First Week at Uni

I can't believe I've only been here a week; it feels like I've known everyone for so much longer, and I'm already starting to view Lancaster as my home.

Violet House- my townhouse

 I live in 12-bedroom townhouse, but we have 2 empty rooms.  Me and Jess (my wonderful aussie flatmate) were the only ones here for a few days, and then the rest of the crew started filtering in before classes started. 

Lancaster University is very new and modern, in stark contrast to the old-fashioned English village of Lancaster.  The campus is very small (although I'm used to the fairly large Ohio University).  To walk from one end of campus to the other only takes 5-10 minutes.

View from the window

So far, my classes have been hit and miss.  I'm taking a great Philosophy of Science module with only about 10 students, so it's very interactive and thought-provoking.  I've decided to switch out my Sociology (gender) course for a "Documentary Cultures" module, where we essentially watch documentaries and then discuss them.  My Conservation Biology course seems fairly easy so far, so I hope it picks up a bit.  Finally, I'm taking a Sociology course ("Virtual Cultures") which analyses how our online lives has changed the way we interact with one another and how we view ourselves.    

General coursework here is very different from the states.  Overall, I only attend about 2 hours of lecture a week for each class.  Independent study is essential here; they expect you to spend much more time outside of class reading and revising than is expected back home.  Lectures will end the week of March 20th, followed by a 4-week mid-term break, and then "Summer Term" commences, but there aren't actually any lectures that we attend.  This time is meant for us to be studying, doing research, writing papers, and preparing for exams.  Exams are spread throughout the 5-week Summer Term.  I feel really great about this because it's easier for me to plan trips around my studies.   It'll also be a good challenge for me to work independently and pursue my studies on more of an individual-based level.

Friary in background

 














The town, a short bus ride away, definitely has the English village feel that I was hoping for.  As you can see, most of the buildings are made out of brownish grey stone.  A lot of areas are just walkways; cars aren't allowed to drive through, so it's very pedestrian-friendly.  "The Friary", the cathedral in the background, is actually a church-gone-pub that we ate in a few days ago.  It felt strange having a beer with stained glass surrounding us, but needless to say it was beautiful.

thanks wiki

Lancaster Castle is the main attraction of the town.  It was built sometime in the 11th century as a place of the royal courts, and eventually became a prison.  My friends and I took a tour, which I would highly recommend to anyone visiting.  We saw the royal courts and went inside a holding cell.  Currently, the castle is simply a historical site and soon-to-be hotel, which our tour guide didn't seem too pleased about.

Henrik, Jess, Tom, Elisabeth, and I at the castle

Jessica, my main mate

 The nightlife here is really great, although a bit expensive.  We take a bus into town and spend some time at pubs.  Both nights that we've gone out, we've ended up at Sugarhouse, a popular night club.  It was Henrik's birthday (another aussie) a few days ago so we had a big celebration.

Birthday boy with his complementary champagne

Myself, Elisabeth, Silje, Jess, and Lise at Bowland Bar

Lancaster University is divided into eight small residential colleges, and each has its own recreational area/pub.  If we don't feel like spending the bus money to get into town, we can just hang out at the laid-back bars on campus.  So far we've gone to two; Fylde and Bowland.
Don't get the wrong idea- this isn't a daily activity.  ;)

Bridging Cultures Program

    My adventure began with the Bridging Cultures Program, a 3-day orientation set up by Globalinks that takes place in London.  I was joined by students from Swansea, Kent, Queen Mary, and one student from my school (Lancaster).

Hyde Park

 

The first notable area, Hyde Park, is ideal for a stroll or relaxing by the pond.  The waterfowl aren't afraid of humans, so we got up-close and personal with some geese and swans.  The queen owns all of the swans in Britian, and it is an offense to kill or eat any.  This power remains solely to the queen, yet I don't believe that she exercises that right often.

Big Ben

 I had my first experience using the tube on the way to Big Ben.  We were able to wander around and snap some photos of this beautiful clock our way to a tour.  From here, we also got a great view of the London Eye.  Some of us flirted with the idea of taking a ride on the 395 foot wheel, but were discouraged by the price.

   

Duck Tour

river portion of Duck Tour

Westminster Abbey

MI6

The Duck Tour's main draw is that the vessel you ride in is both a bus and a boat; we drove straight from the road into the river.  Main attractions seen here were Westminster Abbey (a famous gothic church), Buckingham Palace (workplace of British monarch), MI6 (Secret Intelligence Service), and a great view of the London Eye/Big Ben from the water.  I wouldn't necessarily recommend this tour, however; the commentary was a bit lackluster and it was difficult to get a decent view of some of the main sights. 

Tower of London

 

This was, by far, my favorite spot in London.  Founded in 1066, it was used primarily as a royal residence, but also as a prison.  Today, it holds the Crowned Jewels of the United Kingdom and is renowned for its bloody history of torture and executions.  It is the infamous spot of execution for King Henry VIII's wife, Anne Boleyn, along with a few of his other wives.  The tower is huge, with the main barricade outlining the inner square of various buildings.  The White Tower, previously lodging for Lords, is now three floors full of artifacts.  Other main sights are St. John's Chapel, the Bloody Tower, and St. Peter ad Vincula.

Queen's Quarters

Anne Bolelyn Memorial

Tower Bridge

 Tower Bridge, built in 1866, is commonly mistaken as London Bridge, which is actually a bit upstream and much less impressive.  In fact, a legend exists that the man who bough London Bridge was under the impression that he bought Tower Bridge.  Unfortunately, we didn't get to see the bridge open, but apparently it's quite a sight to see.  The bridge has become one of the most popular iconic symbols of London.