While I study abroad in Seville, I’m working towards a minor in communications. This has been quite an opportunity. By taking a step outside my college campus—and outside my culture—I’ve taken on one of the biggest challenges as a communicator. 

I’ve also been given the opportunity to learn in a more well-rounded way. Most of my classes take me outside the classroom and all over the city, pushing me to interact with and learn from the world around me, not just from a Google slide. 

Three of my classes count towards my minor: Communication and Global Competence (at CEA CAPA), Art Direction, and Photojournalism. Another one I take just for fun, and because it interests me: Art and Architecture in Seville (also CEA CAPA). These classes are so different from ones back home, because they come to life every day while I’m out in the city. Whether I’m studying bus stop advertisements or walking into a crowd of people to take their pictures, my classes work their way into so many experiences in Seville. 

The river makes for a perfect study spot, when I’m tired of my desk. 

People Watching 

My first CEA CAPA class, Communication and Global Competence, might be my favorite. Our professor, Carmen, uses a discussion-based style that always feels like a conversation between friends, never a lecture. She often brings up her experience living in the Canary Islands, the US, and Seville to relate to our conversations about cultural differences and encourage us to relate to our experiences too.  

Something we hear every day in this class is: “You are the project.” Now, we’re not exempt from making PowerPoints and video projects, but the sentiment is true. I’m constantly learning to interact mindfully with the Spanish people around me. I’m understanding more every day what it means to be an American, and how I see the world because of it. 

One of the best methods of studying for this class is people-watching. How people talk on the phone, with their friends over drinks, to neighbors, workers, and their families can all be very telling about what kind of culture they come from. And by learning ways to blend in, I’m also learning how my culture stands out, and what makes me different.  

The Plaza de España, where I started learning to make photo stories, is a great place for people-watching. 

Just being an observer in the environment, taking in experiences with local people and their local customs, fuels the ideas we share in this class. It also gives me an excuse to ask hard-hitting questions to my host family: what stereotypes do you have about Americans? What misconceptions do we have about you? I love these kinds of conversations. We learn a lot from each other. 

Built Into the City 

My art and architecture class has been fun at CEA CAPA. Before my midterm earlier this week, I was cramming in my apartment, where I felt the stress building up. But it’s hard to be stressed when you’re suddenly walking outside on a sunny day, through the most beautiful neighborhoods you’ve ever seen, and tests don’t seem so important anymore.  

The walk to my class also served as my last-minute study session. I passed Seville’s cathedral, noting every element I could name: pointed arch, splayed arch, horse-shoe arch, Sebka, Gothic, Renaissance, Almohad…then I found myself passing the tapas bars in Santa Cruz, with ironwork on the windows and ceramic tiles built into the walls: classic Andalusian regionalist architecture.  

One of my favorite buildings to pass by in Seville, in the style of regionalismo. 

I didn’t know any of these things a couple months ago. Now, they’re impossible to ignore, because they’re everywhere I look. That’s what’s so great about learning the history of the city you’re studying in; the information is even more accessible, more palpable outside the classroom. It’s made me more attentive to the place where I live. 

I did fine on that midterm. When my dad comes to visit, I can’t wait to point out everything I know.  

Point and Shoot 

The rest of my classes are at EUSA, a partner institution that specializes in communication degrees. These classes, Art Direction and Photojournalism, have everything to do with visual communication. As a writer, I didn’t know much about telling a story this way. Luckily, I had plenty of opportunities to get out there and try it. 

We broke the ice by walking over to the Plaza de España—another architectural gem—with one goal: make a story. I wasn’t sure what to do, and I was nervous as always to talk to strangers, let alone ask to take their pictures. But luckily enough, the plaza is a place always full of tourists, and I was guaranteed to find some friendly people who spoke English. 

My photojournalism class at EUSA took a field trip to a photography exhibit, titled Narrativas Ocultas. 

I ended up making a story out of the kinds of outfits people were wearing, a street style feature. It was a fun story, and it got me not only more comfortable with the camera, but more comfortable with strangers. 

For my next photo story, I was allowed to go anywhere in my neighborhood. Conveniently, that week, my roommate stumbled upon a workers’ union demonstration down the street. I put my camera in my bag and rushed over, and got some perfect pictures of the event. It felt like a real story, and I got to learn a little about the state of affairs here in Seville. 

A demonstration I photographed for class. 

Different, for the Better 

I’m not surprised that my classes abroad have been so different. I just didn’t realize they’d be so engaging. They’re full of field trips and creative projects that really get my mind working.  

Another benefit about taking these classes in Seville is that no matter what kind of work I have to do, I can always make it enjoyable. I can take a book down to the river or the park, or my laptop to a café, and make the city part of my learning experience. 

While studying abroad is about so much more than just the academics, the academics are everywhere. As a communications student, it’s so important that I’m always applying my course material to the world around me. I’m glad I get to do that in a new country. I don’t think a day has gone by that I haven’t learned something.