Yiting WU: Beeology

Course Setting

UAB offers a wide range of subjects across various fields, including Sciences, Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, and Engineering. Each course includes teaching plans, content outlines, the professor’s contact information, and pre-class warm-up videos for students to review.

All students from CUHKSZ chose science-related courses. From my conversations with them, everyone finds their course experience rich and engaging. The university offers theoretical classes and at least one hands-on activity, field trip, or survey each week. For example, in my Beeology course: Week 1: We visited the apiary to check the beehives. Week 2: We sorted the beehives. Week 3: We went to the factory to extract honey. This experience was very rewarding.

Also, students from the geography class took a two-day field trip to Barcelona, where they learned about the city’s topography and urban planning. Students from Mediterranean Studies Course conducted field surveys at the seaside and created biological reports.

Everyone has given positive feedback on both the experimental and theoretical courses. For instance, students in the Mediterranean Studies Course appreciated being placed in different groups. This allowed them to meet peers from various countries and learn more about the ocean.

Students in the Global Energy Problem course noted the professor’s professionalism. They absorbed about 50% of the material in class and needed to self-study the rest. However, the professor was very supportive and answered questions daily during breaks.

In my Beeology course, we learned from several biological experts instead of just one professor. Each expert brought unique knowledge and perspectives, enhancing our understanding of bee biology.

Project Evaluation

UAB has a high level of internationalization, with many international students. In my Beeology course, there are 27 students from countries such as China, the United States, Spain, Singapore, India, Argentina, South Africa, and Australia. I also met students from South Korea, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Italy during ice-breaking activities, forming valuable international friendships.

UAB organized a series of summer activities, including Catalan dance lessons, beach volleyball, human tower stacking, and visits to the Catalan Cultural Palace, which greatly enriched our experience.

The accommodation was also comfortable, with most students opting for double rooms in the student dormitory (498 euros per person per month). Each room includes air conditioning, Wi-Fi, hangers, towels, quilts, and other essentials. However, due to high demand, some students were unable to secure dormitory placements. Two students from CUHKSZ lived in the city during the first week before moving into the dormitory. Those applying later should reserve early to ensure accommodation.

UAB’s remote location offers limited supermarkets and restaurants, and a round trip to the city then back to the campus takes about two hours. Many restaurants and large supermarkets in Spain are closed on weekends, so we often cooked our own meals in the dormitory. The photo shows six classmates cooking and dining together on weekends; even abroad, we enjoyed a sense of home.

Overall, the summer courses at UAB are academically enriching, and the campus culture is vibrant. I highly recommend visiting Spain!