getting personal

Strathclyde

So I realized that over the course of writing this blog I have told you tons of information about all of the fantastic places I have gotten to see but haven't said much about my personal experience so far. So here goes.

First off I guess I should mention the reason I am actually able to be here in Glasgow - school. I know, its hard for me to remember thats why I am here as well! I am taking three classes this semester, which is a full course load here at Strathclyde. They are: The Politics of European Integration, Local Politics, and War, Terrorism and Conflict. I have two lectures a week, and a tutorial for each class bi-weekly. It basically gives me lots of time to enjoy this wonderful city. One thing I will note that is very different from Queen's is how they deliberate reading material. For two of my classes the professor gave us a list of approximately 40 books per week that are suggested material. From this we pick what we want, and as many as we want, in order to learn the most we can about the subject. For my last class she didn't even give us a list - we are just supposed to find books that apply to the material we are studying. Slightly scarier and more independent then the structured reading guide given out at Queen's.

Secondly - my flatmates and the humble abode we live in. Six of us share a hallway with our bedrooms, a kitchen/living room, and two bathrooms. Our flat consists of girls from Malaysia, France, three from the United States (Rhode Island, Virginia and Iowa), and of course me - the Canadian. Thankfully we all get along great! I could not have wished for a better set of flatmates. We were instantly able to laugh about everything, share stories from our lives at home, and ultimately learn a lot about each other in a short amount of time. I am so excited to see what the next few months bring with all of these lovely ladies. 

Finally I want to mention my absolute contentment for this experience so far. I am so fortunate that Queen's was able to provide me with this opportunity. It is turning out to be everything I had hoped it would be. The feeling I get when walking down the street, the incredible fashion I see all over the city, the smell of beer in a pub while watching a rugby game, and talking to all of the fascinating people I have met - it is all perfect.