I have a lot to catch everyone up on! I haven’t been feeling well for the past two days, so I didn’t really feel like writing. I did, however, have time to get the pictures of my apartment up! I hope you like them…it really is a nice place.
Yesterday was officially my first day of class. I was really nervous and had no idea what to expect, but things went pretty smoothly. Being my father’s daughter, I got to the school about 30 minutes before my class was supposed to start to give me plenty of time to find my classrooms, etc. The way Spanish university works is that you are divided up into years (cursos), and then the years are divided up into groups. So if you are in the third course, group 1, then you have all of your classes in the same room with the same people. As a visiting student I have classes of libre configuración, or free configuration, so I have one class with the third year group 2 people, and another class with the sixth year group 1 people. So when I showed up for my class at 1, I walked into a room already full of people that had been there all day!
My first class was Epidemiology with a bunch of third year students. That is about the equivalent of a sophomore or junior in college…so needless to say I was the oldest one there. Epidemiology is the class I’m most excited for…since it happens to integrate math and medicine perfectly. My second class was at 2 in a different building, and as I said it is a sixth year class…so the maturity level was much higher. Everyone was quiet and attentive, as opposed to the loud rowdiness of the previous class. This class is called Preventative Medicine and Public and Community Health. It seems like it is going to be much more work than the other class, but seeing as these are the only two classes I’m taking this semester it shouldn’t be a problem.
My roommate Marta has been very helpful in explaining the Spanish education system to me. Apparently there are semester long classes, and yearlong classes. I think (and I’m not sure…) that the sixth year course I’m taking is the only yearlong course. Classes go from now until January, and then final exams are in early February. The second semester starts in mid-February and classes go through the first week of June, and then there is another two week exam period. It was nice to have someone to explain this to me because it was completely different! The idea of having final exams not only after Christmas, but in February, was a little strange. Hopefully by then I’ll have it figured out :).
The thing that confuses me most are what are called “prácticas,” which is the equivalent of lab or practical experience. Apparently the Department will post a list of the practical groups and when/where they meet…but I’m still waiting for that to happen. That is the part I’m most nervous about, because it will require a lot of work and interaction with other students. Though lectures will demand that I pay close attention to understand all of what the professor is saying, the labs will challenge me in a different way. So far everyone I have met has been very understanding and helpful, so I’m sure the same thing will happen in lab.
After classes, which were very short, just as they would be the first day of class in the U.S., I went home, ate, and siesta-ed before I had to get ready for the Rotary meeting that night. This meeting was of the Club of Sevilla-Macarena. Since I live in the Macarena, it was much closer, but had a very different feel than the Club of Sevilla. The Macarena club had more young members, and seemed a bit more organized. That’s not to say that the Sevilla Club was not organized, because it was, but it proceeded more like an open discussion of issues, whereas the Macarena Club had a clear agenda. The president went down a list of things to address and made sure things stayed within the allotted time limit. The food was equally as plentiful and delicious, and the people equally as welcoming, but I am happy with my position in my host club, the Club of Sevilla. I’m uploading the flags I received from both the Sevilla and the Macarena clubs.
Club of Sevilla Club of Sevilla-Macarena
Since I wasn’t feeling well, it was a relief to get home and get to sleep! Today was the Huelga General (General Strike) that I believe took place all across Spain today. I was warned by several people to be careful, because the streets could be dangerous. Apparently it was an optional strike, so picket lines were formed to try to stop those that chose to from getting into work…and that can get a bit rowdy I’m sure. I spent most of the day trying to rest and get over this cold, and hopefully tomorrow I’ll be back to normal!
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