This past week marked the first week of a few first weeks of classes at la Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Because I go to a really big school now (37,900 students), and I’m taking classes in multiple faculties (okay, just two), It’ll still be a few weeks before I know exactly which classes I’ll be taking. At Dickinson, students are half way through the semester, and have already finished midterms and spring break.
Map of UNCuyo. It looks small but it is actually quite spread out.
My classes in the Philosophy and Letters school started this week, and I managed to try four different classes, of which I liked two but can only take one due to credits. Contemporary History of Argentina was interesting, but in the end I truly believe I would have failed that course, and I don’t know how I would ever memorize all the military coups and governmental overthrows. For example, in December of 2001, in a 10 day time period, Argentina had 5 presidents. What?!
I also tried out Modern Philosophy, because that seemed cool, but wow there’s a lot of background information you need to know about to discuss the modern stuff. Obviously, I don’t know why I didn’t think of that, so I decided to not return.
The last class that I tried was Ecogeography, geography concerning the environment and ecology, which was AWESOME! But, unfortunately, it coincides with another class I’ll be taking in a different faculty. Bummer.
That’s the thing about these big schools (which I’m not used to having been spoiled with Dickinson’s system and organization): Students take classes in one track of one faculty. For example, history students will only take history classes. There’s no “liberal arts” ideals here where you try everything out and see what you’re best at and get a general education that will prepare you for the real world. No, that was high school. Here, you do what’s offered in your track. Because of this, there’s a lot of overlapping class schedules between faculties.
Another thing, which I am not at all used to because Dickinson has completely pampered me, is that schedules are not readily available. I didn’t know what times classes were until the day classes started. The schedules available on the website were sometimes different than the true schedules of classes. Because of this, I showed up an hour late to my first Argentine Literature class. I knew my entire schedule for next semester at Dickinson before knowing my schedule for this semester at UNCuyo.
Students show up to classes late (running on latin american time) and leave early. The professors lecture rather than leading class discussions (which I guess is true at most big universities, I’m just not used to it). Students bring mate, a tea-like beverage, and prepare it in the middle of class. That’s not so disruptive, it’s just a cultural difference from the US.
I am saying all this as a student of a liberal arts institution where my biggest upper level course consisted of 20 people, which is actually quite large at Dickinson. Also, I’m a person who likes organization and clarity, and nothing about this has been clear. But it’s a cultural experience, I’m learning by just being here in Mendoza.
Keep learning, keep staying adrift. That’s all I can do.
Sorry for the lack of pictures in this post. I’ll have more for the next one!
FIn the end, I’ll be taking “Argentine Literature of the 20th Century” and “Latin American Thought and Art”. That class starts next week, after a two day vacation without classes this Monday and Tuesday.
Always learning, always trying to stay adrift.
Lets Explore Mountains and Wine 