Since
February has largely been my month to stay home in Pamplona and experience the
city, this post is dedicated to a typical day in Pamplona. While my schedule varies
depending on classes and social activity, this is a little taste of what it is
like to be at UNAV.
-
Wake-up: My
earliest class at UNAV is 9:00am twice a week. My other days start at 10:00 am
and noon, with Friday being class-free. Since I live about 10 minutes from the
university, I generally wake up 40 minutes before class and have plenty of time
to spare.
-
Class:
Classes at UNAV last longer than those at USC. My longest class is 2.5 hours
once a week, but all courses are broken up with a 15 minute break every hour. I
like this model as it makes it easier to concentrate for a longer period of
time, and also results in fewer classes in a week. The classes themselves are
largely discussion based and free flowing. There is also considerably less
physical work than in American universities. My only consistent assignment is a
bi-weekly case analysis. There are also very few tests, meaning that the bulk
of one’s grade comes from just a few tests and participation. This has its pros
and its cons: while I appreciate the lack of busy work, there is a lot of
pressure to do well on exams.
-
Lunch: After
my morning class I come home and make lunch. This is more of a challenge than
in the United States because “instant” isn’t a part of many food description in
Spain. Frozen foods are pretty limited and unhealthy as well, so I’ve had to
embrace cooking in earnest. While this took a little getting used to, I’ve
finally moved past daily pasta dishes.
-
Siesta: That’s
right, the siesta is real and it is glorious. This socially acceptable
afternoon nap can be as short as 20 minutes, and it makes it much easier to
reboot and go back to…
-
Class
-
Physical Activity: At
this point in my day, I’m done with class and enjoy getting some exercise in.
This varies from running around the Ciudadela or Yamaguchi Park or taking long
walks through the Old Town, both of which provide great views and people
watching opportunities.
-
Dinner:
Dinner is fairly late here, and I’ve finally adjusted to waiting until seven,
eight, or even nine to start cooking. It’s also generally a smaller meal than
lunch.
-
Social Time: Spain
is a country that values social time. It’s very common to meet up with friends
in bars for a glass of wine or the local bakery for a pastry and talk. The
study abroad students are always looking for new places to hang out, and
there’s generally a group gathering at someone’s piso for movies, games, or
chatting.
Hope you enjoyed this walk through a day in Pamplona-Adios
until next time!
(Pictures in order: La Ciudadela; Pastries from my favorite bakery; The Amigos Economics Building, The Bull Fighting Stadium)
