Discrepancies

Three Ways High School Spanish Did Not Prepare Me For a Spanish Branch:

1. Mumbled, hurried prayers.
(Why does everyone think that humility is best displayed by mumbling? Annunciation, people, some of us are a bit hard of hearing.) 

2. Loud children and flirting babies. (There is no argument that learning Spanish is best done in a place with minimal distractions. Thus, most of my intensive listening took place during practice AP tests with complete silence where I did not have to strain to hear. Real life situation? I don't think so.)

3. Portuguese accents. (I will never complain about an Argentinian accent again...)