Spain: Emily Sulka (Our Global Classroom)

One thing I definitely did not have on my Madrid bingo card was feeling like I was back in high school again, but weirdly, I kind of love it. Coming from UW–Madison, I am used to walking into a lecture hall with so many students that the professor probably would not notice if I disappeared for a week. At Saint Louis University Madrid, all of my classes have around 15-20 students. Suddenly, my professors know who I am, everyone recognizes each other, and there really is no hiding in the back of a 300 person lecture hall anymore.

At first, I thought I would miss the independence of a huge UW class, but the smaller setting has actually become one of my favorite differences. Discussions feel less intimidating when you know the people around you, and of course participation is required in every class, but because of that I have gotten to know my professors much more than I normally would in Madison. It also makes class more interesting because students come from all over the world and bring completely different experiences into the same conversation.

As a Psychology and Polish major, this has been especially interesting to me. So much of what I study comes back to culture, language, identity, and why people think or behave the way they do. In Madison, I might read about cross cultural differences in a textbook. Here, I can learn about something in class and then walk outside and immediately start noticing how language, family life, schedules, or social interactions differ from what I am used to. Madrid itself has basically become another classroom. I am learning just as much from figuring out everyday life here as I am from sitting at a desk.

So yes, SLU Madrid occasionally makes me feel like I somehow went from college back to high school. But between actually knowing my professors, having real conversations in class, and experiencing what I am learning outside of it, I am starting to think going backwards might have actually pushed my education forward.