Ever since I arrived in Buenos Aires, I have been asked at least a few times each day where I'm from. (For those of you who speak Spanish, in Argentina they use "vos" instead of "tú," meaning that "de dónde eres" becomes "de dónde sos"!) But it wasn't until this past Monday that I truly felt like a foreigner.
Monday was the first day of my class at the Universidad del Museo Social Argentina, and I was the only non-Argentine student I saw there. (Maybe the others are just better at blending in!) It was unlike any academic experience I've had before. For starters, I had no idea where my classroom was up until 10 minutes before I was supposed to be there. Unlike at UR, the classrooms aren't posted online ahead of time. I was supposed to find a poster on the main floor telling me where to go, but it was nowhere to be seen. I ended up asking the security guard where to go—but when I told him the name of my class, it meant nothing to him! In Argentina, your studies are much more focused—you choose a "carrera" (major) and take a prescribed set of classes in a set order. My class is for second-year Social Services students, and when I told him that, he told me exactly where to go.
I got to the classroom five minutes early, and was worried I would be one of the last ones there. At Rochester, it's normal to show up to class a little early to get a good seat, settle in, and chat with classmates and your professor. But when I rushed in to my classroom, there was only one other student. After a while, people slowly trickled in, and the professor didn't show up until twenty minutes later! Students were still coming in for the first half hour—maybe just because it was the first day of classes?
As the students arrived, they immediately noticed me and were super curious! They wanted to know where I'm from, how long I've been here, how long I'm staying, where I'm living, how long I've studied Spanish, how old I am, and tons more. They were so friendly! Some even greeted me in the traditional Argentine way, with a kiss on the cheek.
When the professor finally arrived, we weren't given a syllabus. In college courses in the U.S., this would be unheard of. A syllabus lists the required textbooks, objectives for the class, the professor's contact information and office hours, as well as weekly assignments and exams. I was warned by my study abroad program ahead of time that I wouldn't be receiving one, but it was strange nonetheless! Our professor told us the date of the midterm (she decided when it was in class, after asking the students when classes end!), but no one seemed to take note. Maybe it's just because UR is full of overachievers, but this was shocking to me. (I wrote it down. I couldn't resist.)
The professor then took attendance, asking every student to say if this was their primary "carrera" or if they had started with another one and then changed, and also whether they worked. From what I've gathered so far, it's much more common to work here during school and take just a few classes at a time. My name wasn't on the attendance list. The other students were quick to point this out, and the professor asked me who I was. It was so intimidating; I've never spoken Spanish in front of so many native speakers! I said that I was from a university in New York and that I studied psychology. This prompted the girl next to me to become concerned and ask if I was in the wrong class—why would a psychology major be in a social services class? I'm so used to taking diverse classes at UR that it's strange to me that students in other schools are so limited. I explained to her that I was indeed in the right class, and she responded with a warm "bienvenidos!!"
That first class was an eye-opening experience. Mainly, it made me appreciate and respect all the international students at UR even more than I did before! Coming into a culture completely different from your own to live and take classes is even harder than I originally imagined! I'm excited to get started, though, and can't wait to see where this semester takes me!