The registration process in this country is stupid. I'm serious; who ever thought it would be a good idea to make courses a first-come-first-serve deal? It's all well and good if you're allowed to go there at the beginning, because you don't have to worry about classes being full etc. I was told I could go at 3. This is the last time people can go. All three of the English classes I wanted to take were full. All of them. I only just made it into the Classical Myth module, and if I hadn't asked the guy behind me in the English queue to hold my place for me, I don't think I'd have made it into that one either.
So I've spent an hour standing in the sun waiting to get inside the building, and then I have to find the queue for the English department. Quick dive over to Classical Studies because that table's clear, and then back into English. Had to basically say 'what classes can I take?' because there really isn't much choice left at this point in the day. Finally manage to get signed up for Intro to Lit, Canadian Short Stories (which I don't really want to do at all) and Film Adaptation (which admittedly was on my original list of modules before I found out it clashed with Creative Writing Prose).
I only just got into Playwriting I as well. They were debating whether they could fit me in, and in the class yesterday, the prof (who looks like a bald Jeff Bridges) said that the class was supposed to be capped at 18, but there were about 21 of us. I am so glad they mixed up and didn't cap it, or I'd have been stuck with yet another module to choose that I didn't really want to do.
Anyway, I had my first two classes yesterday. Intro to Lit looks good; I think Paradise Lost is the only part of the syllabus that I've actually studied before. Playwriting I looks basically the same as my Writing for Stage and Screen module that I did last year in England. I have my other three classes today. A solid four and a half hours or something. I hope there's going to be enough time to get between my first and second classes though. They're about two floors apart or something; which admittedly isn't too far considering I could have been in two buildings on opposite ends of the campus, but I don't like having to rush.
At least I don't have any early mornings this semester. My earliest class is Thursdays at 1pm, and I have a 1.30 start on Mondays and Wednesdays. I'll just need to remember to take a drink with me.
I've met my flatmates now, and I've got at least one class with some of them. I'm glad I'm actually meeting people now; the first few days were hard because there weren't many people around unless they were moving in with their parents, or they were out getting wasted. Classes have started now though, so I'm meeting people in those, and I've met people through flatmates and stuff.
I had a couple of 'OH MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE' moments earlier in the week, but I think I'm a bit more settled in now and not quite so scared out of my mind. I'm glad I've done this. The main problem is the way people keep going crazy when they hear my English accent. It's not that special! Honestly! I hadn't thought they'd be quite so amazed by it. I spoke to a girl from Australia who's just here for a semester. Apparently people keep thinking she's English, so I suppose I should be grateful they're at least getting my accent right...
It's raining again. The weather's been pretty changable the last few days. It can go from blazing sunshine to pouring down with rain and back again multiple times each day. At least it hasn't got really cold yet, though I'm going to have to go shopping and find some winter stuff at some point fairly soon. I don't think I'll make it through the winter without at least a coat... Until then I think it's going to be mild enough. It's been pretty much the same as summer was in England this year.
I managed to stay awake til a more sensible time last night! I keep crashing at like 10pm or something, and then waking up at about 7am. Made it to half midnight last night, although I still woke up at 7am this morning. I think I'm going to have to investigate laundry tomorrow, because my bath towel is driving me slightly crazy. It's new, so it doesn't absorb very well, and it sheds black fluff all over me when I'm using it.Think I'm short on clean socks as well. I'll look into it tomorrow, anyway. Right now I'm going to stop writing this, because I'm jumping wildly between subjects like a loon.
On the accent thing, I was back in England last week and got asked on no less than two seperate occasions if I was American. People just can't seem to cope with different accents. At least they're not asking you if you are Irish (I get that in the States and I think the Canadians would probably be the same).
ReplyDeleteI should say I think you are amazing for having the guts to do a year abroad. I really wish I'd done it during my undergrad.
I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time once you're properly settled in. And have clean socks.