Today was orientation at Universidad Veritas. There was a TON of information, but I will give you all the highlights. The university is for architecture/art students and international students. I met a bunch of the international students today, as well as met up with Kylie (from UNI - Bridget came yesterday and we walked to school together).
The highlights of the day are this: We get to go on an excursion every weekend in January. The first is to the Pacific Coast (so I will be on a beach in 4 days!!!). The second is to the Caribbean Coast to a beach there (hopefully I wont get malaria). The third is to the volcano Poas and a coffee plantation. All are included. There is also a fourth trip that is optional. Im not sure if I will go on it because its to the same place where I will go with my family when they come in February (Arenal and Monteverde). It's all very exciting, though.
There was a problem with my classes. I wanted to take Spanish every day while I am here, and then 2 elective classes in the afternoon January - March (then Spanish only in April). Well, I can only take 5 classes while I am here. So that means I can take the 2 electives i signed up for (intercultural communication and tropical ecology) and only take Spanish 3 months while I am here. If I do that, I can take March off and volunteer every morning that month with Kylie (thats a possibility right now, neither of us know what to do) or I can not take classes in February when my family comes because I can only miss 1 day of Spanish class the ENTIRE month, otherwise I FAIL! When my family comes, I HAVE to miss a day. So there's a pickle. Another pickle is that I took the placement exam online and received a level of Basico 1, which I knew was wrong because it is the most basic class here. Well, everyone assured me that it would be corrected when I took my oral exam, which happened today. It was fixed: they placed me in intermediate 2. The only other person who I know that is in my class is an Italian girl who is SUPER nice but speaks Spanish very very very well. I am a little nervous about that... My host mom thinks I will be OK in that class, and I can always ask to go down a level if I think it's too hard for me when I go tomorrow. As for the electives, I am going to go to both of them tomorrow and then decide what to do (because I have to know by Friday...AHHHH!!!!)
Other than classes, I walked around San Jose a little with Bridget and Kylie. We originally walked to a big mall about a mile from the school with a large group of people, but then walked to a grocery store. Except I had very few Collones because I didnt have my passport, which I needed to exchange money at a bank. So Bridget and I are going tomorrow afternoon.
So today has been a VERY long and exciting/stressful day. I am hoping to go to bed early and then wake up refreshed with a brain ready to take on intermedio 2! And I am really looked forward to la playa (the beach) in 4 days!!! Take that, below freezing Iowa weather!
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