74,880. That is (approximately) how many minutes I have been in Spain. For those of you who don’t feel like doing the math or don’t have a calculator handy, that amounts to 52 days.  And, having been here for 52 days, I am quickly approaching the halfway point to my study abroad experience. After an initial rough adjustment to a new way of life, the time has been flying. I cannot believe that my experience is almost half over, but I am very satisfied with what I have experienced and learned in the last 52 days.

First and foremost, I am proud of the improvement of my Spanish abilities. Now, I can fully understand my host mother and there are a lot less blank looks (on my part) at the dinner table. Additionally, the mealtime conversations have thankfully gotten much less awkward, I even find myself thinking in Spanish a large majority of the time.

A view of the city of Toledo

I am thankful for the many experiences that I have had over the past 52 days. I have had the chance to familiarize myself with the city of Granada through long walks and exploring countless museums. I have also travelled to the beaches of Portugal and spent time soaking up the sun and surveying the unique grottoes that line the shores of the Atlantic. Last weekend, I had the opportunity to visit Madrid and Toledo. In these cities, I delved deeper into the culture of Spain by visiting the royal palace, spending time in art museums, and enjoying authentic Spanish food. Perhaps my favorite cultural experience was attending a Real Madrid soccer game. It was an incredible experience to witness such passion for soccer firsthand!

But perhaps the most important thing that I have learned over the past 7 weeks is the importance of time. First and foremost, I have learned how imperative it is to budget time. With homework, classes, traveling and wanting to make the most out of this experience, time management is essential. For me, this means watching less online television. But, I will have plenty of time over winter session to catch up!

I have also learned how fast time flies. It seems crazy to me that my time in Europe is half over. While I do miss many things about home (ice cream, my bed, giving tours at UD, fall, and my family and friends), I know that I will be home before I know it. I am looking forward to the next 57 days (82,080 minutes, in case you were curious) and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for me! So while the next two months will be busy, I know that I will have many great stories to tell and pictures to show when I return home in December.

~Rebecca Jaeger

While all you Blue Hens back home trudged to class for the first time on August 27^th, I, unfortunately, did not have that pleasure. Instead, my sophomore year in Granada, Spain commenced on October 1^st.

As a child, the first day of school was always exciting. The start of a new school year always meant new classes, teachers, and activities. For me, it also came with a carefully selected outfit and a family dinner consisting of Chinese food. (Of course, those were always my favorite parts). As I have gotten older, many parts of this special day have changed. No longer is there solely unadulterated excitement; the first day of school brings with it a sense of dread about the work to come. And of course, now that I am in a foreign country, this first day was especially different (but not the carefully selected outfit part, of course).

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 US. One major divergence 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! This length 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 my first day of school was filled with changes, one thing that never fades is the initial anticipation of discovering what the semester will be like. For me, the anticipation is inevitable; I always look forward to finding out more about my classes and who will be teaching them. Although many times the anticipation fades after the first homework is assigned, for me, there is something truly special about the first day of school. No matter where you are, the classes you are taking, or who your professors are, the first day of school is a new beginning, a time to start over.

As for my new beginning, it was a success! I believe that I will enjoy my professors and learning about the Spanish language and culture. Yes, the two-hour classes will be a struggle sometimes, but hey, who can complain about school when one of the buildings has a view like this?

~Rebecca Jaeger