Universidad de Chile pt. II

The Chilean grading scale is from 1 to 7. There was a joke that I heard once that said, "Only God gets 7s." haha.

Anyway. My first quiz grade...

3.5

That's a D+.
Are. You. Kidding. Me.
Same class that I cried to the prof in office hours. (Note to anyone who is thinking of studying en Universidad de Chile: Do not take Historia Social de Latinoamerica if you suck at Spanish or you'll end up like me.)
I don't know what to think; I need serious help in Spanish.
I came here thinking, "I want to challenge myself in Spanish and read and write in Spanish. I know it'll be hard, but I love a challenge!"
Not anymore. If there's an opportunity to get reading material in English, I am all over it as long as it gets the job done. Spanish is way too hard.

Universidad de Chile

I haven't talked much about my university classes, taking classes with Chilean students in Spanish.

Basically, it makes me cry. Particularly the class Historia Social de Latinoamerica. Literally cry. I've been walking out of that class feeling like I wasted 1.15 hours of my life because I don't understand 70% of what the professor is saying. And as I look at fellow EAP-ers copiously taking notes, I always have to angle my head to be able to look at their notes and copy their notes.

I went to office hours today, determined to bring some closure to this icky yucky incompetent feeling. After asking the professor a few questions, I flipped through my notebook aimlessly trying to think of something else to ask him, hopelessly wishing that I could just UNDERSTAND THE CLASS.

I said uncertainly, "I think that's it..."
"Are you sure?" he asked.
I flip aimlessly through my notebook again. I feel a sour lump forming in my throat, the sour lump that one feels when I'm on the verge of tears. I couldn't hold it in anymore. Tears just came streaming down my face. I tried to hide it, but in an office that small and him sitting only 2 feet in front of me, and my voice was shaky, it was pretty impossible to hide my tears. My professor had a worried look on his face.

"What happened??" he asked with a concerned voice.
I explained to him everything about how I've been feeling. Everyday after class I feel like I've wasted my time, I don't understand anything, the readings are hard, I go to class when people go off traveling, I go to 8:30 review sessions, and I'm still struggling. And I have an upcoming quiz that I probably won't even be able to respond correctly because I don't understand anything.
Thankfully, he was very understanding and assuring. He told me I could bring a dictionary to the quiz, to not worry about the grades so much, and to ask him questions whenever I needed to.
Gosh, how embarrassing though. I may be a teacher's pet, but I've never burst into tears in front of them before.

So that's how school is going for me...