Hey, it’s Ali again! I’ve been busy the last few days preparing for my midterm exams. Now that they’re over I get to send out a quick update.
I know what you’re thinking – study abroad classes have midterms? Yes, sometimes they do. Study abroad is, ultimately, about studying. In the summer, this means there is a unique challenge: finding time to complete 6 credits of classes in just 4 weeks.
For you to better understand how this works, I’ve decided to outline my day below.
7:30 AM: Wake up.
Every morning, I get up around 7:30 AM. While I don’t need to wake up until 8 or 8:30, I get up early so I can walk around Oviedo a bit before class. The city is gorgeous in the morning. A lot of people in Oviedo to wake up until a bit later, which means the city is much more peaceful in the morning.
Today, I stopped for coffee at Café Titanic. I go there a bit more frequently than I like to admit. Though, I honestly love having a regular café to go to.
9:30 AM: Classes
Classes at La casa de las lenguas start at 9:30 every morning. The building we have class in is really interesting! Students from all over the world come here to learn Spanish, while Spanish students take classes to learn other languages. I’ve met students from Ukraine and Finland there!
Morning classes act like traditional Spanish classes: they cover grammar, writing, and speaking. In my class today, we learned about “if…then” sentences and the imperfect subjunctive.
Afternoon classes cover the history and culture of Spain. These classes run from 1 pm – 2 pm.
I am taking a class on the architecture of Spain. I wouldn’t normally have time to take an architecture class, so this class has been a great opportunity to learn something new.
2:15 PM: Lunch
In Spain, lunch is the biggest meal of the day. I eat lunch with my host mom every day. It’s a nice time to practice speaking in Spanish and ask questions about Spanish culture.
I like to leave my house after lunch to explore the city. While my host mom takes a siesta, I go out with friends to parks, cafes, and museums.
4:00 PM: Museum
Today I visited the archaeology museum of Asturias. I saw artifacts from the Iron and Bronze ages!
6:00 PM: Evening
Now, I am sitting in a café doing some homework. It’s raining a bit, so I plan on curling up with a book a bit later. I’ll have dinner with my host mom around 9, and then I’ll go to bed.
As you can see, days in Oviedo are split up well. I feel like I can do so many different things in just 24 hours. I’m excited to see what the next few weeks bring.
Until next time,
Ali