Well, it has now been two full weeks that I have been out of the States, as I am residing in Costa Rica for the next 3 months!
I am attending Universidad Veritas, a private arts university in the Zapoté area of San José (the neighborhood I am living in). The University’s main programs are architecture and design, but they have an International program that teaches Spanish as a second language, as well as many elective courses instructed in English. I am, obviously, part of the International program. I will be taking 4 intensive Spanish classes and one communication class that goes towards my major back at my home university, Western Washington University. My communication class does not start until October, so for now I only have the Spanish class. It is five days a week, four hours a day (it is very intensive in my opinion!).
I can only say great things about the school so far! The campus itself is beautiful, the professors/administration are so helpful and friendly, and there are many ways to get involved on campus. There are so many different clubs to get involved in. For now, I am doing a Spanish conversation club and a self-defense/martial arts class. The conversation club meets once a week in the afternoon, and we simply practice conversation in Spanish with one another. The martial arts/self-defense class is twice a week, and is an intense workout to say the least! Both are a lot of fun, and great ways to meet and connect with other students.
Getting into the daily grind of going to school often has me forgetting I am in Costa Rica, as silly as that may sound! Although I have a unique, splendid opportunity that I am so blessed to have, being down here is not one long 4-month vacation, as some may like to think! I am here to learn, and my main objective here is to learn Spanish better.
As of now, I can comfortably get a taxi, order food, go shopping, and have simple conversation in Spanish. I am nowhere close to where I want to be though, and challenge myself every day to really push myself within my daily communication. I definitely understand the feeling of wanting to be quiet and just say “yes” when I do not understand something that is being said to me, as I have seen happen with people who do not know the language being spoken to them well. It is such a frustrating, humbling feeling to not be able to express yourself like you want to, as well as not knowing what is being said to you to a full extent. Sometimes I feel like I am a little kid again, I feel like I have come to a point within my communication in English that I can get what I want to get across perfectly. Now that I have to rely on another language, I find myself feeling stupid and like I have to give up a part of my identity because I am unable to do that. I pride myself in intellectual conversation, if it is not intellectual; at least it always makes sense and is somewhat insightful. When communicating in Spanish, I lose that part of myself and it is a sad feeling. It is necessary though, because one day I hope to be able to communicate in Spanish the way I am able to in English. The uncomfortable place I am at now forces to learn and push myself more!
For now, thank you for reading my blog and being interested in what I am doing down here!
Nos vemos pronto
Katie Zoerb is a student at Western Washington University studying abroad with API in San Jose, Costa Rica.
The post School Stuff appeared first on The API Abroad Blog.
