Tutorials, Trips, and Social Life: Some Much Needed Updates

Okay, Okay.. so my lack in posts has been shameful to say the least. I'm truly, truly sorry. To be honest though, I really haven't had much time to catch up on anything like this. It took me two weeks just to get in touch with my parents! There may not be a set schedule here in Oxford, but somehow I find my days jam packed with things to do and the weeks are just slipping by. I honestly can't believe that I'm about half way through the academic part of the term!

Oxford really has a sense of familiarity for me now. It feels great to know where everything is and to be able to pass by the same things as I walk to the library or to New College. It feels a little more like home. Its not, of course, but I feel like it could be. Although there were certainly those moments of "I don't know what I'm doing here. I want to go home",  I've also had some really nice times were I can just sit back and think, "Wow, I live in Oxford and I'm really enjoying it." Sometimes I wish I could stay here for a whole academic year and really get to know the city and the people, but I know that realistically its a bit much. Experiencing life on my own and with my friends has just been so enjoyable so far- a complete blessing given the anxieties that I had right before leaving.

So there's a lot to catch you all up on, so I guess I'll list a few major bullet points to keep things clear and simple. I'll try to be more diligent with my posts in the future so this sort of generalizing doesn't have to happen :)

Tutorials
So this is what's been consuming the majority of my life here in Oxford. I spend almost every day either in the Bodleian Library, New College library, or in my flat reading books or writing essays. I've done more work in the past four weeks than I've done in the last two and a half years of my college career. So yeah, Oxford is no joke. I'm taking two tutorials, which are one on one meetings with an Oxford professor in a particular subject. There's a primary and a secondary. The primary has a total of 8 meetings and meets once a week for an hour and the secondary has 4 meetings and is every other week for an hour. For each one you have to write an essay on a particular topic given by the tutor. They're to be presented at the next week's meeting. Doesn't sound too bad right? That's what I thought. But these things are intense. They really take over the majority of your time. I've never had to crank out so many essays this fast. It's definitely a new way of doing things and it's had to take some getting used to.

My primary tutorial is in Shakespeare. Its been.. interesting. I don't mind Shakespeare and all, but I have to be honest. I don't like my tutor- at all really. She's not very nice and I don't feel very comfortable talking to her. I haven't had a great feeling about any of our meetings so far, but I'm really trying my hardest to just do my best and get through it alive. She's very critical and I don't like a lot of the things she says, but by the end of the term, I'm hoping to give her something that she'll have nothing to comment on (cause she certainly wouldn't compliment it). So yes... Shakespeare. It's a bit of a headache and I'm looking forward for it to be over, but its definitely making me think.

My secondary tutorial is a totally different experience! I absolutely LOVE my secondary tutorial! Its a shame that I only have it 4 times. It's basically combination of Romantic literature and Jane Austen which I absolutely love. Now that I think about it, I have no idea why I didn't make that my primary. My tutor is absolutely fantastic. He's really nice and enthusiastic and we actually have meaningful discussions about the things I write and the ideas in the texts I'm reading. I really feel like I'm learning something from him. It also helps that we drink tea during our meetings and he likes Bob Dylan :). It's definitely the Oxford experience that I wanted. It's nice to have those meetings to balance out the bad Shakespeare ones.

Trips
As of right now, OSAP has taken us on two organized tours as part of the program. There are still two more before the term is over. They're day trips and already included in our tuition, so we don't have to pay anything. It's also an opportunity to force yourself to take a break from studying- so they're much needed.
The first was to London at the end of January. I was so excited for that one. Honestly, we didn't actually get to do much- there's no way that you can do London in just one day, but I was impressed that we actually got to see a lot of the major things. We started with a bus and walking tour of the city so we could get pictures of most of the major stuff like the Tower Bridge, St. Paul's Cathedral, The Royal Albert Hall, Westminster Abbey, Parliament, Buckingham Palace, etc. That was followed by a visit to the Churchill Museum and the Cabinet War Rooms. The tour guide was really nice and helpful. Alexis, Colleen and I actually ended up having lunch with him in this old church and he told us all about London, Oxford, and just the UK in general. During our free time, we just explored some of the central parts of Westminster and took pictures (most of them in the telephone booths!). We just kept saying, "Guys.. we're in London!"- it was so surreal! It was a lot of fun, but I definitely want to go back... there's just so much more to do!

Buckingham Palace

Alexis, Colleen, and I enjoying London!

 

Westminster Abbey

 The next trip was about a week ago and it was to Stonehenge and Bath. I was also really excited about this one. We started with an hour at Stonehenge. It was really amazing to see. There was a giant path for tourists to go walk on so you could go around the entire thing. It's actually quite large. Unfortunately, it was beyond freezing, so I didn't have the patience or body temperature to stand and contemplate or learn about the history of Stonehenge. I was, however, completely glad that I got to see it and enjoy it and get my pictures. It really is an amazing thing to see in person and I'm glad I finally got to do it. After that we went to the city of Bath. The only thing that we were scheduled to do there was see the Roman Baths and the museum they had there. That was also pretty cool, but what I really wanted to see was the Jane Austen museum. Bath is mentioned in a lot of her work and she actually lived there for some time. For my secondary tutorial, I had just finished reading Northanger Abbey, one of the novels that takes place there, so my tutor and I both agreed that visiting the Jane Austen Centre would be a good use of my time. As soon as we got some free time, I made my way there. Nobody else seemed to have too much interest, but I enjoyed it by myself. It was totally worth it!

the Roman Baths

The next two trips are to Windsor Castle and Portsmouth. I'm really looking forward to them and I hope they're as fun as they first two were.

Social Life in Oxford
So this is going to be a much smaller section than the others. Because most of my days are spent in the library, my social life has been pretty limited. I've been trying, however, to get myself out there and enjoy the social world. Early in the term, I bought tickets to see Monty Python's Spamalot at a theater across the street from the OSAP office. I went with Beth, Steve, and a few of the girls living in Beth's house. It was actually a lot of fun and a much needed break from the stresses of my Shakespeare tutorial.
Other the occasional visits to Beth's house, meeting new people in the OSAP program, and the occasional family dinner with the girls in my flat, the only other major social thing I've been doing is at church. Alexis, Colleen, and I have been going to St. Aldates Church- a really nice Anglican church across the street from Christ Church college. It has a really large student community and we've been able to go to services there on Sundays as well as Student nights on Thursdays where they have dinner, praise and worship time, a speaker, and a social get together. I've only been to one student night so far, but I'm really looking forward to more and I'm hoping that I can meet a lot more British students that way.

So yes... lots to say. And there is undoubtedly lots more to come. Again, sorry for the incredibly long silence. Life is busy. I'll try to stay on top of things a little better. If you were able to get through it all, thanks for reading!

Cheers!

Orientation Week: Time to Settle In

What a week it's been! Orientation has left me completely wiped, but a lot more knowledgeable about where I am and what I'm doing... for the most part anyway.

Everything started on Tuesday morning. I moved out of St. Michael's Guest House at around 10:30 and made myself ready to move into my permanent flat in Venneit Close. Although I didn't like living out of the suitcase and the guesthouse certainly had its share of difficulties, I was a bit sorry to see it go. I really enjoyed being so central in the city and I had somewhat grown attached to my tiny, closet-sized room. But at the same time, I was excited to see my new flat and meet my new flat mates. And of course I was dying to see Alexis. Being in the guesthouse by myself got rather lonely and I needed a roommate to help keep my spirits up.

After meeting Alexis at the OSAP office, we made our way to Venneit Close. It's about a 25 minute walk from the center of the city, but I'm sure I'll get used to the distance over time. It's actually a lot nicer than I thought. Alexis and I have a large double room with a small private bathroom. There's also a kitchen, full bathroom, and lounge that we share with our two other flat mates, Colleen and Manami. Manami is from Japan but goes to school at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. She's studying biology and chemistry and has actually been studying in Oxford since September! So needless to say, she's been a big help in showing us about the flat and giving us advice on tutorials and Oxford life. She's really sweet too. Colleen is from Oregon but goes to school in Ohio at Cedarville University. She's studying International Relations and C.S. Lewis and this whole experience is just as new to her as it is to Alexis and I. She's really nice and Alexis and I have spent a lot of time with her this week. It's nice to know that everyone in the flat gets along so well. That'll make for a very pleasant living experience.



Venneit Close flats



the double room that Alexis and I share

After the work of moving in and the satisfaction of unpacking, OSAP put us right to work with orientation activities. The majority of these consisted of lectures held in the OSAP offices (some of which were on Oxford living while others where on cultural views of both Americans and Brits), the occasional meet and greet party (I got to meet lots of cool people at these!) and an academic advisory meeting during which we received the names of our tutors. There were also, however, some orientation events that were a bit more exciting. On Wednesday, for example, we took a walking tour of Oxford. Unfortunately, it was a night so it was a bit cold and didn't make for great pictures, but it was nice to hear some actual facts about the places where I'll be spending much of my time. The Bodleian Library, for example, is Oxford's largest and most famous library and has over 11 million books! Can you believe that? 11 million! It has a copy of just about every book ever printed and there are so many that the buildings can't hold them all. So there are actually underground tunnels of books that most people are totally unaware of. And that's just one of the libraries. Every college also has their own library! Oh, and the Bodleian was also one of the many places in Oxford that where the Harry Potter films were shot. So yes,.. I will be spending a lot of time there!

The Radcliffe Camera: part of the Bodleian Library and one of the most famous structures in Oxford

We had an official induction to get into the Bodleian Library which included a lecture, reading a pledge, and getting our Library card (which also serves as our University ID). The next big induction was into our individual colleges. Everyone in OSAP is placed into one of four of Oxford's leading college's: Magdalen College, Christ Church, New College, and Trinity College. Beth and I are in New College. Alexis and Colleen are in Trinity. My induction into New College was pretty laid back. It included a tour of the grounds and an explanation of the library system, etc. It was nice to see it in person after looking at pictures for so long. New College is actually one of the oldest in Oxford: it was started in 1379! And you can tell. It has a very medieval look to it. Everything is old and quiet. It's also one of the largest colleges so it's going to take some getting used to as I try to make my way around. I was particularly impressed with the college's chapel, cloisters (which were used in Harry Potter!), and dining hall. They're absolutely beautiful and something you'd never imagine seeing in an American college.



outside the chapel at New College



New College dining hall: I can't believe I get to eat here every day!

So orientation really introduced us to the type of things we were going to be seeing every day. On our free time everyone usually just hung out or did some grocery shopping for the their new homes. But by dinner time , we were exhausted. The days seemed totally full, but I have the feeling that this is the pace things are going to be at for the rest of the term, only I'll be on my own schedule.

This weekend we didn't have any OSAP events, so Alexis, Colleen and I took things kind of easy. Yesterday we visited the Ashmolean Museum, one of Oxford's many free museums, and checked out some the exhibits and then we took pictures around the city. Today we just stayed in the flat all day. The plan was to go to church this morning and run some errands, but Alexis and Colleen had essays to work on, and I came down with a cold. I think it might have been the weather and the nonstop activity that finally caught up with me. Hopefully it'll get better before classes start.

This week is the official start of term. Oxford students are officially moved in now and tutors are contacting their students and setting up tutorial meetings. I'm looking forward to getting a set schedule down, but quite honestly, I've been having some serious apprehensions about the start of classes. Now that I've somewhat settled into the living away from home aspect, the nerves about tutorials are starting to get to me, and I'm really not looking forward to starting them. I'm trying not to let fear of them get me down. I'm supposed to be meeting my tutors this week so hopefully all will go well and things will go a lot better than I'm expecting them to. I'll be sure to let you know!



Welcome to Oxford!

So I'm here. I've been here actually... since Thursday morning. It's really hard to believe that so much time has passed and that orientation starts in only a couple days. So let me fill you in on what's been going on.

The day I left (Wednesday the 4th) was very difficult. The chaos of trying to get last minute things done coupled with the random emotional breakdowns and terrifying thoughts of leaving home in only a few hours time led to complete exhaustion and emotional drainage on my part. Saying goodbye to my parents and my sister at the airport was one of the hardest things I had to do, but by the time I was sitting at my gate, waiting to board, all I wanted to do was curl up and sleep. At this point, I felt like sleep was my only escape from this chaotic nightmare. I was eternally grateful though, that I had my friend Beth (from Eastern) to take the flight with me. That honestly made all the difference. With her there, I was able to have someone to work with and to help distract me from the thought of leaving my family.

mom, Claire, me, and dad at the Philly airport!

My first major glimpse of excitement came as I boarded the plane. I've gotten on tons of planes in the past, so I didn't give this one a second thought, but when the stewardesses greeted me with those British accents, my heart jumped. It was the most amazing sound in the world. Beth and I gave each other the cheesiest smiles as we made our way to our seats. It was a very good way to get the trip going. Things were starting to feel a little better.

The flight was very smooth other than a little bit of turbulence before landing in London. The constant crying from the day before had left my eyes tired so I slept (or tried to) through most of it. Even making our way through the airport at Heathrow was fairly simple. With Beth there to go through it with me, everything seemed very smooth. By the time we landed, went through customs, got our bags, and took the bus to Oxford (about an hour and a half from London) it was close to noon on Thursday the 5th. Beth and I made our way to the OSAP (Oxford Study Abroad Programme) office in the center of the city, picked up our keys and welcome packets, and then split up to go to our different houses. Beth is living in a beautiful old Georgian mansion on St. Giles Street which is right in the center of the city. I'm living in an flat farther away, but I can't move in until the morning of the 10th. Until then, OSAP put me in a small bed and breakfast called St. Michael's Guest House. It's very old and small but it's central location is fantastic. It's going to be hard to leave this for my flat which is about 25 minutes away.

The St. Michael's Guest House

Because Beth and I arrived early, these past few days have been like a mini vacation. Steve (another student from Eastern) and Sarah (one of Beth's new housemates on St. Giles Street) have joined us and the four of us have used this time to do nothing but walk around the city and scout out fun and important shops that we'll be visiting over the next four months. It's been nice getting to walk around without any set schedule or obligations. I suppose that gives us a nice leg up over the people who are arriving on time when orientation starts.

Even though I've been here for almost four days now, I still don't think I'm fully qualified to make any official judgements on Oxford itself. The parts I've seen have had a lot of shops and restaurants. Like a smaller, cuter version of Philadelphia without the skyscrapers. At this point, we can only see the outer walls of the colleges because we don't have our college IDs yet. I'm really looking forward to getting those. Once we can walk in to the colleges and see some of the things like the courtyards and cloisters, then I think it'll feel more like Oxford.

Nevertheless, it's been fun to live among the Brits these past few days. Of the British people of talked to, everyone is very polite, friendly and helpful. Today I went to The Eagle and Child- the famous pub in Oxford where J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis worked together and worked on the Narnia and Lord of the Rings stories. I got my first official British fish and chips and it was amazing!! I'll definitely be going back there. Beth, Steve, Sarah and I took our own unofficial walking tour of Oxford yesterday. We walked a good ways and were able to see some of the more famous buildings like the Bodlian Library, Tom Tower (at Christ Church), the Bridge of Sighs (based off the one in Venice), and New College (my new school!). Like I said, we couldn't go in any of these places, but it was nice to see them in person. Once orientation starts, OSAP is going to take us on an official walking tour. Then I'll be able to see everything and take all my pictures.

Fish & chips at The Eagle and Child

So tomorrow if my last full day in St. Michael's Guest House. We plan on walking around the city some more and possibly walking out to Venneit Close which is where my apartment is. On Tuesday morning, I get to move in to my apartment and Alexis gets here!! Alexis is one of my best friends from high school and she's going to be my roommate in Venneit Close. I can't wait to see her and officially settle in to my new home!

Hopefully I'll be a bit more diligent with my posts so they don't end up as long as this one. Next week is bound to have some blog worthy events as orientation starts and Oxford life swings into full gear!

Gentlemen to Bed! For Tomorrow we Fly...

24 hours away and it still hasn't completely hit me. It's a little more real now then it was when I last posted, but I just still can't wrap my head around the idea that I'm moving to England tomorrow.

Things have been chaotic and a little rough this past week. On a technical level, it's just been a whirlwind. I've been going absolutely crazy trying to gather last minute clothing and toiletry items, trying to work inconceivable miracles when it comes to my suitcase, and making sure I understand all the basics in terms of money, safety, etc. Trying to keep it all straight in my head has been just ridiculous- I'm convinced it's impossible.

The emotional side is a whole new story. The emotional roller coaster that I've been on this week has been.. well.. interesting. Towards the beginning of the week, I was doing rather well and I was actually pretty impressed with myself for not falling into a sentimental coma that kept me from getting any real work done. I tend to be more on the emotional side, so naturally I expected constant crying, hugging and regret at ever applying to do this semester abroad in the first place. When that didn't happen, I found myself relieved but at the same time a little confused- even worried. I wondered if I was still in the fantasy state of mind. Maybe I was still thinking of this as a game. Or maybe I was just too busy to think about leaving home. Or maybe, just maybe, I was more mature than I thought I was. Whatever was going on, it just didn't seem right that I was leaving home in a week and I was going about things like everything was fine. It's not my personality and it just wasn't what I expected.

Well perhaps I psyched myself up too much or maybe it was just a delayed reaction, but of course, the nerves came followed by random break downs and tears. It was bound to happen. But with only a few hours left, I really have nothing that I can do about it but man up and let what happens happen. It's all God's Will anyways. One thing that I'm beginning to see right off the bat is how faithful He is. I can't even begin to explain how much He has protected and provided for me and this process has just highlighted all that.

So the emotion and nerves have gotten to me- big time. But somewhere deep down there's some excitement. It may not show itself until I'm a week or so into the trip, but at least I know it's there. Everything is a complete mix between grief over leaving and excitement over the trip of a lifetime. I'm going to live in a country I've always wanted to go to, I'm rooming with one of my best friends, I'm studying at one of the best and most beautiful universities in the world, and my friends and family are just a phone call away. It can't get any better than that.. right?

So that's it...tomorrow I leave. Next time you hear from me I'll be bundled up in my British flat, sipping British tea, and I'll officially be an Oxford student!

No Longer Just a Fantasy

I knew this was coming, but at the same time, something told me it wasn't real. When I got accepted to study abroad at Oxford University nearly six months ago I was beyond excited. I wanted to shout it to the world and run down the street and tell strangers that passed me by. Going to England was something I had dreamed and fantasized about since I was a kid and not only was I moving there for four months, I was going to study at one of the most prestigious and well respected universities in the entire world! It was too good to be true!

And for a long time, I think I went through the process with that mindset. I was in such shock that this had happened, that reality had never gotten the opportunity to sink in and therefore I treated the preparations like a game. It was like I was playing a grown-up version of a child-like fantasy and everyone else in my life just happened to be playing along. There was no possible way that I could really be moving to England to study at Oxford. Me...the girl who has never left home, still sleeps with a stuffed animal (yes, for the sake of emphasis, I admit it), and does very little in terms of social activities? This just seemed way too out of my reach.

And now I leave a week from tomorrow and my mind still hasn't fully comprehended the idea. The suitcase is laying open on my bed, clothes are thrown all over my room, books and papers are gathered all over the house... I'm scrambling to gather it all at the last minute but I'm also still in disbelief that this is really happening. I'm waiting to wake up or for someone to say surprise. But what if nothing happens? In one week I'm going to leave my family for the first time and I don't know if I'm ready to do that yet. Needless to say, I'm nothing but a bundle of nerves right now as the reality is starting to slowly sink in.

But at the same time, I have to remember that this was a choice I made. I chose to move to England for four months and apply to Oxford. I'm going to be forced into a new, more adult lifestyle and it's time to start recognizing that as a reality. This is something I have to do. It'll be much more than a chance to grow academically. Let's hope it'll be a great maturing experience as well.

So here are the basics: Right now I'm a Junior at Eastern University in Pennsylvania. I'm spending the Spring 2012 semester at Oxford University (through the Oxford Study Abroad Programme) as a member of New College. I'm taking two one-on-one tutorials: one in Shakespeare and one in Jane Austen. This blog is meant to document all my travels and experiences while I'm away (specifically for all my friends and family at home). I'll do my best to post as often as I can and I'll add pictures too (cause I know that's what everyone really cares about). So hopefully you all enjoy! Thanks for reading!