WELCOME TO SPAIN
Welcome Week (Week 0):
As of this moment, Spain is at level one/ zero.Their population is about 80% fully vaccinated, and more than 90% has their first dose. Masks are only mandatory indoors and it is pretty much business as normal. Before coming I was worried about how Covid will be, but once arriving I can see that they have done an excellent job handling the pandemic!
After 30 hours of traveling, I’ve finally arrived in Seville. I was greeted by my roommate whom I’ve already met at the airport, my host mom, and my host dog. After having a delicious plate of tortillas, my roommate and I explored the neighborhood. The next morning was orientation, which kicked off the welcome week. Get your walking shoes ready as you will be doing A LOT of walking. ICS so graciously prepared a whole week of activities to help you get to know the city and the culture. This time is also perfect to get to know the other students in the program. The first day is orientation, which can be overwhelming and boring as you are bombarded with information for about 2 hours. After that, the other students and I decided to get lunch together as this was the first time we met each other. After wandering around the city, we found a small restaurant that could fit seven of us. After lunch, we decided to take a walk around the city and explore. Looking back at my health app and the maps, we walked a good amount. The next two days are filled with even more walking as these days are designated walking tours to see famous landmarks and sites. My favorite activity out of the welcome week was the flamenco show. Sadly, we were not allowed to take pictures, but take my word for it as it is the best show you will ever see. You can feel the passion and energy oozing out of those dancers. Sunday was our first free day, so the other students and I headed to Carvalho Beach in Portugal with a student travel agency, We Love Spain. After a busy fun-filled five days, classes began. Although classes have started, welcome week does continue for a couple more days with night tours and activities.
1st Week of Classes (Week 1):
Registration was quite simple. In the summer, ICS gave us a list of classes that we could choose from. Also, by going to school in ICS, all my courses will transfer as an UHM credit. Before, some classes needed a certain number of students in order to be offered. However, due to Covid and 9 students attending ICS, that rule was not in place. The only downside to registration was that we could not drop the classes afterwards. Once all the students choose their classes, the ICS staff will organize it and give the final schedule during orientation. All the classes were once a week (except the RD’s classes) from Monday through Thursday, for 2 hours. Classes were as small as me and the professor while my largest was 6 students, again this was due to the fact that there were only 9 students. With these factors, classes were more personalized and independent.
Class Schedule:
After 30 hours of traveling, I’ve finally arrived in Seville. I was greeted by my roommate whom I’ve already met at the airport, my host mom, and my host dog. After having a delicious plate of tortillas, my roommate and I explored the neighborhood. The next morning was orientation, which kicked off the welcome week. Get your walking shoes ready as you will be doing A LOT of walking. ICS so graciously prepared a whole week of activities to help you get to know the city and the culture. This time is also perfect to get to know the other students in the program. The first day is orientation, which can be overwhelming and boring as you are bombarded with information for about 2 hours. After that, the other students and I decided to get lunch together as this was the first time we met each other. After wandering around the city, we found a small restaurant that could fit seven of us. After lunch, we decided to take a walk around the city and explore. Looking back at my health app and the maps, we walked a good amount. The next two days are filled with even more walking as these days are designated walking tours to see famous landmarks and sites. My favorite activity out of the welcome week was the flamenco show. Sadly, we were not allowed to take pictures, but take my word for it as it is the best show you will ever see. You can feel the passion and energy oozing out of those dancers. Sunday was our first free day, so the other students and I headed to Carvalho Beach in Portugal with a student travel agency, We Love Spain. After a busy fun-filled five days, classes began. Although classes have started, welcome week does continue for a couple more days with night tours and activities.
1st Week of Classes (Week 1):
Registration was quite simple. In the summer, ICS gave us a list of classes that we could choose from. Also, by going to school in ICS, all my courses will transfer as an UHM credit. Before, some classes needed a certain number of students in order to be offered. However, due to Covid and 9 students attending ICS, that rule was not in place. The only downside to registration was that we could not drop the classes afterwards. Once all the students choose their classes, the ICS staff will organize it and give the final schedule during orientation. All the classes were once a week (except the RD’s classes) from Monday through Thursday, for 2 hours. Classes were as small as me and the professor while my largest was 6 students, again this was due to the fact that there were only 9 students. With these factors, classes were more personalized and independent.
Class Schedule: