Las cosas que he anotado durante las clases (Things That I've Noticed During Class)

The university here is different than in the US. I knew that going in--just the whole format of school here is different, generally--but there are some details I've noticed in the past weeks as I've started to settle into my classes that surprise me.
1) Students are always asking each other stuff about the class. Students openly copy each others' notes (or, even better, ask to borrow someone's notes to have them copied in the la copisteria (copy store) for our department. A girl asked me the other day if she could take my notes to copy because she had missed class. So, they copy notes. They also openly talk about what they wrote for the assignments that we turn in and read each others' work to get ideas. I know I come from a hoity toity school in the USA where academics are cut-throat, but still. I think in almost any college student from the US would notice a difference. I don't mind it, it's just not in my nature to let some random girl see all the notes I've taken. It's because I've been trained to be competitive with class. Just to be clear: it isn't that friends let other friends copy their notes. It's random. If anyone in the class asks you for something or about something, you're expected to help out.
2) I don't have class before 12pm on any given day. That said, I work in el centro starting at 9am on Wednesday which is not fun with the commute, but still. I don't have to be focused for learning at all in the morning. I've spent so many weeks trying out all sorts of classes that my schedule still hasn't really officially been set in my mind, but I'm sure when it is it will be glorious.

I'll also share a normal day during the week because I realized I haven't really discussed that much yet. It's pretty boring and straightforward, but still good.
Just as background information: Monday and Tuesday are more relaxed than Wednesday and Thursday, and Friday I don't have class. Monday I work in the center for 2 hours and have a class from 8-9:30pm (Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore), Tuesday I work in the center for 2 hours and have 2 classes. Wednesday and Thursday I have 5-6 hours of class and I also work in the center for 2 hours on Wednesday. So that's the rough layout.
Ok, on to the daily schedule.
I wake up around 8:30 or 9, have breakfast, get my stuff together, and go. I have found that my Spanish-speaking abilities are pretty much nonexistent before 10, so I like the mornings where I can just go without having to try to talk in Spanish. It isn't that I don't want to talk to them--it's that I do want to talk to them and just can't because my brain isn't functioning.
Normally I bring a bocadillo (sandwich) with me for the day so I don't have to go back for lunch. I spend the day in el centro or in the university in class and I normally eat my sandwich in the little garden/grassy area outside of the main university building. It's very picturesque. Some days I also get a coffee with someone or something like that, but for the most part once I'm done with class, I go home. Monday and Tuesday I have class till 9:30pm, like I said, and then Wednesday and Thursday I go till 6:30pm. I go home, relax a bit, talk with my family, talk with Katie, maybe do a bit of homework (but I try to do most of it over the weekend in parks and stuff like that), eat dinner and watch Pasapalabra, etc. Sometimes internet, too, if we have good signal.

Now that I'm getting into more of a routine, I want to add more to my schedule. There's a lot more I could be doing; there are many more ways I can take advantage of my time here. I just need to put myself out there more, which I haven't done yet.
Katie's starting work at a nonprofit that Pepe hooked her up with. I need to do things like that. Or just go out at night more and talk to locals. Or something. I know there's time to do all of that, but I want to do it sooner rather than later.

In other news...
I'm teaching Fernando English tonight. We're going to have a lesson. He's really excited.
I'm also going to a National Park tomorrow with Katie and Liliana for the day. It's a huge wetland park with lots of endangered species. You're not allowed to hike through it--you have to take a guided jeep tour, which we're doing. It will be a really nice way to spend the day. We're going to leave crazy early so that we have more time to hike and embrace nature and all of that good stuff.
Katie and I also just booked tickets to go to London in 3 weeks. I'm really, really excited for that. It was surprisingly cheap (I think my love affair with Ryanair has begun (ha it rhymes)). I'm going to meet up with my friend Caroline there (she's from Cornell but is spending the year at St Andrews) and then she's coming back with us to Sevilla! She has a break, so she'll spend the week in Spain/Morocco and then the next weekend we're going to go to Toledo, I think. It should be great! I can't wait to see her. The people here are good, but I miss my close friends from Cornell. And Caroline fits that category, for sure.

That's all for now. I could have elaborated more on the details of my days, but I'm not sure what you want to hear about and what can be skipped. So I guess all the details will just come as they come... I'll take more pictures, too. That will help.