Another week in Wales!

So I finished my first week of classes and I can happily say that this looks like it will be a much less academically demanding semester than any at Colgate (even though I am taking more classes than I would at Colgate).  For each of my three Welsh classes (each of which meets 1 time a week), the only graded work I have for each is a 1,500 word paper due mid-semester.  Chem, Physics, and Math all have regular homework (and Chem and Physics have a lot of labs) but no tests other than the final exam!

The university structure is much different in the UK than in America.  There is very little homework/outside work so it is really up to you to stay on top of things in preparation for the final exam.  Definitely not what I'm used to but I'm not complaining about the lack of homework!  Another big difference is that people know what they are studying from day one of their first year and it is very rare to take any classes at all outside of your major.  Therefore, since I am taking classes in the Welsh, Chemistry, Physics, and Math schools here, scheduling is pretty difficult.  Example: the labs for each of my Chem classes meet from 9-noon/1pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for the first two and last two weeks of March, respectively.  So it looks like I have to miss my 11 am Wednesday physics lecture for 4 weeks straight...good thing all lecture notes are posted online here!

Wednesday was the student activities fair and it looks like there are plenty of very active sports/clubs to get involved in here.  I plan on doing the hiking/caving club (lots of trips to really cool places throughout the island) and korfball.

Google image of korfball.

Lauren and I went to korfball practice on Wednesday night and after 2 hours of drills, neither of us still understands what the game is.  There is shooting a ball into a hoop involved but that is all I got out of it.  But we hope it will be a good way to meet some new people here!

Every Wednesday the student union has a themed party at the club and this Wednesday the theme was "frat party" so of course us Americans went to see what the British interpretation of a frat is.  It was really funny--most people were wearing American football jerseys and cheerleading uniforms.

Mack and Carolyn with the frat party decor.

Last night was the Wales vs. England rugby match, part of the hugely important 6 nations rugby tournament.  We watched the game in a pub in the city center and everywhere was SO crowded.  The Welsh are very proud of their identity, especially when it comes to rivalry with England, so everyone was decked out in Welsh spirit gear (wearing red with dragons and daffodils).

Sad result.

Unfortunately Wales lost 19-26.  Rugby was a really fun game to watch because the clock is running the entire time, unless there is a penalty, so it's a really fast-moving and high-scoring game.  I still don't really understand the rules, though.

One big surprise here for me here is coffee.  I love brewed coffee in the morning but it seems like instant coffee is by far the most popular way of drinking coffee at home.  So I decided to buy some and it's not that bad (at least better than nothing).  But there are so many cafes around with great espresso coffee drinks to make up for my morning instant coffee!

Delicious hot chocolate.

So that's about all that's new here!  I need to start booking my 3 week spring break this week: Spain (Granada, Valencia, Barcelona), Germany (Berlin, Munich), and Austria (Salzburg)!!!