So! Beginning something like this always seems a bit awkward to me, but that may be a function of my overthinking, so I will introduce this blog as follows:
For those not already in the know, I recently graduated from Vassar College with a BA in English. Despite how an entire song has been devoted to how useless a BA in English is, I decided that instead of trying something with more potential usefulness after graduation, I loved school enough to pursue my Master's in English as well, specifically in Victorian Literature.
So, on the recommendation of a couple of my professors, I chose to go the University of Leeds, in the northern part of England. This is a totally new experience for me--I've never lived in a city, I never took a semester abroad so I've not lived in a foreign country before, and I've never placed myself in a situation this large that I've known less about. Vassar had been an easy choice for me--other people from my high school had gone there, I'd visited a couple of times and loved it, and going had felt very natural. This, not so much. I know Leeds basically from tiny snapshots and the circuitous university website. I know the southern part of England a bit, but not the north at all. This is an exercise in complete displacement, of plonking myself into a new place and out of complacency, and hopefully getting a degree in the process. Right now, I'm really hoping it works. I think it will.
Now, with that out of the way, progress so far!
I arrived in Leeds today after getting up rather early in the Dublin Travelodge and schlepping over by way of Ryan Air. My parents and I have been in Ireland for the past ten days, touring around seeing fabulous cliffs and drinking beer, which was great fun, though hard for me to concentrate on when all I could really think about was what's to come. Dublin Airport, by the way, is quite the zoo--we weren't given our gate number until after getting through security (which I managed not to fail at this time--hooray paranoia), and after that the signage was fairly abysmal. Still, we got here in one piece, and were greeted by some very nice volunteers from the uni and taken by bus with some other international students to our respective residences.
I'm living in Montague Burton, an extremely cute complex of apartments about ten minutes down the hill from campus. I've met only one of my flatmates so far, and only in passing, so I'm not sure of her name yet. I've heard some others scuttling about in the neighboring doors, but other than the kitchen, the space doesn't exactly lend itself to socializing--all of our rooms are along a narrow hall, and the doors shut automatically. Thus, I've not actually seen anyone else in the flesh yet. I'm going to need a doorstop in order to seem more accessible.
Anyway, walking around the city today was a bit daunting, but I have a week to wander about and get my bearings, so I'm not worried. The centre is not particularly large, but the streets surrounding are rather confusing, what with the tendency to have streets like Archery Road and Archery Lane close together and yet being entirely different places. Googlemaps proved fairly unhelpful in this, so my sense of direction had better man up. The campus is large, but far easier navigation-wise due to much signage.
Other things today included getting a UK phone, which is possibly the girliest thing I have owned in ten years, at least. It's pink. They had no other color. I feel compelled to cover it in stickers or something. On the flip side, it has hilarious techno ringtones, and it slides to open, which I love. Also wonderful: I only pay for calls I make, not those I take. Take that, US cell services!
Okay, I think that's more than enough for now. All other entries will hopefully be shorter. Tomorrow, I get registered, get my ID, get a bank account, and get room accoutrements! Much getting. Exciting stuff.
For those not already in the know, I recently graduated from Vassar College with a BA in English. Despite how an entire song has been devoted to how useless a BA in English is, I decided that instead of trying something with more potential usefulness after graduation, I loved school enough to pursue my Master's in English as well, specifically in Victorian Literature.
So, on the recommendation of a couple of my professors, I chose to go the University of Leeds, in the northern part of England. This is a totally new experience for me--I've never lived in a city, I never took a semester abroad so I've not lived in a foreign country before, and I've never placed myself in a situation this large that I've known less about. Vassar had been an easy choice for me--other people from my high school had gone there, I'd visited a couple of times and loved it, and going had felt very natural. This, not so much. I know Leeds basically from tiny snapshots and the circuitous university website. I know the southern part of England a bit, but not the north at all. This is an exercise in complete displacement, of plonking myself into a new place and out of complacency, and hopefully getting a degree in the process. Right now, I'm really hoping it works. I think it will.
Now, with that out of the way, progress so far!
I arrived in Leeds today after getting up rather early in the Dublin Travelodge and schlepping over by way of Ryan Air. My parents and I have been in Ireland for the past ten days, touring around seeing fabulous cliffs and drinking beer, which was great fun, though hard for me to concentrate on when all I could really think about was what's to come. Dublin Airport, by the way, is quite the zoo--we weren't given our gate number until after getting through security (which I managed not to fail at this time--hooray paranoia), and after that the signage was fairly abysmal. Still, we got here in one piece, and were greeted by some very nice volunteers from the uni and taken by bus with some other international students to our respective residences.
I'm living in Montague Burton, an extremely cute complex of apartments about ten minutes down the hill from campus. I've met only one of my flatmates so far, and only in passing, so I'm not sure of her name yet. I've heard some others scuttling about in the neighboring doors, but other than the kitchen, the space doesn't exactly lend itself to socializing--all of our rooms are along a narrow hall, and the doors shut automatically. Thus, I've not actually seen anyone else in the flesh yet. I'm going to need a doorstop in order to seem more accessible.
Anyway, walking around the city today was a bit daunting, but I have a week to wander about and get my bearings, so I'm not worried. The centre is not particularly large, but the streets surrounding are rather confusing, what with the tendency to have streets like Archery Road and Archery Lane close together and yet being entirely different places. Googlemaps proved fairly unhelpful in this, so my sense of direction had better man up. The campus is large, but far easier navigation-wise due to much signage.
Other things today included getting a UK phone, which is possibly the girliest thing I have owned in ten years, at least. It's pink. They had no other color. I feel compelled to cover it in stickers or something. On the flip side, it has hilarious techno ringtones, and it slides to open, which I love. Also wonderful: I only pay for calls I make, not those I take. Take that, US cell services!
Okay, I think that's more than enough for now. All other entries will hopefully be shorter. Tomorrow, I get registered, get my ID, get a bank account, and get room accoutrements! Much getting. Exciting stuff.
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