For all you Haverfordians (and really anyone who goes to school in the States), this is a post to let you know just how lucky we are--even if we do pay substantially more for it.
Yesterday was my first day of classes at the University. Here is how things are going:
First off, it is pretty much impossible to find the room you are looking for. Let me give you an idea of what I mean: the building where I am taking classes is home to two different "facultades," which would be like saying two different schools within an American University (a new concept for me--Haverford is so small!). To distinguish between the classrooms, they use two different numbering systems. One is Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3) and one is Roman numerals (I, II, III). However, while some sections of the building clearly belong to a specific facultad, many sections are mixed. This means you go from classroom 103 to XVII. Additionally, Roman numerals lack the benefit of having the first number indicate the floor you will find it on (i.e. room 103 is on the first floor but room 203 is on the second). I cannot figure out the pattern for Roman numerals--classrooms VI, XVII, and XXIII are on the first floor but classroom XIII is on floor 2 1/2 (you have to go up an extra little staircase to get there). Surprisingly, I'm doing better then most with respect to orienting myself--yay for me!
Second, finding regular University classes has proven to be quite difficult. Since students here choose a major before entering the University, they have a pretty firm schedule starting from day 1. Thus, you look for courses based on the degree you want to receive. To make matters worse, Spain is in the middle of redesigning their degrees so that they more closely match the rest of Europe (and really the US). Previously, degrees took either 3 or 5 years, but now all will take 4. Since this is the third year of the transition, any courses you want to take in the first 3 years of study are only offered through the new system, but any courses you want to take in the 4th or 5th year are only offered through the old system. Finally, you have to use a separate website to determine the schedule of the classes--the one you use to choose them gives a syllabus but no days/times/locations!
After several hours online, I set off yesterday with my list of classes to "shop" (you don't have to officially register until October 14th). My first class, a class designed for Americans, was excellent. I love the material, and I'm confident I will enjoy the class, even though the professor has a tendency to repeat himself a lot. Next, I sprinted to a regular university class on the history and culture of Islam. I was excited for the class, especially when I started talking to the Spanish students. But after a while, another student came in and told us that the class would not start until Wednesday. As it turns out, I didn't even know the class MET on Wednesday, and I can no longer take the course because it conflicts with the one I already described! Since I couldn't shop History and Culture of the Muslim World (which, by the way, miraculously underwent a name change), I set off to find Political Anthropology. As I was standing outside the classroom, the cleaning lady kindly informed me that the entire School of Geography and History would not start until today--Tuesday. Oops. After a short break, I set off for another regular university class. This one actually had a professor there, though it is a literature class taught as a lecture in a big auditorium. I would probably take the class if I were going to be around for the whole semester (the Spanish semester doesn't end til the end of January), but all the interesting topics seem to be at the end! Immediately following this two hour lecture, I went to a class on Cervantes designed for American students. It was fantastic--the professor catered toward an American-style system but didn't spend time slowing down his speech or repeating himself. I will likely take this class, but I am still considering taking the normal university Cervantes course that, according to the website, only runs during second semester but, according to the Spanish students sitting next to me in the lecture class, is most certainly offered this semester. They had already attended!
So far today, I have attended another regular university class on the history of modern Islam. As it turns out, modern is different from contemporary, and the two other students in the class are above the age of 40 for sure, possibly 50! I am still considering the class, but it is a bit overwhelming--presentations every week, despite the fact that I'm not 100% interested in the topic. We'll have to see!
Spanish word of the day: contrato = contract (because the class I attended today is officially being taught (this week) by a professor whose contract ends Friday)
un abrazo,
elizabeth
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