Classes

I'm taking three classes here in St. Andrews which is the equivalent of 12 hours at home.

German- My advisor put me into intermediate German because I asked her to choose the class where I would get the most practice speaking and review of grammar. The class itself will not be too difficult. I feel like the students in my class have as much knowledge after one year as I do after two. They did take more classes their first year I guess so I shouldn't be too concerned.

Scottish History- I absolutely love this class. My professor (or teacher as they call them here) is so very Scottish. He also says things that I find very funny such as: if you try to get online to find the handouts should you miss class, you will find them, but lasers will shoot you down because you should have come to my lecture. No one else laughs but that doesn't matter. I think he's hilarious.

Management- Is actually split into two classes marketing and operations business (maybe?). One professor teaches the first half on mon/tues and another the other half on thurs/fri. This is a really big class. I would guess there are at least 200 students in it, which is incredibly overwhelming coming from a school where they cap classes around 40. Today I got a lesson in US history during the 1960s. I found myself thinking this is fairly common knowledge before I realized that I'm in Scotland and probably not so much.

Overall I spend less time in class but I also have something called tutorials for each. In these we meet in smaller groups to discuss assigned readings. (I HAVE TO READ SO MUCH, I'm not used to this work load..) I haven't been to one yet, but it seems like an interesting concept.

My favorite thing about St. Andrew's University is that it is completely integrated into the town. Unlike TU, class buildings are mixed in with residential areas, castle ruins, restaurants, businesses, and dorms. This makes my 10 minute break in between Scottish History and Management a bit of a stretch however as it actually takes 15 minutes. No one will notice if I sneak in the back though so I'm not going to start wearing a track suit to class just yet.

Missing everyone at home more than you know! All my love.

"Always do what you are afraid to do"

It's hard to believe that two weeks ago, I was getting on a plane. Is it already two weeks? Was that ONLY two weeks? I'm missing home tonight.
Two nights ago I made breakfast for dinner for all of my flatmates and a few other friends. We made pancakes, scrambled eggs, and hashbrowns. When Matt and I bought the pancake mix, we read that we needed one egg and 150ml milk. It wasn't until we went to cook it that we realized that was per 100g (only 1/5 of the mix!) Conversions... While we were eating, I mentioned that I wanted to make biscuits and gravy but couldn't find any at the grocery store. This received the funniest reaction from my British flatmates who were of course thinking biscuits to be cookies. I don't think anyone ever came up with a good explanation of what American biscuits actually are.
Yesterday I walked to the end of West Sands Beach here in St. Andrews. Our orientation leaders in Edinburgh told us that there is a scene in Chariots of Fire that was filmed on that very beach. I hope to start running there soon.
Today I took the bus into Dundee. I now have sheets for my bed! It's important to appreciate the little things.
One day until classes start! I guess I should figure out where they will be...

St. Andrews 101 - Fresher's Week

Every year freshmen flood St. Andrews a week before class to get to know the campus, meet each other, and participate in a series of orientation events.
This is nothing like TU's orientation.. It's not nearly as organized and we're expected to pay for anything we want to go to. I found many of the events to be irrelevant anyways since I already know what degree I'm going into etc.
All that aside, I'm having a great time!

My flat mates and I all finally got together two nights ago. (Madison-3rd year from New York, Sandrine-3rd year from Paris, Sophie-1st year from Scotland, and Jaz-1st year from England.) They're all wonderfully funny. Madison and some of her friends made pasta and we all enjoyed sitting around and eating it. Confession: I haven't cooked anything other than sandwiches for myself so far. It's difficult to convince myself to do it. Also I have a 30 minute walk home from the grocery store (and anything in town...)
I've mostly got my room settled in. We're headed to Dundee on Saturday because everything here is sold out! I still need sheets for my bed! Whoops.. and another adapter. It's part of the adventure?

I went to a ceilidh. It's a lot like the Scottish version of a square dance. It was put on by the celtic society on campus (who also teach dance classes once a week that I am of course going to attend.) They would call out the name of the dance, teach it to us briefly, and then we would dance! Most of the people there were foreign. (I forget Scotland's population is only 5 million..) I did dance with a man who was teaching. He was in a full KILT.

I also went to an event called "Taste of Scotland" We dined on haggis, neeps (turnips), and tatties (mashed potatoes). It was all pretty good actually. They also gave us smoked salmon, caramel shortbread (favorite), and a drink called irn bru (iron brew) which tastes like liquid bubble gum with extra sugar. I thought it was all really good.

I have an academic dad! (We are supposed to find 3rd or 4th students to pair up with who are supposed to show us the ropes at the university and then take us to raisin weekend in November. I don't have a mum yet... but I'm sure I'll find one.) I made some friends earlier in the day. When I saw them later they call a guy named Alex over and start yelling at him to adopt me. So now I have 4 brothers (Donald-Scotland, Rohan-Barbados, Matt-New Zealand, and Hugh-England) and a sister who is also Scottish. I convinced them all to go swimming in the North Sea with me. What other academic family can say they did that?

Exploring Edinburgh

I want to remember every moment and perhaps you would like to share in my adventure.

5 days in Edinburgh:

• sleep-walking London Heathrow
• a 20 minute uphill trek to Castle Rock Hostel with luggage (where my bed was named Gluteus Maximus)
• playground
• tartan weaving museum, clan Wallace
• fish and chips
• wild Irish roommates
• Edinburgh Castle, they kept american POWs during the revolutionary war here
• a compliment on my aura
• gate's locked... good luck?
• a flower clock
• 3 geocaches on the Water of Leith Walkway
• tree umbrella
• bangers and mash (they did the mash, they did the MONster mash)
• City Observatory, Calton Cemetery, Canongate Cemetery
• Royal Mile
• a brass rubbing
• old town, new town
• 29 IFSA-Butler Students
• APEX International
• don't I look 18?
• orientation
• the Pope comes to visit
• parliament in action
• Arthur's Seat
• new-found appreciation for Delta Pi Kappas
• sushi
• swimming pool
• sheep game bus ride
• unpacking
• misfit sheets
• make friends with a Welshman when we admit we're lost
• skype skype skype

Sorry for all the teasers. I can't imagine expanding all of them here!
Luckily I had a really wonderful map. Thank-you Mr. Wayne!
Pictures and videos to come soon.

Next up: Fresher's Week at The University of St. Andrews