The "Study" in Study Abroad

From the content of my previous writing, you would hardly know that I am indeed going to school. Now, I am in the thick of the regular session of my semester. I am taking four classes, two business, two liberal arts. In my European Economy class we have so far been talking about the effects of World War II on Europe and the gradual progression of agreements that led to the formation of the European Union as it is today. My professor for that class likes to recommend movies to us and list off European cities for us to visit (Prague, Lisbon, Venice, and Berlin seem to be his top four outside of Spain). Similar to a Spanish professor I had last year in Madison, he also likes to  reference Pink Floyd and the occasional glass of whiskey, and those shared qualities strangely provide me with a sense of familiarity.  

My other business class is Operations, which is not exactly the most interesting topic but is necessary. My professor in that class is friendly and likes to engage students in discussion, so that helps the time pass by more quickly. Many professors here lecture through the hour-and-a-half class without asking one question of the students. That’s not really my style of learning, so it’s hard to not get a little sleepy during those classes.

My liberal arts classes deal with the semantics and lexicology of the Spanish language and the traditions of Andalucía. Semantics and Lexicology will definitely be my most demanding class, but it is a combination of studying the make ups of words and their histories. Talk about the perfect nerdy language/history combination for me! It’s a nice break from the numbers of business. My Andalucían culture class, which is titled, I kid you not, Arte and Fiesta, is a little slow at this point because we are reviewing the history of the Iberian Peninsula in order to better understand the region’s current traditions. I have already studied much of this information last year, so class has proved to be a bit boring so far.

The upside to this, of course, is that I have little homework for that class. I cannot complain too much about that. Another perk is that some days we take walking excursions through the old parts of the city to see first-hand examples of the history we are studying. That’s one of my favorite things about studying Spanish history in Sevilla. We don’t have to study from a book or a slideshow presentation—we can just step outside and see it with our own eyes. I’m enjoying it while it lasts.

All in all, the semester has been such a welcome break from the way I operate back at UW, and I will keep that in mind when I go back. I’ll be around for a couple more years, but I will be better able to balance myself and keep in mind what my time priorities really are. Going back in the fall will probably be quite the rude awakening, but I’ll enjoy my surreal experience while it lasts.