eine austauschschülerin

Grüezi mitenand!

As per usual, I need to let you know how long I've been here - six weeks already. It's been so busy and fun and educational and sometimes overwhelming, and I can hardly believe that a month and a half of my exchange has already come and gone. I have now finished four weeks of school, as well as my initial basic German course. I chose music as my schwerpunktfach, my central subject, but despite this and my lack of competency in the science areas, I still need to take computer science, biology, chemistry, and physics. The good thing is, though, that at least for the first semester, I won't be graded like the other students. I'll be tested in English and possibly Spanish, but for the most part I'll just get a report acknowledging that I regularly attend class. Regardless, I have officially begun to experience the student part of exchange student.

Here is my schedule:

		Montag	Dienstag	Mittwoch	Donnerstag	Freitag
07:40 - 8:25			Media		Sport
08:35 - 09:20		Art	Media		Sport	Physics
09:30 - 10:15		Art	German	English	Geography	German
10:30 - 11:15		Algebra	Physics	Computer Sci.	Biology	German
11:25 - 12:10		Geography	Chemistry	Music	Math
12:20 - 13:05				Music		Music
13:15 - 14:00			English			Music
14:10 - 14:55		Econ & Law	Biology	History	Chemistry	Econ & Law
15:05 - 15:50		Sport		History	English	Math
16:00 - 16:45		German (ES)	Spanish		German (ES)
16:50 - 17:35			Spanish

I have two different German classes - one is with my normal class, comparable to my lit classes in the US, and one is just with the exchange students, (ES,) which is for learning the language. I am starting to think more and more in German - it's still mostly English, but my thoughts are peppered with German words and phrases - I can even understand a (tiny) bit of Swiss German! AHH so cool!

I have nine other August inbounds attending school with me, representing the United States, Canada, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, Russia, Italy, and Taiwan. The first three weeks we had our language course in the mornings, and then just attended afternoon classes. This was our first week of normal school days. My classes are, of course, in German. For me, history is the most difficult to understand, and surprisingly, econ/law is one of the easiest. The other day we talked about opportunity cost and I got all excited and wrote #TANSTAAFL in my notes. The next class, my teacher started talking about how there ain't no such thing as a free lunch and I looked up so fast from my notes - he started laughing and asked me to explain it in German, so I did. I've been answering questions in school, in very broken German, but German nonetheless.

Anyway, I've been singing in the Audite Nova choir in Zug with my last host father, which has been lovely. I take the train to school each day, along the lake, and I can somewhat find my way around the city. There is a mall right by my school, and I often go with my class for lunch. I'm really lucky to be in the class I'm in - we get along really well! I'm finally starting to feel settled - this life is beginning to feel normal. I think it's safe to say I'm starting to love it here. :)

Some photos from the past few weeks :

 Zytglogge Clock Tower in Bern

House of Parliament

Making chocolate in the Cailler factory!

Stayed here overnight

 Also, this happened! 

Exchange Students

Bis später!