Coming off the heels of my last post, it was safe to say I was excited for classes to start. When talking about studying abroad, it often feels like the last thing mentioned is the academic experience – I’m certainly guilty of this – despite the large role it plays. Though I enjoyed hanging out and exploring Edinburgh, not having a routine was starting to get to me.
This semester, I’m talking Scottish Studies 1A: Conceptualising Scotland; Anthropological Theory; and History of Art 1A. The first two courses count for my Anthropology degree (over here, it’s degree or course of study, not major). I’m taking History of Art simply to finish up my fine arts requirement for Kenyon. While I have lectures almost every day of the week and tutorials mixed in, I’m definitely not in class as much as I am at Kenyon (which is nice). However, I’ve learned that in the UK, students usually do their reading during the day from roughly 9-5 and socialize at night, which is quite different from the schedule I’m used to. I’m not complaining though – ending my day watching Orange is the New Black and explaining its Americanisms to my British/Eastern European friends is much more enjoyable than staying a the library until the nerd bell!
The transition from the teeny tiny classes to which I’m used to huge lecture halls with hundreds of people was easier than I predicted. The tutorials for each course (usually about 10 students) give you a chance to ask questions in a smaller setting as well as review material. Similarly, it doesn’t feel like you’re sitting in a sea of people when you’re listening to a lecture and I don’t mind the relative anonymity that comes with it (or the fact that I can get away with missing a Friday or Monday lecture to extend a weekend trip). I also think that all my lecturers are more relaxed than I expected. I suppose I imagined some stodgy old professor with a posh English accent and a tweed blazer droning on for hours when in reality I’ve been taught things by funny, relatable academics.
By the end of the first week of classes, the referendum was all anyone was talking about. In all my lectures we discussed the vote and how we thought it would turn out, and Thursday night people stayed up till dawn watching the #indyref coverage. I’m not well-versed in politics, but the debates people were having were incredibly interesting to listen to. In the morning, we all found out that we were still a part of the UK, much to the disappointment of the Yes voters (including my friend Lisa, who says she cried for hours when she found out). I was lucky enough to avoid any major conflicts, but I did hear about fights down by Parliament and riots in Glasgow. It’s safe to say that this won’t be the last we hear about Scottish Independence.
Last weekend, Margi and I took a day trip up to Saint Andrews in Fife. It was an easy bus ride from Edinburgh City Centre, and it was a beautiful day to walk around the little town. We arrived in the early afternoon, just in time to catch the Pier Walk, which happens every Sunday after chapel. We happened upon some students clad in their red robes and not-to-subtly chased after them to see if we could catch a glimpse of the tradition.
Since it was a Sunday, there wasn’t a whole lot going on otherwise, so we just strolled around the town, wandering through both the cathedral and the castle (which we somehow were able to get into for free). Such a pretty seaside town!
It was so nice to see a bit more of Scotland, and the bus ride was so easy! Definitely worth the trip.
My second week of lectures was about the same as the first, though we’ve moved past syllabus days and getting out early to actual coursework. I also had my first few tutorials, which were nice because they were much more comparable to classes at Kenyon. I also booked my flight to Amsterdam at the end of October, where I’ll see one of my best friends from school, Anna! I’m really looking forward to doing more traveling and seeing more of Europe. It will be a busy couple of months, but I’ll get to cross even more places off my travel bucket list!