Hello hello!
I’m sitting in Manor Road Building, the social sciences building at Oxford, as I type this. Just had my Labour Economics tutorial at 9am–so brutally early! I know Wellesley has 8:30 classes…but still…brutally early…
I’m discovering that I really like the Big University life. Meaning, it’s kind of cool to go to a huge university with a campus that sprawls across the expanse of an entire city and has thousands upon thousands of students. It does make me miss Wellesley a bit, because I can’t roll out of bed 5 minutes before class and still get there on time (now I have to commute to class! What does that even mean??) and it was a lot bigger and scarier to get used to when I first arrived. However, I have quite thoroughly explored the city centre by now and I’m sure will get to know the outlying roads and paths soon enough.
It’s so cool to study at an institution so old too! I mean, this place is older than the United States!! And despite classes having started this week, I still feel like I’m on vacation. Like I can’t believe I’m in the UK. And I’m at Oxford. And all these British people are talking at me with their British accents and I’m reading academic papers and writing essays and biking on cobblestone streets. I love it!!!
I’ve also decided how I’m going to spend my WONDERFUL six week winter break–yes, six whole weeks!!! I’m going to sped three weeks in Spain (Europe’s PREMIERE winter climbing spot) and three weeks in Boston with le boyfriend. Weeee! Let the plane-flight-bookings begin.
In the meantime, I’m meeting my second professor (for my Strategic Management tutorial) later today, and will attend my Labour Economics tutorial for the first time this evening! (Yes! My first evening class!) And then even LATER in the evening, I’ll attend a gathering for the OUMC (Oxford University Mountaineering Club) and hopefully drink some good beer in some good company at the club’s favorite pub, The Gardener’s Arms! (It seems like every pub name ends in “Arms” here…)
So much fun fun fun. I’ll catch you next week!
Cheers,
Em