UPC Campus, Staff, and Classes

     The university that I am studying at while in Perú is called Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, or in English, Peruvian University of Applied Sciences. The campus is small, but it is really nice and modern. The entire campus is walled off and you need your student I.D. to get in. Once inside it is more or less a big circle of buildings. The picture of me above shows pretty much the entire campus and if you look further down the page you can see a picture taken from the other side. There are little shops all around that sell snacks and sodas. There is also a cafeteria where one can buy a meal for a good price. There is also a bank with ATMs on campus. It's summer down here so there aren't many students on campus but it still keeps pretty busy. Evidently there will be many more students in the March. I tend to stick out since I am a foot taller than everyone else and white. The first week or so I felt like I was stared at, but either I'm used to it or the people on campus are used to me because I don't notice it so much now.     

     The staff here at UPC is extremely nice and helpful. The first day at orientation they spoke to us in English but since then they have insisted only to speak in Spanish unless it is an emergency. They have helped me with anything I couldn't figure out myself on campus and even given the group some tips on things to do in Lima.

     Classes have been going well but are starting to pick up here in week four. I'm taking literature, conversation, and grammar classes in Spanish. The professors for these classes are very good at what they do. While they only speak in Spanish during class, they can read the students reactions to see if we are understanding. If we aren't then they explain it differently or simply repeat it more slowly. The professors are more than willing to work with a student who needs help if the student makes the effort to learn. I am enjoying these classes and even if I don't understand 100% of what is being said I catch enough to participate. All the UNK students are also taking an Indigenous Politics class in English with the faculty lead from UNK. He is a political science professor who specializes in South American politics and is proficient in Spanish. While I am not extremely interested in politics, this class has opened my eyes to the indigenous situation in South America, which is much more than my previous thoughts of a bunch of natives dressed in loin cloths running around the jungle. This class may not be directly related to what I am studying (foreign language education), but I am learning a lot and by that simple fact I will benefit from it.

     All the UNK students are also assisting and tutoring in English classes here at UPC. We spend two hours a week helping Peruvian students. I like doing this and the students are eager to talk to a native speaker. These tutoring sessions bring bad memories of middle school English when I get asked questions like "When and how do I use the past perfect progressive tense in English?" I usually just give them a look that says "I don't know" and ask them to try and use it in a sentence and I'll tell them if it sounds right. Helping out in these classes makes me appreciate learning English as a native speaker.

     With the help of the faculty, staff, and students here at UPC I am starting to see improvements in my Spanish. It's hard to believe that this semester is a quarter of the way through. I am sure that my Spanish will continue to grow and I hope that the remainder of the semester continues to go smoothly.