Classes Have Started

So here I am finally getting to do the thing that I came here for...learning!

Today was a very long day, first I decided to take a quick jog (famous last words) down to a separate campus where one of my classes was since I hadn't been before.  Since I tend to plan ahead I took a map with me; however, this map was from the university and was missing most of the streets in the area and of course I ended up in one of the ones that wasn't on my map so I got a little lost...actually a lot lost but that is beside the point.  I finally found where my class is and got myself back to my dorm without further incident ( and feeling rather tired having run a lot longer than I had planned).  I got back to my dorm (finally) and then raced off to my first class (psychology).

The psychology class went well (though one kid came in about half way through and asked if it was a math lecture, despite the large sign outside that said Psychology 1) and I found out that "Research Participation" which I thought was working as a research assistant in fact means being a participant in research (or in the professor's words "being a data point").

After psychology I had an hour to get to the campus I had visited that morning for biology (which is approximately a 40 minute walk from where my psychology class was).  Now, full disclosure, there is a bus but you need a pass and I didn't know how long it would take to get one and I figured I had better walk because I really didn't want to be "that girl" who was late to the first lecture.  So I walked...and when I got there there were about 100 people milling around outside the "Lecture Theatre".  I determined that this was in fact my class (with the help of a friendly 3rd year) and decided to mill around with them, while eating my lunch (hummus, carrots and a piece of pita bread, which incidentally is spelled "pitta" bread here).  For some reason people seemed very confused by the fact that I was eating lunch which seemed strange to me seeing as the class goes from 12 to 1,  and I wanted to eat!  It soon became apparent that I needn't have worried about being late, there were 500 people in the class, so I doubt anyone would have noticed if I had been late (the professor was too busy being "wacky" and I think most of the class was too busy sleeping to care).  Also, as a side note, who sleeps through the first class!?  I mean really, there is actually important information being given, you know about stuff like grades and assessments and labs (or practicals as they are called here).

I then walked back to where I was that morning to go to informatics which was...strange.  I am pretty sure no one in the room know what the class was about (and that includes the professor).  All I took away from the lecture is that if you had a 128GB memory chip you could store the name of every person in the world along with their parents names and were they were born (the professor never mentioned why you would do this but, rest assured, you could).

Then I came back to have dinner and blog.  As I was sitting at dinner, trying to figure out why I was so tired, I realized that today I walked around 6 miles PLUS a jog of unknown distance.  Long story short I am exhausted and I think I will go to bed soon.

Love ya!

Waiting for Classes...

I am very impatient and I want classes to start!  I have officially decided I will take Psychology (duh, its my major), Origin and Diversity of Life (an evolutionary biology course that should be interesting), and Informatics Literacy (I figure a little extra computer knowledge never goes amiss).  Next term I will take Psychology, Environmental and Community Biology (which has won teaching awards and involves farm visits, so it should be fun), and History of Medicine (a fascinating subject and a nice break from hard science courses).

I met my Director of Studies today and he is about as useful as my high school advisor was (lets just say its good that I don't need much advice).

So far I have been having a really good time even though freshers week is not really my scene.  I have found others who agree with me and I have also found that if you don't go out often you will still have friends (people need someone to whom they can tell their stories of drunken shenanigans!)

I have also been dealing with homesickness pretty well (certainly better than some people here!)  While I miss all of you back home there is so much to do and I feel pretty at home here so I am not too sad (plus I know you will all be there when I come back).
Anyway, long story short,

Love ya!