Mediterranean Ecosystems Class and More

It’s really hard to pick a favorite class over here! I feel like my education has opened up in a really amazing way, with the opportunity to take classes in all areas that still contribute to my coursework at home. My classes include: Spanish language, Watercolor, Islamic Art and Architecture, Federico Garcia Lorca and the Andalusian Literary Tradition, and Mediterranean Ecosystems. 

I wish I could write in depth about every single one of them, but right now I’m going to mostly focus on my Mediterranean Ecosystems class, and the field trips we’ve gotten the chance to go on.

There have been four field trips throughout the semester. Two of them were overnight, one will be just one day, and the other consists of a simple walk around the neighborhood of the Alhambra. Each one has been a bonding experience like no other, magical moment after magical moment, and a barrage of insane fun facts that I never would have encountered without this incredible opportunity to experience Spain through the lens of ecology!

For example, did you know that bats make up about 20% of all mammal species? There are over 1,400 species of bats! We saw some on a visit to a cave, and our guide said around 18,000 bats lived in that cave. It was crazy. We also saw cave paintings from humans from tens of thousands of years ago, as well as pots and ceramics, and even bones. Scientists figured out that there was shared DNA in the bones, meaning the inhabitants of the cave were part of a clan, a family.

Getting this hands-on experience makes the knowledge I gained so much more valuable. I would recommend this class to anyone who comes to IES Abroad Granada, even if they have no prior knowledge of ecology nor interest in science. I’m super happy that I’ve been taking a few classes out of my comfort zone, and away from my usual studies. I was still nervous going into this class, even though I came to Spain with a pre-existing love for nature and ecology. I still didn’t know that much, and felt like I might be lost and floundering. But now I feel like I’m returning to the United States (in a month or so) with a much greater knowledge and appreciation of the world’s ecosystems. 

Panning back out to all of my classes, I feel like I’ve grown in each and every one of them. I’ve become a more critical thinker, a better artist, gained a greater understanding of art history, learned about how to analyze Spanish poetry, and so much more. Which was honestly surprising to me. I think that IES Abroad does a wonderful job of balancing academics with the once in a lifetime opportunity of living abroad. I’ve been consistently grateful throughout this whole experience. Now as it is beginning to come to a close, I wish I could do it all over again. 

¡Hasta pronto! 

Lily