βIT’S A CITY, NOT A CAMPUS”Β
On August 23rd I decided to take a flight from Seville, Spain to the United States, more specifically to Chicago. It was my first time in this country. A 9-hour flight and suddenly I was on the other side of the pond.Β
I had already had contact with the American educational system since I had spent a semester at the headquarters in Rome in the John Felice Rome Center, the LUCΒ΄s Rome Campus. Even so, my impression upon arriving in this country was shocking.Β
During the first week of introduction and presentation of the campus, my Spanish friends and I we were like little kids. We were 36 Spaniards coming from a small city in Spain with a campus that only consisted of one building. LUCβs campus was much bigger than we expected. Seeing the lake gave us joy and peace. Huge and tall buildings were everywhere. The Gentile Arena is the epicenter of the campus. Then there is the library where I dive into all the materials, and I feel like I am on a cruise ship. And there are Starbucks everywhere! I remember just telling my parents “This is a city, not a campus”.Β
The second week of classes started, and I could see more people everywhere. Water bottles in all the backpacks, the tracksuit as a uniform and a lot of movement from one class to another. As usual, the first few classes we struggled to understand English. Our hearing had to catch up with the speed of speech, but in a few days, we caught up. Participation was sought after every minute of the class, and the Quinlan campus views were admired. There were skyscrapers everywhere and the large windows honored those views. Those views were worthy of a hotel lobby, not a university.Β
MY OBSERVATIONS: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENTS IN THE TWO COUNTRIESΒ
Being Spanish, I could see big differences between classroom environments in the two countries. In Spain, students tend to be more social and spend a lot of time talking with each other, often viewing going to university as a social event. Classmates typically dress up more and often go out for drinks after class to get to know each other better. Going to university is often part of a social event. In contrast, I could see that in American classrooms, students tend to enter and sit at their desks quietly, waiting for the teacher to arriveΒ
Another thing that shocks me is eating in class. In Spain eating in class is not well seen at all. Opening a packet of potato chips or even candy is something that teachers do not like. Here, however, I can see how normal it is. In the USA, it also seems like everyone wears a cap in class.Β Β
In general, the American classrooms I have been in tend to be larger and more spacious than Spanish classrooms. Moreover, American classrooms tend to be equipped with ultramodern technology, such as digital whiteboards and projectors, while Spanish classrooms may have more limited technology. In general, students love to have technology in the classroom because everything is more advanced, and it helps us to understand things more easily. Using the technology to do things like show videos before starting the classes with news related to what we are going to learn, or a PowerPoint presentation helps our learning a lot.Β Β
In my case, I love that the beginning of the class here at LUC does not always go straight to the heart of the matter. I find it more appealing to start the class by asking how our weekend went or by playing music. This way of starting the class makes me feel very cheerful and makes me want to pay more attention to the class. I guess this is because I feel closer to the teacher. I also believe that the class environment is more relaxed and makes me feel more willing to collaborate as it breaks the ice.Β Β
I think the classroom environment makes a big difference. The classroom environment is important because it can significantly affect learning and well-being. In my case, a positive and welcoming classroom environment encourages my participation and engagement, increases my motivation to learn, and improves my academic performance.Β Β
Being in class with friends makes me feel more comfortable and more willing to attend. Starting off in a more relaxed way makes me feel more relaxed too. The classroom environment must make it possible for all the people in the group to get to know each other and build a cohesive human group with common aims, goals and illusions.Β
In summary, based on my experiences, I can see several differences in the educational system. In the United States, classes seem more relaxed, in my experience. In Spain, classes seem more formal with a little less socializing.Β Living in a LUC classroom is to live the American life and explore how their culture coincides with life.Β
Writer info: Ainhoa Galofre. I love entrepreneurship and business knowledge, that’s why I’m studying my fourth year of Business Administration in the Quinlan School of Business.