# Odd question



## Mum of 2 (Jun 10, 2014)

I know this is a bit of a odd question but do the kids in spain play x box,just my son was asking and I wasn't sure if it's as popular over there.
Also do the schools have proms like they do in England 
Tia


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Mum of 2 said:


> I know this is a bit of a odd question but do the kids in spain play x box,just my son was asking and I wasn't sure if it's as popular over there.
> Also do the schools have proms like they do in England
> Tia


oh yeah - they play x box!!


the International schools around here have proms - the Spanish schools don't


the Spanish just have fiesta after fiesta after fiesta after fiesta after fiesta after fiesta after fiesta after.........you get the idea!

this is the current one here - two solid weeks of partying starting properly next weekend - look at _these _'prom dresses! 










that was for a special presentation

for the actual fiesta of San Juan they'll dress more like this


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## Mum of 2 (Jun 10, 2014)

xabiachica said:


> oh yeah - they play x box!!
> 
> 
> the International schools around here have proms - the Spanish schools don't
> ...


Looks amazing ,

Thanks x


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Mum of 2 said:


> Looks amazing ,
> 
> Thanks x



it is...

the point really is that they don't *need *a prom - they get to party several times a year

it really is _very _different here


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Mum of 2 said:


> I know this is a bit of a odd question but do the kids in spain play x box,just my son was asking and I wasn't sure if it's as popular over there.
> Also do the schools have proms like they do in England
> Tia



... yes they do, but not as much as you would think. 

My children used to like to play x-box, playstation games etc. but found that their (Spanish) friends didn't. This meant that they had no one they knew to play with and no one to talk to about new games etc.

The eldest still plays but now uses the PC in preference. The younger children have become 'more Spanish' and don't really play computer games any more.


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## Mum of 2 (Jun 10, 2014)

snikpoh said:


> ... yes they do, but not as much as you would think.
> 
> My children used to like to play x-box, playstation games etc. but found that their (Spanish) friends didn't. This meant that they had no one they knew to play with and no one to talk to about new games etc.
> 
> The eldest still plays but now uses the PC in preference. The younger children have become 'more Spanish' and don't really play computer games any more.


Sounds like bliss

Even tho my son loves xbox,I loathe it getting him outdoors would be brill,one of the reasons we want to move is outdoor life


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

My son definitely plays Xbox - has for years - and so do all his friends. They also play online computer games.

At my kids' secondary school (a state school) they had a formal dance/party at the end of their last year of studies. Of course it wasn't called prom but that's sure what I would call it!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Read this account of my daughter's "graduation" from school aged 18
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/sp...ing-spain/112506-graduating-state-school.html
(I'm blubbing again just reading it!)


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Read this account of my daughter's "graduation" from school aged 18
> http://www.expatforum.com/expats/sp...ing-spain/112506-graduating-state-school.html
> (I'm blubbing again just reading it!)



Well, now it all starts for us. Our eldest has completed all his Bachi exams with an average of 8 - yeah!!!

He's just doing his last PAU exam (he had to do 7 in total) and thinks he's done well. The strange thing is that because he has a good average from Bachi, and because he will get a good English score, he really hasn't got to pass the others to be accepted to University!!??

No one has yet told us the process for applying to Universities - seems a complete mess/farce. The only thing we know is that the application has to be completed SOON.

Some people have told us that he must have at least a B1 in English (Cambridge or Trinity) to get in to University and then a B2 to graduate. Whilst others have said that, as he's English, he can't take the exam!!!!


The biggest issue now (for me anyway) is working out how we're going to be able to afford the accommodation for him (>650 euros/month) plus food, books, course fees etc..


... and then we have twins who may also want to go this route in a couple of years time. Arrrggghhhhhhh!


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

I have also heard that English kids can't take this exam as it is designed for those studying English as a second language...


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

thrax said:


> I have also heard that English kids can't take this exam as it is designed for those studying English as a second language...


yes, my daughter has been told the same

the school has arranged for a different exam for her to do before she graduates bachi


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

thrax said:


> I have also heard that English kids can't take this exam as it is designed for those studying English as a second language...


That's right, but that's the problem - his schooling is in Spanish and Valencian so surely he IS NOT studying English as his primary language?

We were told that if you are born in England (with UK nationality), then you can't do these exams.


Xabiachica - what exams are yours taking? I hope this will not be a stumbling block for him - it would be so unfair!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> That's right, but that's the problem - his schooling is in Spanish and Valencian so surely he IS NOT studying English as his primary language?
> 
> We were told that if you are born in England (with UK nationality), then you can't do these exams.
> 
> ...


Cambridge I think - not for another year though

she's out atm (exams finished - so San Juan preparations, getting the casal ready etc) 

I'll check with her when I see her .... might not be for a while though - as in days...


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

snikpoh said:


> Well, now it all starts for us. Our eldest has completed all his Bachi exams with an average of 8 - yeah!!!


Congratulations to him!




snikpoh said:


> He's just doing his last PAU exam (he had to do 7 in total) and thinks he's done well. The strange thing is that because he has a good average from Bachi, and because he will get a good English score, he really hasn't got to pass the others to be accepted to University!!??


That's not exactly true. While he doesn't have to pass every section of PAU to pass the whole thing, his average mark from the 4 general exams must be at least a 4. It doesn't sound like that will be a problem for your son considering his bachi average is an 8!

Just because you pass the PAU doesn't mean that you are accepted to university. You need a good enough score (PAU + bachi) to get into the degree program that you want to study. It has been absolutely cut-throat here in Andalucia for the past few years. With so much youth unemployment it seems everyone has decided to study, so there are many more people competing for an unchanged number of university places. My kids both have friends who did not make it into any uni program whatsoever despite having passed bachi and PAU. 


snikpoh said:


> No one has yet told us the process for applying to Universities - seems a complete mess/farce. The only thing we know is that the application has to be completed SOON.


Here in Andalucia the process is really easy and straight forward. It's all done online - one application for all univerisities in Andalucia. It seems to me we only had a matter of days to apply once the PAU marks were published. I don't know how it works in your area, but your son must have been told at school how to go about it.



snikpoh said:


> Some people have told us that he must have at least a B1 in English (Cambridge or Trinity) to get in to University and then a B2 to graduate. Whilst others have said that, as he's English, he can't take the exam!!!!


I can't be absolutely certain but I'd be very surprised if any university required any level of language proficiency to get in. However they do require it to finish. Every university and each degree is different, but in Seville most degrees only ask for B1. It doesn't have to be English, either. The Univeristy of Seville sits their own exams, or students can present a Cambridge or Trinity certificate. I don't know about Trinity, but native speakers can take Cambridge exams - my kids have!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Actually, this has come up before and native speakers *CAN* take the exam.
Straight from the horses mouth
Register for an exam
And if you can't find it on that page, here's what it says
* 



Can native English speakers take Cambridge English exams?  

Yes. Although Cambridge English exams are designed for non-native speakers of English, there are no language-related restrictions.

Click to expand...

*Anybody who has a native level should do Advanced, (First is too easy) with a little exam technique studying or Proficiency with more- studying- than- you- might- think!!

(From PW Cambridge examiner of speaking exams KET, PET and First Certificate)


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

snikpoh said:


> We were told that if you are born in England (with UK nationality), then you can't do these exams.


Ahhh, I don't know about this. My kids are dual nationals so they hold DNI's. I guess nobody considered them as native English speakers even though they are.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Actually, this has come up before and native speakers *CAN* take the exam.
> Straight from the horses mouth
> Register for an exam
> And if you can't find it on that page, here's what it says
> ...


this could be it - she isn't allowed to take the same exam as the others - maybe it's just that she has to take a different level


I do sound vague, don't I?? But there have been a lot of English kids doing bachi at this school & it's nothing unusual for them there - so tbh it's amazing that I've even found this much out!! But it's just another exam there


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

And BTW, depending where your children end up working, but people can be very funny about certificates and random pieces of paper...
I have written before about an American friend of mine whose daughter really is completely bi lingual having spent her life between the 2 countries. She got her degree here and did 2 masters in the States, but can't get a job teaching in a private school because she hasn't got a Cambridge exam or Escuela Oficial title...
Recently somebody else said that Cambridge exams aren't recognised for I don't know what in Andalucia...


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> Well, now it all starts for us. Our eldest has completed all his Bachi exams with an average of 8 - yeah!!!
> 
> He's just doing his last PAU exam (he had to do 7 in total) and thinks he's done well. The strange thing is that because he has a good average from Bachi, and because he will get a good English score, he really hasn't got to pass the others to be accepted to University!!??
> 
> ...


Great marks!!
Good luck with sorting out all the Uni stuff - exciting but very stressful I seem to remember


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Recently somebody else said that Cambridge exams aren't recognised for I don't know what in Andalucia...


Somebody said they weren't accepted by the Junta de Andalucia (Andalucia government) for government jobs, but that's not entirely true. I know they accept Cambridge exams for their teachers who want to work in bilingual state schools. I have several students right now who are state teachers trying to get their FCE (Cambridge B2) just for that reason.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

kalohi said:


> Congratulations to him!
> 
> Just because you pass the PAU doesn't mean that you are accepted to university. You need a good enough score (PAU + bachi) to get into the degree program that you want to study. It has been absolutely cut-throat here in Andalucia for the past few years. With so much youth unemployment it seems everyone has decided to study, so there are many more people competing for an unchanged number of university places. My kids both have friends who did not make it into any uni program whatsoever despite having passed bachi and PAU.
> 
> ...



The projection (at the moment) is that he will get a score of about 11 (PAU plus Bachi). For the courses he wants at the Universities he wants, he needs a 7.something. So, he should be OK with that side of it. I just hope that being English and getting such a score, he'll be accepted in.

The school have told us nothing yet and can't find the appropriate web page to apply. I hope they tell us soon. I think the results are published on the 20th June whilst the date to apply is 14th - 21st (I think).




xabiachica said:


> Cambridge I think - not for another year though
> 
> she's out atm (exams finished - so San Juan preparations, getting the casal ready etc)
> 
> I'll check with her when I see her .... might not be for a while though - as in days...


We've applied for him to do a C1 Cambridge - we thought about C2 but decided there was little point aiming so high just yet. We'll see if they allow him to do it.


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

snikpoh said:


> The projection (at the moment) is that he will get a score of about 11 (PAU plus Bachi). For the courses he wants at the Universities he wants, he needs a 7.something. So, he should be OK with that side of it. I just hope that being English and getting such a score, he'll be accepted in.


Is he hoping to go to a public university? Then being English has nothing to do with being accepted. The only thing that matters is the PAU/bachi score. If there are 50 spots (for example) in the degree program, they take the applicants with the top 50 scores. End of admission process. 



snikpoh said:


> The school have told us nothing yet and can't find the appropriate web page to apply. I hope they tell us soon. I think the results are published on the 20th June whilst the date to apply is 14th - 21st (I think).


Does the school have a webpage? If it does look for a section on it called orientación and see if there is information there. At least in Andalucia all schools have a 'orientation' department and it's their job to help students move on to the next phase of their education. My kids' school had the university application procedure all explained on the webpage. 

Probably the easiest thing would be to have you son ask his friends. I'm sure they know what to do!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

kalohi said:


> Is he hoping to go to a public university? Then being English has nothing to do with being accepted. The only thing that matters is the PAU/bachi score. If there are 50 spots (for example) in the degree program, they take the applicants with the top 50 scores. End of admission process.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


As far as I know, there is no national process. Each local educational authority, and each university for all I know, may have their own requirements, although most will follow the same general guide lines.
Here my husband and daughter ended up rushing to the centre of Madrid on the very last day of matricula in temperatures of 40+ . My (Spanish) husband has been a secondary school teacher for about 15 years and still couldn't wend his way through the system. I wouldn't wish that stress on anyone. She got in literally by the skin of her teeth!
The procedure was not clear, the university is an hour and a half away and did not have clued up people working the matricula and they were too busy to answer phone calls. I can't remember getting any help from the school although we didn't ask either. There were some general talks in the Punto Joven, but nothing to help individual cases.
GOOD LUCK SNIKPOH!!


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

Pesky Wesky said:


> As far as I know, there is no national process. Each local educational authority, and each university for all I know, may have their own requirements, although most will follow the same general guide lines.
> Here my husband and daughter ended up rushing to the centre of Madrid on the very last day of matricula in temperatures of 40+ . My (Spanish) husband has been a secondary school teacher for about 15 years and still couldn't wend his way through the system. I wouldn't wish that stress on anyone. She got in literally by the skin of her teeth!
> The procedure was not clear, the university is an hour and a half away and did not have clued up people working the matricula and they were too busy to answer phone calls. I can't remember getting any help from the school although we didn't ask either. There were some general talks in the Punto Joven, but nothing to help individual cases.
> GOOD LUCK SNIKPOH!!


Oh my, what a mess. It is so organized here! I can't believe that Andalucia has managed to do a better job at this than other areas in Spain. 

Yes, good luck, snikpoh!


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

snikpoh said:


> The school have told us nothing yet and can't find the appropriate web page to apply. I hope they tell us soon. I think the results are published on the 20th June whilst the date to apply is 14th - 21st (I think).


I can see from your flags that you live in the Valencia region. I don't know if your son wants to study there, but in case he does here's a link to the webpage where you apply for any of the universities in the Valencia region. And this webpage explains it all a bit better. It's all in Spanish so I hope you can understand it. 

I hope this helps. Good luck!


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

kalohi said:


> I can see from your flags that you live in the Valencia region. I don't know if your son wants to study there, but in case he does here's a link to the webpage where you apply for any of the universities in the Valencia region. And this webpage explains it all a bit better. It's all in Spanish so I hope you can understand it.
> 
> I hope this helps. Good luck!


Thanks for your help. Yes, he is hoping to go to University of Valencia - either in Valencia or Alcoy.

The chart you linked to states that we can apply now, however, the website we've found to do this seems to require input from somewhere else. Nothing seems to be populated and none of the links are working. I suspect that we will have to wait until the 20th (results day).

We were told that we had to fill in an on-line form with our preferred Uni first etc. However, the school are most unhelpful at the moment - or maybe it's a Brit thing and I should just wait ...?


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

snikpoh said:


> Thanks for your help. Yes, he is hoping to go to University of Valencia - either in Valencia or Alcoy.
> 
> The chart you linked to states that we can apply now, however, the website we've found to do this seems to require input from somewhere else. Nothing seems to be populated and none of the links are working. I suspect that we will have to wait until the 20th (results day).
> 
> We were told that we had to fill in an on-line form with our preferred Uni first etc. However, the school are most unhelpful at the moment - or maybe it's a Brit thing and I should just wait ...?


As I read it, the dates to apply are from 16 June - 4 July. But you'll have to wait until you get the PAU results on 20 June. This is the webpage where you apply. Since the application period hasn't started yet the webpage isn't functional yet. Don't worry - it will be. It was exactly the same way when we applied here in Andalucia. 

Maybe we should take this to PM's if you have more doubts or questions. I'm really happy to help, but we are totally off topic at this point.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

kalohi said:


> As I read it, the dates to apply are from 16 June - 4 July. But you'll have to wait until you get the PAU results on 20 June. This is the webpage where you apply. Since the application period hasn't started yet the webpage isn't functional yet. Don't worry - it will be. It was exactly the same way when we applied here in Andalucia.
> 
> Maybe we should take this to PM's if you have more doubts or questions. I'm really happy to help, but we are totally off topic at this point.


 don't worry about PMing - it's useful info for a lot of us

I'll split the thread in the morning


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