Rizal received an excellent education in the Philippines, Germany, France and Spain. He was a gifted student who excelled in many subjects from a young age. He earned multiple degrees, including a medical degree and a degree in philosophy and letters. Rizal faced discrimination as a Filipino student in Spanish institutions. This discrimination and obsolete teaching methods prompted him to continue his studies abroad, where he was more accepted. Rizal lived in Europe for 10 years, becoming fluent in many languages and gaining expertise in diverse fields. It was during this time that he began writing his famous novels which exposed the injustices faced by Filipinos under Spanish rule.