Estudiar!

I know I haven’t updated my blog in a while so to anyone who actually reads this… I am sorry (hi mom!). I’ll be honest though I came here thinking I would update this thing every day and send everyone long emails (ya know, to brag) but I have absolutely no time to do such things! Not necessarily a bad thing since it’s more of a not-sitting-in-front-of-the-computer-because-I-am-with-my-friends-in=SPAIN sort of thing.  But there is also (my topic of the day) so much studying to be done!

Going to be honest and say that in just the first month, as a student I have learned much.  Don’t give me the “duhh lexy you’re learning Spanish” look at the computer screen. Yes, SLOWLY I am learning Spanish. I even catch myself trying to think in Spanish and I have to stop and make myself realize I know English… there is no need to stumble through my thoughts along with my words.  And even more astonishing then my bilingual thoughts is how close I came to rolling my Rs the other day… close but no cigar, I think that is how the saying goes (cigarrrrrrrrrrr ;] ). But I am also learning how to be a better student, in general.  Like, in my biology class for example, (my teacher communicates with me via Google Translate) I spend the period doing independent study on the computer on whatever subject my classmates are learning in Spanish that day.  I am now proud to say I know how to Google power point presentations and sort the “good” sites from the “bad” sites that my teachers used to try to stress to me so often. Or, since in Spain (or rather my experience of Spain) you buy your own books and keep them as you would in college in USA (EEUU in Spanish), I have become pretty skilled in highlighting key concepts if I do say so myself *pat on the back to me* (take in consideration I only understand about a fifth of what I highlight). And, my most hated lesson learned so far, how to fail gracefully (thanks chem...).  By gracefully I mean accepting I put in 110% effort and realizing I tried my best and setting a goal to do better… rather than crying into my pillow and claiming I hate school.

School here is different (seriously stop thinking duhh at me! I have a point!).  The other day one of my favorite teachers (I love all my teachers) posed a very interesting question about the difference in the school systems so I thought I would explore it a bit for everyone.  Here is what I have gathered: In the curriculum, I would give the US an advantage since I have noticed I am relearning many things from my freshman and sophomore year here in Spain (just in Spanish); In the classroom setting, I would give Spain an advantage because unlike many coddled US classes, there are no fill in the blank notes or study outlines, but rather it more resembles that of a college class with intensive notes and every night studying; And in the structure area, I will confess I want to choose Spain despite the fact I know the US is more structured (because as a sixteen year old, if you tell me there is no dress code I will not lecture you about how unstructured that is). Yes, you read right, NO DRESS CODE (for teachers or students)! Though just to warn you… that can be bbbaaaddddd, if you catch my drift. There also seems to be no substitute teachers; when my end of the day teacher was absent we could either go home early or, what I chose to do, hide in the room and play games with no adult supervision.

So while on the subject… I actually love school. Everyone is SO nice. And (NERD ALERT) I swear nothing is cooler than learning how to do math in another subject.  Plus English class is pretty easy;)

Advice of the blog post: Sometimes it is better to study for an exam (insert thing in need of studying or practicing here) you think you have no hope of passing (or maybe you are cocky and think you will pass), then to give up and follow your blog (insert electronic distraction here) addiction.