Submitted by Rebecca Jaeger on the 2013 fall semester program in Granada, Spain..
While the rest of my fellow Blue Hens trudged to class for the first time on August 27th, my first day of school was this past Tuesday, October 1st. Like most first days, this one was filled with the familiar feelings of anticipation and dread. Although my sentiments were similar to those of years past, many things were different about this first day of school.
The first and most profound change between my first day this year and first days of years past is the language. All of my classes this semester are in Spanish (yikes). While the language barrier has decreased over the past four weeks that I have been here, taking classes completely in Spanish is an entirely new experience. I can tell you that there will be no daydreaming for me this semester, because I simply cannot zone out and still manage to understand the professor!
My first day of school also showed me how different college in Spain is from college in the U.S. One major difference is the length of the classes. Considering that the semester starts later here, the classes need to be longer. Therefore, all classes are two hours long. Quite a big change from the 50-minute classes at UD! The length of the classes will certainly take some getting used to. Another difference is the grading scale. Instead of letter grades, the Spanish use numerical grades from 1-10. Just another difference to adjust to over the course of the semester!
So while there were many differences that characterized my first day, one thing remained the same- it was a new beginning. No matter where you are, what classes you are taking or who your professors are, the first day of school is always a chance to start over.
As for my new beginning, it was a success. I am enjoying all of my classes and my professors are very entertaining. Yes, the two-hour classes will be a struggle sometimes, but hey, for all that I will be learning about Spanish language and culture, it will be worth it!