Excursion in Cordoba!

Author: Daisy Rehbock | Major: International Studies | Semester: Spring 2023

Hola, Bienvenidos! My name is Daisy Rehbock and I’m a junior in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences studying International Studies with minors in Spanish and Gender Studies. I just wrapped up the first month of the spring semester here in Madrid, España at Universidad Nebrija! It’s baffling that I have already been studying at Nebrija for a month considering that I had this program picked out since my freshman year. I spent many nights scrolling through the study abroad programs page as I sat in my Hotz dorm room, but I never would’ve imagined that I would be studying at the same university I saw on my computer screen two years ago. The Hispanic Studies program at Nebrija has given me the opportunity to merge my International Studies major and Spanish minor by offering classes in Spanish that provide the groundwork for my International Studies thesis topic. I’m currently in the literature review phase of my thesis over the role gender quotas play in the fight for gender equality in Spanish politics and my classes at nebrija covering Spanish history, diversity, culture, and politics are extremely useful both for my Spanish skills and for my research. The class style is definitely different than what I’ve become accustomed to at Arkansas, but I find that I retain more information through the teaching methods used here. Most classes are discussion based, with popcorn style responses from the class being more common than hand raising. Computers go largely unused in classrooms here, which was quite the change for me, but I’ve become quite comfortable going back to taking notes by hand. Overall, the classroom reflects the casual and relaxed style of life present in all sectors of Spanish society.

The other part of Spain that nothing in the U.S. could have prepared me for was the difference in my daily life and routine. Because I live with a Spanish woman in a homestay, most of my days are spent speaking only Spanish, with English only being spoken if I’m with my American friends. Thinking in another language can be exhausting, but the improvement in my speaking and understanding has grown tremendously in just the month since I’ve arrived. I feel as if I’m even getting worse at English as I improve my Spanish, as I’ve begun to speak English as if I’m translating it from Spanish as of late. The major societal differences I’ve noticed in my time here are the speed of life and the importance of community. My daily routine while living in the States never wavered from my google calendar and I spent most of the day on my own, bumping into friends on campus or seeing my roommates occasionally. Spain has truly opened my eyes to a new way of life. While I still occasionally enjoy some alone time, my days are filled with a beautiful sense of community, from inside the classroom to on the metro, I am never truly alone here. Because of this constant human interaction, I find that the days pass by incredibly quickly, but simultaneously the pace of life is quite slow. For example, meals usually last anywhere from one to three hours, so after I finish classes for the day and have a chance to get lunch with friends, I find that most of the day has somehow vanished. While the pace of life is relaxed, almost no Spainard actually takes a siesta, or mid-day nap, although this is a commonly held belief in the States. Overall, the affect Spain has had on my daily life has made my mental health exponentially better and eliminated almost all stress in my life.

I would absolutely recommend Universidad Nebrija to other students, especially if you have experience in Spanish before coming. Having Spanish experience makes the arrival and settling in process much easier, even if you have to adjust to the Spanish dialect here, which is much different than the dialect largely taught in the United States to native English speakers. One thing I wish I knew before the study abroad process is how relaxed the Spanish way of life is, even when it comes to enrolling in university and enrolling in classes. If you decide to selfenroll in a Spanish university, odds are that the process will be slower than you would like, but rest assured that everything will come together in the end. That said, make sure to start the visa process early, it’s no joke! While I never want to leave this beautiful country, my only complaint is that none of the food here packs the same punch as American food, so the first thing I’ll be doing upon my return to the States is loading up on some spicy food before heading to Andy’s for a classic American milkshake!