Thursday January 10

Thursday 10: This morning we went to the university for a second time, to learn about differences between the Spanish and American university systems. Essentially, many American universities emphasize a liberal arts education, where students get a broad education and take classes in many different areas of study. The Spanish system is basically all about professional education. So whereas an American university student might take a history class just because it interests her even though she’s an English major, a Spanish student takes a history class because she is studying to become a historian. The Spanish education system also focuses on the professor rather than on the student, and the relationship between the two is very formal. We’ve been told to expect long lectures rather than discussions, and exams are all-important for our grades. Here are two photos of the university and one of the CIEE study center door.

Following the academic session, we went to a different classroom and each got a single sheet of paper with the name and address of our host family. Most people were assigned to live with señoras – usually an older woman, often a widow, whose children have grown and left home and who has bedrooms available for students. In some cases, one of the señora’s adult children still lives at home. But not me. My family has a host mother and her three sons, ages 24, 19 and 14. Of all four of my host family members, only the middle brother speaks a little English. Very few host families include so many children who still live at home, because living space is really tight in Sevilla, and spare bedrooms are almost unheard of. And if you’re thinking a 24-year old should have moved out by now, then you must not be a Spaniard. Most sons here live at home until they get married. All three boys share one bedroom, but I have my own. It’s hard to not feel guilty about this set-up, but the family is very used to it because they’ve hosted more than 20 American students in the past – all girls. The family also includes two Yorkshire Terriers, Cura and Toti, and three little birds which constantly try to steer clear of the dogs – so there’s always a lot going on. I ate lunch (the biggest meal of the day) with my host family around 2:30 and tried really hard to understand all four of them - they tend to talk all at once. Then I unpacked my suitcases and went back into town for tapas with my CIEE group.