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Getting Down to Business

October 24, 2008

To read my previous entries, one might reasonably think that I spend more time out of Spain than in it, more time gallivanting around on weekend trips than studying. Sometimes it does feel that way, but my life in Spain really does center on Oviedo and the university. Thus, it seems to me that it’s about time I addressed the issue of what a Rollins student can expect, academically speaking, when he or she signs up for the Rollins in Asturias program.

First, prospective students should understand that there are slight differences between the fall and spring semester programs. This is because of the academic calendar at the Universidad de Oviedo—and, indeed, most European universities. The spring semester in Spain begins and ends at more or less the same time as the spring semester at Rollins, so there’s no problem. However, the fall semester in Spain doesn’t start until early October, about the point that Rollins students are doing midterms. The Spanish semester technically doesn’t end until February, but Rollins students only stay through mid-December.

In order to compensate for the difference, students who go to Spain in the fall spend their first month at the Centro Británico-Centro Español (CBCE), a small language school in the heart of Oviedo. Allison and I had class Monday through Friday from ten in the morning to about 1:30 in the afternoon. These were intensive lessons that focused mainly on grammar but also included copious conversation practice. After lunch (remember, a normal Spanish lunch doesn’t start until at least 2 p.m.) we might have “tarea en la calle”—literally “homework in the street,” activities which required us to engage with people at various shops around the city. One afternoon a week we had a cultural excursion somewhere in or near the city. Though the classes could be draining, particularly when we first arrived, they were excellent preparation for the university, and the personal attention and cozy atmosphere provided an ideal learning environment.

This brings us to the university. Most Rollins students enroll in Cursos de Español para Extranjeros (CEPE), Spanish classes specially designed for foreign students. If your Spanish is really good you have the option of Direct Enrollment, taking courses with the normal student body. Allison and I aren’t quite that good yet, so on 1 October we—along with some 60 other foreign students (most of them from the United States)—took the CEPE placement test to determine what level of classes we should take. Each level has its own schedule of seven or so courses, of which students must pick five. Some are “theory” classes (i.e. grammar, translation, vocabulary, phonetics), while others are “content” classes (i.e. literature, history, art history, cinema). Each class has three or four 50-minute sessions a week. All classes are in the afternoon and can go as late as 9 p.m., though most finish earlier.

You may be thinking, “Five classes? That’s a lot of work!” At Rollins this would most certainly be true—I know from personal experience. But many students who have studied abroad will tell you that, academically, their classes abroad were easier than classes at Rollins. While I can’t speak for other programs, this is definitely true of the Rollins in Asturias program. We spend more time in class here, but we have much less homework, and what homework we do have is not nearly as demanding. There is a logical reason behind this: The stresses—good and bad—of adjusting to a different language, city, and way of life take a lot out of you, and if classes were at normal Rollins intensity you would be overwhelmed. Also, there’s much more to studying abroad than what you learn in the classroom.

The classes complement and enrich what you learn from other sources, but they cannot replace what you learn from interacting directly with people on the street. Thus, I think study abroad classes are intentionally designed to be less demanding so that students can make the most of their time outside their home country. After all, we don’t come this far simply to sit in our bedrooms and do homework.

Speaking of stresses and adjustment, when classes first started at the university I suffered the strongest feeling of homesickness I had experienced since arriving in Spain. This seemed counterintuitive—after all, I’d been in Spain more than a month at that point. But I soon realized what was happening: After two years at Rollins—two very happy years, I might add—I had formed a certain image of what university life should be like.

Unsurprisingly, the Universidad de Oviedo proved different from my expectations, and the differences made me painfully aware of all the things that were, to my mind, “missing.” I missed the beautiful Rollins campus, the eclectic classrooms, the pillow room in the library, all the comfy little nooks where I would go to do homework between classes. But more than anything I missed the feeling of community: eating lunch or dinner with friends, going to Philosophy Club meetings and yoga classes, chatting with people between classes, after classes, or while brushing my teeth. Students here go to class, then they return to their “normal lives.” There aren’t really student groups or campus activities. At Rollins, in contrast, the campus is your life. The result of these turbulent feelings was a physical ache accompanied by a persistent cloud of gloom.

It’s been three weeks now, and by this point I’ve gotten over most of the homesickness. My classes have settled into a reasonable rhythm, and I’m finding outlets for my desire for campus activities. This past week I just started taking Arabic classes at the university. You may be questioning my sanity—feel free, I do it often—but let me explain. Next semester I will be in Morocco, and as part of the program I will be studying Arabic.

Currently I don’t know much more beyond the alphabet, and I thought it would be a good idea to get to a rudimentary yes-no-please-thank you-I’m lost level before I arrive. And I’ve always loved languages, so when I heard that the university offers courses in foreign languages I went to the Arabic professor to ask if I could sit in on the classes. He said there was no problem, so I started going. I’m getting all kinds of warm fuzzies as a result. First, the classes are the kind of intellectual challenge on which I thrive. Second, they’re a great way to practice my listening comprehension, since the professor speaks in Spanish. Finally, I’m getting to meet other Spaniards—I’m the only foreigner in the class. This was the kind of outlet I needed, and I’m feeling better because of it.

There are two morals to this entry. Moral number one: Find the things that make you happy, whatever they may be. This is particularly important when you study abroad—everything is so new and different, and the things that make home “home” may not be easy to find. Search. Ask questions. I can’t describe my joy in discovering a shop which sells loose leaf tea—including my favorite black tea. (The Spanish are overwhelmingly coffee drinkers, a bit of a challenge for tea aficionados like me.) I doubt tea and Arabic are the things most people look for, but the lesson still stands: A touch of home in the midst of all the newness helps to anchor you in your new surroundings.

Moral number two: Don’t expect different places to be the same. That probably sounds like a blatantly self-evident statement, but it’s a hard one to remember when you’re removed from everything familiar. We all bring preconceptions and expectations to new situations, which spark internal conflict when reality doesn’t match up. The bigger the disparity, the bigger the adjustment. Just bear in mind that it is the precisely the differences that give each place its value.

Okay, enough moralizing for one day. To students, I have one more comment: Don’t let my difficulties discourage you from studying abroad. Every student who goes abroad will experience similar challenges. To paraphrase a friend of mine who studied in Germany last semester, people usually talk about how incredible study abroad is and forget to mention that sometimes things are tough. But the toughness is part of what makes it so incredible. If you study abroad, your experience will be tough, but it will also be amazing. You learn so much about yourself, your own culture, your host culture, and the world. I wouldn’t trade this semester—rough spots included—for anything. Thus, I share my difficulties so that you can face your own challenges with open eyes. After all, overused as it is, the old saying is true: Knowledge is power. Take advantage of it when it's offered to you.

Photo 1: The Universidad de Oviedo has just celebrated its 400th anniversary--and is understandably proud of it.
Photo 2: The Departmental Building of the Humanities Campus, where we have all our CEPE classes. Yes, that's all one building.

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