Hey!!!!! I know i've been a bit quiet lately, I have never actually used one of these blog things, nor have I ever written in a livejournal. I've always thought about it but I've found it hard to find time to blog and when I do, I never know what it is I want to blog about.
BUT.. I've realized I am quite a hard person to get ahold of and keep in touch with. In fact, in attempt to keep everyone posted and to keep even myself in check, I've finally fought the inner urge to put it off.
so ..................here we go! ONE MONTH AGO, I was in the states, and already, I could either talk your ears off or write till my fingers stiffen and your eyes dry out. Where to begin or how to illustrate everything in this little hogwarts town is.......unexplainable! You literally have to BE here to see things the way I am seeing it now. All I can say is that it's AMAZING and I really couldnt've asked for a better opportunity. In due time... i'll be blogging like I've never blogged before!!!
For those of you who don't know, I live in the SENGHENNYDD court freshmen dorms. Based primarily on luck, I landed here with 4 great flatmates. 3 Brits (guys), and 1 Norwegian girl my age. We have our own rooms but the 5 of us share 1 bathroom and a mini fridge????
Social life, in a nutshell, is very different but of course no less fun! I am teased about my "accent" but people are eager to learn about where I'm from and are REALLY friendly. :) You can really strike up a good conversation by opening your mouth and talking. Learning the slang is great fun too! It doesnt take long to pick up the speech, jargon, and silly British expressions and I have already misled a few people from the hint of ENGLISH in my tone! (or so they say...) To say the least, keeping an open mind and shutting up about how great everything is in America, I'm finding that I will learn more about my own culture and myself than I probably ever will living at home.
With that being said, international students are amazing!!! By definition, international students are explorers so a commonality is already present. Cardiff has a HUGE percentage of exchange/international/foreign students and the international activities and parties have BY FAR been the most fun, and to be honest, it is really different from hanging out with local students and in many ways so much more enriching!
As far as Brits go, the British are NOTORIOUS for drinking, which explains the full size pub on campus. Not to mention the campus nightclub. A nightclub run by the student union. Amazing huh? Whereas majority of people in the US party on the weekends, for the British it is possible everyday. There are no such things as fraternities or sorities but drinking isnt much of a novelty nor as rebellious either. The concept of pubs are like coffee shops and i gotta say, it is more common to be invited out for a "pint" over a cup of coffee and sit chatting for hours.
Moving on!
Cardiff University's main building (creatively called, MAIN BUILDING)
Six modules (lectures) once every week and five seminars (every other week):
1. New Frontiers of Sociology
2. Social Research Methods
3. Poverty and Income Maintenence
4. Inequality and the Division of Labour
5. Education, Equality, and Diversity
6. French!
Instead an A-F grading system, they use "firsts" through "thirds" with 70%+ as the 1st category (our A). Graduating takes 2-3 years because 1) you don't do 2 years of geneds and 2) you go straight into your core classes from highschool doing exactly what your there for. Notes are online. No homework. No extra points for attendance or class participation. Sound easy? Its not harder nor easier, the only problem is, its not until the end of the year where my ENTIRE grade will be dependent on ONE paper or exam.
Basically......at home, the homework and assignments help keep us on track. Here you educate yourself at your own pace.
OTHER THINGS
- Weather .. in a word. "meh." Everything is cold and wet. Currently pouring rain.
- CRUMPETS ARE BRILLIANT. they put english muffins to shame.
- Most buisnesses are open from 9-5. Literally. Shopping malls, even grocery stores are bustling as early as 8:30am and close around 4 or 5pm! Pizza is sold after 5 as take away. Lots of indian food. Lots of Chinese. Not enough mexican :(
- 1 pound = $1.73
- Cardiff Bay:
1 comment:
Sounds like you're livin' large in the UK. Glad you decided to do a blog -- all us working stiffs will live vicariously through your adventures. Sounds like the education style is very much like Anna's college up in Olympia, Washington.
Anna's been busy doing an internship on fire ecology, as well as fighting the NorCal fires. At times she is the only female on the fire crew. She and her boyfriend are coming down for T'Day to see all the relatives, then I think they might be off to Peru over the Xmas break. I must say, I'm really in awe of your generation.
As for me, I'm doing a lot of gigs with my bagpipe band. From the Nike Women's Marathon in SF to the Alzheimers Walk on Treasure Island. We are starting to get ready for the Xmas show again. The new California Academy of Science opened -- its awesome. I also just saw the Maya Lin exhibit at the deYoung, which was very inspiring. (check it out)
http://www.famsf.org/deyoung/exhibitions/exhibition.asp?exhibitionkey=936
Take care! Love, Auntie Cathy
ps: the weather there, makes SF look down right balmy!
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