So it’s been 2 weeks since my arrival in the UK and I’m slowly getting used to things here. Things are definitely more expensive here than in the US and sometimes its really hard to pay what they’re asking. Cooking has gotten easier it just takes forever and a day! 20 mins to boil some water! I’m used to the ready now mentality. 
The microwave in this sense is a god send. Except for the first week we’ve had some pretty good weather with only a few days of rain, which I guess is good but it takes away my excuse to go out into the world.
I still get caught up by somethings like the stairs here are really wide. Its like they’re the width of 1 1/2 of the US stairs which makes it hard to walk down them. I’m sure I look like an idiot going stair by stair but better to look like an idiot doing that then falling down them! Also the plug-ins are tricky and really anything electrical. You can’t just plug something in and expect it to work. oh no, you have to turn on the switch as well. This goes for the stove as well. I’ve sat there on several occasions waiting for something to heat up only to find the switch not on. It’s frustrating. And the toaster! It only toasts one side of the bread! I remember telling Tiffany from Capers after she made fun of a customer saying they wanted both sides of the toast toasted that maybe they had a toaster that only toasts one side of the bread. Of course I had never encountered such a toaster but now I have. Why anyone would want only one side toasted is really beyond me but if you only want one side toasted come to the UK! I do have to say that the kettle is marvelous and heats up very fast compared to everything else.
Of course the classes are also different and will take some time getting used to. I’ve got Textual Analysis and Film Style on Mondays and Tuesdays and then Modernity, Innovation and Audio-Visual Culture on Wednesdays and Thursdays. For starters its really weird to only have 2 classes for the term but they will keep me busy. I’ve already got tons of reading to do. It really seems like that’s all I do is to read and discuss in these classes. I’ve got one essay that isn’t graded due next week but that’s it. Each class has a 5,000 word essay that aren’t due until next term! Kristin has already warned me not to let that lull me into a false sense of security and I won’t, I promise! I just find it weird and different. It also makes classes harder because I feel stupid during class discussions. I’m the kind of person who needs time to think about something and really digest everything that I’ve read, heard and seen before I can talk about it. Which is why I was never good at quick comebacks. I feel ready for class today with all the reading and note taking I did (see I even took notes which I normally don’t do).
And it’s not just classes that I’ve got filling up my time. I’m looking into joining Street Vibe a dance society that does “street dancing” hip hop style I guess. You can check out videos on their facebook page. I went to the first taster session and had a lot of fun so I’m going again today. Then there’s the Warwick Student Cinema society that I’m going to try and get involved in so I can see the films for free! Good films too. The digital film club is on Thursdays at 7pm with my professor. Last week was Me and Orson Wells which wasn’t bad but the rest of the films are all foreign films some of them french so I don’t know how long that will last. Plus there are research seminars that I’m expected to go to on Wednesdays but only in certain weeks which is why I’m not joining the Bollywood dance society because it clashes. My planner has never been so handy as it is at present.
A job has yet to be established and I’m not sure I’m going to get one. There’s just not much for jobs on campus and with my busy schedule it might not work out. I’ll know more by next week when my student loans come through. I’m crossing my fingers that I get a reasonable amount back so I’ll be able to eat and do laundry (and not in the shower). Plus maybe some traveling on the breaks, at least a little bit. A nice trip to Cardiff, Ireland or London perhaps.
What is really looming over me is my dissertation topic. I don’t necessarily have to worry about it just yet but I am anyways. After this term is done I’ve got one other class next term and then my dissertation starts and I’ve no idea what I’m doing it on. Okay I’ve taken down some ideas but not sure how it will translate into a 20,000 word essay. It didn’t help that I was talking to Charlotte about her meeting with her supervisor. They were talking about how they hate people who do this agree just because they love TV and are just fans. At first I felt really bad because that’s one of my main reasons I’m here but after thinking about it and talking to Kristin I have come to realize that you need that fandom in order to study film and television or else you would hate yourself. And I’m still able to critique and think about shows and films in an analytical way.
I think once I get the reading for my classes under control I should start checking out books related to my interests. Although I am very disappointed at the library holdings they’ve got most of the books I need for classes so I don’t have to buy anything which will give me more money to buy books for my dissertation which means, most likely more books on Doctor Who!
The microwave in this sense is a god send. Except for the first week we’ve had some pretty good weather with only a few days of rain, which I guess is good but it takes away my excuse to go out into the world.I still get caught up by somethings like the stairs here are really wide. Its like they’re the width of 1 1/2 of the US stairs which makes it hard to walk down them. I’m sure I look like an idiot going stair by stair but better to look like an idiot doing that then falling down them! Also the plug-ins are tricky and really anything electrical. You can’t just plug something in and expect it to work. oh no, you have to turn on the switch as well. This goes for the stove as well. I’ve sat there on several occasions waiting for something to heat up only to find the switch not on. It’s frustrating. And the toaster! It only toasts one side of the bread! I remember telling Tiffany from Capers after she made fun of a customer saying they wanted both sides of the toast toasted that maybe they had a toaster that only toasts one side of the bread. Of course I had never encountered such a toaster but now I have. Why anyone would want only one side toasted is really beyond me but if you only want one side toasted come to the UK! I do have to say that the kettle is marvelous and heats up very fast compared to everything else.
Of course the classes are also different and will take some time getting used to. I’ve got Textual Analysis and Film Style on Mondays and Tuesdays and then Modernity, Innovation and Audio-Visual Culture on Wednesdays and Thursdays. For starters its really weird to only have 2 classes for the term but they will keep me busy. I’ve already got tons of reading to do. It really seems like that’s all I do is to read and discuss in these classes. I’ve got one essay that isn’t graded due next week but that’s it. Each class has a 5,000 word essay that aren’t due until next term! Kristin has already warned me not to let that lull me into a false sense of security and I won’t, I promise! I just find it weird and different. It also makes classes harder because I feel stupid during class discussions. I’m the kind of person who needs time to think about something and really digest everything that I’ve read, heard and seen before I can talk about it. Which is why I was never good at quick comebacks. I feel ready for class today with all the reading and note taking I did (see I even took notes which I normally don’t do).
And it’s not just classes that I’ve got filling up my time. I’m looking into joining Street Vibe a dance society that does “street dancing” hip hop style I guess. You can check out videos on their facebook page. I went to the first taster session and had a lot of fun so I’m going again today. Then there’s the Warwick Student Cinema society that I’m going to try and get involved in so I can see the films for free! Good films too. The digital film club is on Thursdays at 7pm with my professor. Last week was Me and Orson Wells which wasn’t bad but the rest of the films are all foreign films some of them french so I don’t know how long that will last. Plus there are research seminars that I’m expected to go to on Wednesdays but only in certain weeks which is why I’m not joining the Bollywood dance society because it clashes. My planner has never been so handy as it is at present.
A job has yet to be established and I’m not sure I’m going to get one. There’s just not much for jobs on campus and with my busy schedule it might not work out. I’ll know more by next week when my student loans come through. I’m crossing my fingers that I get a reasonable amount back so I’ll be able to eat and do laundry (and not in the shower). Plus maybe some traveling on the breaks, at least a little bit. A nice trip to Cardiff, Ireland or London perhaps.
What is really looming over me is my dissertation topic. I don’t necessarily have to worry about it just yet but I am anyways. After this term is done I’ve got one other class next term and then my dissertation starts and I’ve no idea what I’m doing it on. Okay I’ve taken down some ideas but not sure how it will translate into a 20,000 word essay. It didn’t help that I was talking to Charlotte about her meeting with her supervisor. They were talking about how they hate people who do this agree just because they love TV and are just fans. At first I felt really bad because that’s one of my main reasons I’m here but after thinking about it and talking to Kristin I have come to realize that you need that fandom in order to study film and television or else you would hate yourself. And I’m still able to critique and think about shows and films in an analytical way.
I think once I get the reading for my classes under control I should start checking out books related to my interests. Although I am very disappointed at the library holdings they’ve got most of the books I need for classes so I don’t have to buy anything which will give me more money to buy books for my dissertation which means, most likely more books on Doctor Who!
No comments:
Post a Comment