Sto provando…

I’ve made it through my second week of classes. It’s been hard, but I’m starting to understand a bit more when the professors are talking. I’m also starting to try and speak more Italian. It’s hard for me because I get nervous and even though I know the words, I suddenly forget them or how they’re used when I need them. With more practice though, it should become easier. My Linguistica generale class is not too bad. I’m a bit afraid of the professor because she’ll randomly yell at students if they’re somehow disturbing the class in the slightest way. I understand a bit of what is going on simply because I’ve studied some linguistics in the past year when I took Phonetics and Language Development in Children, so at least I have that knowledge to fall back on. I have a lot to read though, which means a lot to translate and try to comprehend. My Storia della lingua italiana class is not bad. The professor’s a cute little old man, but, on the downside, I can barely understand a word he says simply because he’ll go off into random tangents of a select few words and what they are in other dialects. I’m following what’s going on simply because, last year, for my History of Ancient Rome class I wrote a paper on the history of the Italian language and how it developed from Latin to what it now. From what I gather, most of what we have been going over in class is actually what I wrote in paper. Along with the textbook that I need to translate, I think I should also study my own paper! One strange thing about the class that surprised me is that he reads to us! Yes, that’s right, the professor actually takes out a book La Ragazza dell’addio and reads it to us. He reads a page or two then picks out certain phrases or words in those one or two pages to analyze for the next forty-five minutes or so. He’s quite an interesting old man. I think he more than likely has more knowledge packed into his brain than he knows what to do with. Although, he is a bit hard of hearing and does not speak English.  The exams in December worry me though because unlike in America, most of the exams in Italy are oral exams. I will have to study so much. I’m going to be so nervous. My Italian is nowhere near as good as it should be. I’m much better when it comes to writing. I’ll just need to lock myself in my room and study all day and night. Forever. It feels like I’m studying for midterms every day. It’s crazy for me, but I suppose it must be done. Apparently, everyone is going to Firenze or Rimini this weekend minus me, so I guess I’ll just take this time to study. Although, I would love to be in Florence. It’s such a beautiful place. What I would give to go back. I’ll just look at it as I’m saving money. My other class isn’t too bad, but I feel like there’s no real flow to it. We’re not following a book or anything of the sort, which is not good for me because I am visual learner. It’s my Estensivo C class. She’s supposed to be teaching us more in depth Italian, but it’s not going over well. Even the more advanced students can’t follow what’s going on; her “methods” seem to be all over the place. The exams for her class should be interesting. I’ll try to start getting to typing up the notes this weekend. It’s all just been a lot to take in and try to comprehend. I’ll get it eventually. I know I will, but it’s going to take time. Things like this are tough when you have concentration problems and never developed study habits when you were a child. The thing keeping me going? It’s my last year as an undergrad, I want this to be my best year, and I’ll be back in the states in less than two months where bagels and Chinese food are plentiful.