A Mental Setback

Today I had to take a Spanish Placement Exam for USFQ. You get a certain score on the exam and that number corresponds to a difficulty level of Spanish. Many classes have a certain score you have to get on the exam to be able to take the class, because the language barrier will cause problems with your ability to learn in the class. Before today I had a big list of classes that I was considering taking while at the university. I thought that most of my classes would transfer back as Spanish credit which would be used for my Spanish minor. I am only currently at a "intermediate" level of Spanish, not the "advanced" level that is required for many of the classes I wanted to take. This was a big mental setback for me. I felt inadequate and stupid and got really concerned about my ability to learn while in Ecuador. I was in a funk all day. So I looked for other classes. I toggled back and forth between documents and webpages for about three hours until I had a list of at least 6 classes that I think would fit well into my academic program. I now plan on utilizing my study abroad experience to take both Spanish classes, as well as an ISS-replacement class I still need, in addition to an IAH-replacement class I still need. While I know that everything doesn't always work out the way I want it to, I know that absolutely everything happens for a reason. I don't think I know the reason, but I believe this to be true. While I still feel slightly inadequate and worried about my language ability and my classes in Ecuador, I am less worried than I was early today and I think I will gain confidence as I take charge of the idea that I am going no matter what and I will just have to try harder and feel more challenged if it is extremely difficult at first. Quizás (Maybe) I'll have to only take 12 credits instead of 15, quizás I'll have to study twice as much as I do at MSU, but whatever the case ends up being, I will learn so much.

Estoy emocionado aprender mucho.

-EM

The Spanish-English Dictionary

This is my Spanish-English Dictionary...

It is one of the many items I have had to procure in my preparations for travel to Ecuador. This semester I am taking two Spanish classes at MSU, one which is quite beyond my level of knowledge, but has really helped me practice Spanish. I know that taking classes completely taught in Spanish, with students who are almost all native speakers of the language will be incredibly difficult, but I feel that upon returning to Los Estados Unidos (The United States) I will be leaps and bounds better with the language.


There are so many things I have had to do to prepare for this journey, including, but not limited to...
-Finding an appropriate study abroad program (The MSU Office of Study Abroad website is an incredibly useful tool for this)
-Applying for a passport
-Applying to the program
-Having a meeting with an advisor and my professor to convince them that although I will be missing an important class (The Spring semester second-year sequence class for my major in the James Madison college), going to Ecuador in the Spring of 2011 is a good idea [this was an incredibly terrifying part of the process because I thought I might not be able to go]
-Finally being accepted to the program and rejoicing!
-Getting a physical so a doctor could write a note saying I was in good health and did not have any communicable diseases...and getting a copy notarized
-Applying to the actual university in Ecuador
-Sending in a housing questionnaire
-Getting vaccines for Typhoid and Yellow Fever and getting prescriptions for Malaria and Traveler's Diarrhea
-Buying a plane ticket
-Trying to figure out what classes I can take at USFQ that will properly transfer back to MSU, which involves translating course descriptions from USFQ into English...
AND FINALLY...
-Taking a Spanish placement exam to determine which classes would be too difficult for me due to the language barriers I face (which I still have to do) AND...
-I have yet to apply for a Cultural Exchange Visa...this involves collecting and printing out many documents and taking them to the Consulate in Chicago, IL with my passport to receive my Visa. I am not looking forward to this seeing as it will involve waking up insanely early and driving to Chicago and then waiting around for a day (and maybe more) to receive my Visa.


While all of this is a little bit obnoxious, it has really taught me a lot about what is involved in international travel. I have only ever been to Mexico and Canada, and that was before you even needed a passport to get into these countries, so all of this has been a bit overwhelming. I think this also shows that study abroad, before you even leave your home country, is a learning experience and helps you grow up. It is nice to have the Office of Study Abroad to help the first time you're going through all of these new and bureaucratic experiences, but I still feel more like an adult now that I understand all that goes into international travel.


I have almost no idea what to expect for the four and a half months I will be in Ecuador (January 4-May 16, 2011), but I know I will be as prepared and as ready as possible when my plane leaves Chicago on January 4th. And I have people to rely on both at USFQ and back home in the States. I am so joyful that God has blessed me with a passionate personality and a drive to be different and accomplish what I want to accomplish.


As an unknown author once said, "Failure is taking the path that everyone else does, success is making your own path."


I plan on making my own path.


-EM