Being American, I am definitely used to certain luxuries which of course I take for granted. For example, living in America, one gets used to driving a car around to get from point A to point B and using elevators instead of climbing 5 flights of stairs. These common occurences are different in Europe. Very few buildings have elevators and taking a car instead of walking 15 minute is unheard of.
The University is much the same way. The differences in culture is apparent. For instance, there is lack of direction and guidance given at the Mobility Office (International Students Office). If you have questions it is best that you go online and try to figure it out on their highly complicated, and extremely outdated, website. If you still have questions email the faculty and visit their office several times and hope that they will be gracious enough to meet with you. If its after 2PM, forget it! Its the Spanish siesta and you will rarely find anyone.
That being said, there are plenty of good differences as well. Not paying for textbooks or only paying 6 Euros (equivalent of roughly 10 dollars) for a textbook is a deal breaking moment for an American student who normally pays nothing less than 100 Dollars for a textbooks.
With Spain being strongly for the Go Green movement, finding and using a printer or a copier on campus is extremely difficult and ridiculously overpriced. Thus, the average UA student (Universidad de Alicante) must be reduced to the old-fashioned handwritten method of holding onto information.
Moreover, class times are very different. Each class of mine is held for two hours each day and twice a week. I am in every class for four hours every week and to fulfill my university's credits I have to sit in on six classes, or 24 hours of class per week! At the University of Miami, a regular 15 credit schedule for me consists of less than 20hours of class time.
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