I am attending the Universidad Americana Managua while here in Nicaragua, and I am finally getting settled into all of my classes. The courses that I am taking are: Publicidad 1 (Publicity), Historia de Nicaragua y Centro América (History of Nicaragua and Central America), Comunicación y Lenguaje 2 (Spanish equivalent to college English course) and Introduction to Spanish Literature.
All of my courses are taught in Spanish, and 3 of them will be
counted towards my Spanish major at Western Washington University. So
far, the main struggle in all of my classes has been understanding most
of what my teachers are saying. I would say that in general, I
understand about 60% of what they say during the class, which is
frustrating, however I have developed skills in my academic career to
succeed despite that. Here are the main actions to take if you want to
succeed taking classes in other languages:
1. Ask questions: At the end of each class, talk to your professor to
clarify the main points covered during the period as well as the
assignments that are due for the following class.
2. Work with other students: Do not be shy! Get to know other students
in your class, and ask them for help. Create study groups with them, and
ask them for suggestions on how to succeed in the course.
3. Attend class: It may seem elementary, but professors are not likely
to fail you if you attend classes, ask questions and make an honest
effort to succeed in the course.
4. Make special arrangements: Professors will be happy to see you
succeed and will more often then not evaluate you in a way that is fair
corresponding to your language ability. For instance, in my History of
Nicaragua and Central America course, instead of an in class assessment,
I am receiving a take home test.
Using the methods above, I have had a smooth transition into
university life in Nicaragua, although there are still some differences
that catch me off guard. For instance, we have air conditioning in all
of the classrooms and not only the noise coming from the machine, but
also the freezing air, are physical noise that distract me at times,
unfortunately more often than not. Another distracting element is that
students carry on side conversations more often in the classroom; it
just seems to be a cultural norm here, but it is mind boggling to me
since that is not what happens at my university in the US.
Despite the differences, I am enjoying my new college campus, which
is very clean, safe and full of helpful students and staff. It really
has been a great place to study so far, and I am grateful for all of the
resources that I have as a student at UAM!
- Kine Camara
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