), aprobado (5 to 6.9), notable (7 to 8.9), sobresaliente (9 to 10), and matrícula de honor for the very top. In Colombia grades have one decimal, such as 3.5 or 4.2, and you pass with a 3.0. Pass marks vary by university and by course in all four countries, so check the programme.
| You want to say | Spanish |
|---|---|
| What did you get? | ¿Cuánto sacaste? / ¿Qué nota has sacado? (Spain) |
| I got an 8 | Saqué un ocho. / He sacado un ocho. (Spain) |
| When do the grades come out? | ¿Cuándo salen las notas? / ¿Cuándo salen las calificaciones? (Mexico) |
| Can I review my exam? | ¿Puedo revisar mi examen? / ¿Puedo ver el examen? (Spain: la revisión) |
Student life
| You want | Mexico | Spain | Colombia | Argentina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flatmate | roomie, compañero de cuarto | compañero de piso | roommate, compañero de apartamento | compañero de departamento |
| Student residence | residencia estudiantil | residencia, colegio mayor | residencia estudiantil | residencia estudiantil |
| Classmate | compañero de clase | compañero de clase | compañero de clase | compañero de cursada |
| The student canteen | la cafetería | la cafetería, el comedor | la cafetería | el comedor, el buffet |
| Party | fiesta | fiesta | rumba, fiesta | fiesta, joda (slang) |
Colegio mayor in Spain is a university hall of residence, often with its own traditions, not a school. Empollar in Spain and clavarse in Mexico mean to study hard, or cram. Cursada in Argentina is the time you spend taking a course, and a compañero de cursada is someone in the same class that term.
With a student card you often get discounts at museums and cinemas. Ask ¿hay descuento para estudiantes? and show the card.
Ten sentences you can say tomorrow
- Soy estudiante de intercambio. ¿Dónde está la oficina de relaciones internacionales? I’m an exchange student. Where is the international office?
- ¿Qué documentos necesito para inscribirme? What documents do I need to enrol?
- ¿La asistencia es obligatoria? Is attendance compulsory?
- ¿Me pasas los apuntes de ayer? Can you send me yesterday’s notes?
- Disculpe, profe, ¿cuándo tiene asesorías? Excuse me, professor, when are your office hours? (Mexico)
- Mañana tengo un parcial y no he empollado nada. I have a midterm tomorrow and haven’t studied at all. (Spain)
- Perdí la materia, pero puedo habilitarla. I failed the course, but I can resit it. (Colombia)
- ¿Cuándo rendís el final? When are you taking the final? (Argentina)
- ¿Cómo se convalidan los créditos? How are the credits recognised?
- Saqué un nueve. I got a nine.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between carrera and grado? Carrera is the degree programme everywhere. Grado is Spain’s official name for an undergraduate degree since the Bologna reforms.
How do you say “subject” at university? Materia in Mexico, Colombia and Argentina. Asignatura in Spain, where materia is also understood.
How do you say “I failed” in Spanish? Reprobé in Mexico, he suspendido in Spain, perdí la materia in Colombia, desaprobé or me bocharon in Argentina.
Is 6 a pass in Spanish universities? In Spain, yes; the pass mark is 5 out of 10. In Mexico 6 is usually the minimum pass. In Colombia the scale is 0 to 5 and you pass with 3.0.
Do you use tú or usted with a professor? Tú in Spain, usted in Mexico and Colombia. In Argentina follow the professor; many use vos.
What is “convalidar”? To have credits or a course from another university recognised. It is the key word for exchange students.
What does “rendir un examen” mean? To sit an exam, in Argentina and Uruguay. In Mexico and Colombia people say presentar, in Spain hacer or examinarse.
Practise these words
universidad, carrera, materia, matrícula, examen, aprobar, suspender, nota, profesor, clase, entregar, apunte, beca. Vozelu is a free website for practising Spanish, and it has each of these. You see a sentence with one word missing, you type the word, and a native voice reads the sentence back. Practise the words on this page.