I have been in the UK for over a month now and am already in a routine. It is now getting easier to juggle class, study/reading and the everyday life activities.
This past week has been a bit different, though. My first "assignment" for submission was due this week: a presentation. The subject was of my choosing, so I presented on my experiences in undergrad that led me to become interested in HIV/AIDS. It went well. My tutor, by whom the project was assigned, and one of my fellow classmates seemed to like the presentation.
Over the week I also was able to meet with a faculty member who possibly could be my summer project supervisor. Yes, the subject will be HIV/AIDS. The professor is one of the best policy researchers of the School, so I will be investigating an aspect of the politics of HIV/AIDS if I am able to work under him. Hopefully things work out!
I managed to squeeze in some culture this week as well. The tour guide who took us around Bloomsbury during Orientation Week recommended that we take advantage of the free museums in the area, one of which being the Wellcome Trust-sponsored Wellcome Collection. I finally was able to take advantage of the recommendation. It had great, medically-focused exhibits on microscopic imaging, medical tools and artefacts of yesteryear and other health-related exhibits. It's worth seeing if you are interested in health and/or medicine.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Sunday in St. Albans
My tutor/academic advisor invited his students to his home in St. Albans, a "suburb" of London that lies 30 miles north of the city, today. The outing was a chance for us to meet and get to know each other better over lunch and an afternoon away from busy London. It was splendid: the food was plentiful and delicious, the company was insightful and friendly and St. Albans was quintessentially British (i.e. it had many pubs, green spaces, old cookie-cutter brick homes down curving streets and a gorgeous Gothic cathedral) and lovely. Being able to interact with my peers and my tutor outside of the academic setting was refreshing (as well as getting a wonderfully prepared home-cooked meal in a slower-paced atmosphere); speaking causally about everyday life (for the most part) adds a level of humanity and, thus, comfort to the working relationship.
Friday, October 23, 2009
"Free" Morning
My class on respiratory infections this morning was cancelled because the prof thought that our lecture was next week. Lame. A group of my classmates and I decided to make the most of the morning: a quick tour of the British Museum! I still was able to learn, albeit about ancient cultures and civilisations versus bugs that love to live in your chest. How cool is having a major, highly reputable museum a block from your school so you can pop in for leisurely browsing when class gets cancelled? Answer: EXTREMELY COOL! I also was able to walk around and eat my lunch outside in Russell Square to take advantage of the warm, sunny weather (16C, 61F). After lunch and a trip to an Indian sweets shop with one of my classmates/friends, I had a 3.5 hour lecture on some of the different viral haemorrhagic fevers: Ebola, Marburg, Yellow, etc. What a great way to finish off the week!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Edinburgh o'er the Weekend
No true Alma College Scot would be complete without a trip to his/her "homeland". Despite the fact that I had to wait until I graduated, I finally made it to bonnie Scotland. Although I've been gone from the school for a short while, it was so nice to hear "Scotland the Brave" on bagpipes again. The locals apparently have caught on to the fact that tourists love to hear and see pipers as street performers.
I took the night bus to and from Edinburgh, the Scottish capital, for a weekend visit. Sorry Cardiff, Wales, but Edinburgh was much more captivating in both character and number of attractions (London still is a strong #1 for that position, though).
I arrived in Edinburgh just as the sun was starting to rise, at around 7.45. Not only did the crisp autumn air shook the grogginess off of me from the less-than-ideal night's sleep, but the sight of the city's Old Town across the valley took my breath away with its beauty (see above). Spectacular!
Wasting no time, I headed east to the famed Arthur's Seat in Holyrood Park. It offered marvellous panoramic views of the city, especially on such a nearly-cloudless day. The hike to the summit of the 186m (610ft) peak was the start of a great weekend. I followed a Scotsman up to the top who offered me pointers as to which was the best and quickest route, but made a bit of a mistake in descending the Seat alone via what looked to be the water drainage root (I realised that when it was too late...about half-way down the hill). Oops. It was an adventure, given the many slips that could have easily been my last. Haha. I am surprised that I made it down in one piece!
It was a bit windy up there (as you can see per the wind-blown hair...).
At the bottom of the hill and park were the Scottish Parliament and Holyrood Castle (the official residence of Her Majesty the Queen whilst in Scotland). After I toured the latter, I made my way to Calton Hill. The Nelson Memorial offered nice views of the city as well. One could see down one of the main streets, Princes Street, and across the city.
The rest of my day was devoted to doing outside activities: walking up and down some of the main streets (Queen, Princes, the Royal Mile, etc.) and going to see the castle! Medieval history seemed to be a major theme in Edinburgh. It was so fascinating! The sheer length of the time frame in which humans have occupied Europe and left their mark through written, painted or constructed works is so interesting and enthralling. That's another reason why I LOVE Europe. There's just so much history!
Sunday was my last day in town before I got back on the bus to London. The weather wasn't as nice; the clouds and rain that I expected to be present all weekend did indeed make a day-long appearance. You can't go to Scotland without experiencing the lovely Scottish weather, eh? I didn't mind. I checked out the museums that I failed to see the previous day (i.e. the National Museum of Scotland and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery). I did some last-minute exploration of the city--touring St. Giles' Cathedral, walking the Grassmarket and strolling through the Princes Street Gardens--before I got on the night bus for London.
Overall, the weekend was phenomenal. I was so glad that I decided to start to increasingly explore the UK. There are so many diverse places here. A great example of this is Scotland and Wales themselves, which although both occupy different locations of the island and are integral members of Great Britain, have completely different ways of and outlooks on life and Britishness. It was interesting to experience the ambiance of each city and get a taste of the Welsh and Scottish peoples and heritage. For instance, whereas Wales seemingly has made a point to preserve its language and culture through bilingual signs but remains firmly under British control, Scotland appears to not have as vehemently guarded their language but has taken more of a nationalist approach to gain ever-increasing autonomy from the UK as a whole. You would think it would be the opposite. How intriguing.
I arrived in Edinburgh just as the sun was starting to rise, at around 7.45. Not only did the crisp autumn air shook the grogginess off of me from the less-than-ideal night's sleep, but the sight of the city's Old Town across the valley took my breath away with its beauty (see above). Spectacular!
Wasting no time, I headed east to the famed Arthur's Seat in Holyrood Park. It offered marvellous panoramic views of the city, especially on such a nearly-cloudless day. The hike to the summit of the 186m (610ft) peak was the start of a great weekend. I followed a Scotsman up to the top who offered me pointers as to which was the best and quickest route, but made a bit of a mistake in descending the Seat alone via what looked to be the water drainage root (I realised that when it was too late...about half-way down the hill). Oops. It was an adventure, given the many slips that could have easily been my last. Haha. I am surprised that I made it down in one piece!
It was a bit windy up there (as you can see per the wind-blown hair...).
At the bottom of the hill and park were the Scottish Parliament and Holyrood Castle (the official residence of Her Majesty the Queen whilst in Scotland). After I toured the latter, I made my way to Calton Hill. The Nelson Memorial offered nice views of the city as well. One could see down one of the main streets, Princes Street, and across the city.
The rest of my day was devoted to doing outside activities: walking up and down some of the main streets (Queen, Princes, the Royal Mile, etc.) and going to see the castle! Medieval history seemed to be a major theme in Edinburgh. It was so fascinating! The sheer length of the time frame in which humans have occupied Europe and left their mark through written, painted or constructed works is so interesting and enthralling. That's another reason why I LOVE Europe. There's just so much history!
Sunday was my last day in town before I got back on the bus to London. The weather wasn't as nice; the clouds and rain that I expected to be present all weekend did indeed make a day-long appearance. You can't go to Scotland without experiencing the lovely Scottish weather, eh? I didn't mind. I checked out the museums that I failed to see the previous day (i.e. the National Museum of Scotland and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery). I did some last-minute exploration of the city--touring St. Giles' Cathedral, walking the Grassmarket and strolling through the Princes Street Gardens--before I got on the night bus for London.
Overall, the weekend was phenomenal. I was so glad that I decided to start to increasingly explore the UK. There are so many diverse places here. A great example of this is Scotland and Wales themselves, which although both occupy different locations of the island and are integral members of Great Britain, have completely different ways of and outlooks on life and Britishness. It was interesting to experience the ambiance of each city and get a taste of the Welsh and Scottish peoples and heritage. For instance, whereas Wales seemingly has made a point to preserve its language and culture through bilingual signs but remains firmly under British control, Scotland appears to not have as vehemently guarded their language but has taken more of a nationalist approach to gain ever-increasing autonomy from the UK as a whole. You would think it would be the opposite. How intriguing.
Friday, October 16, 2009
The Golden Poo Awards
One of the really cool things about London is the diversity. It's peoples, boroughs and events cover a wide range of cultures, endeavours and events. A great example of this is the event to which I went this evening: the Golden Poo Awards 2009. This event recognised efforts of peoples around the world to combat the nasty things (i.e. diarrhoea) that result from the poo that's transferred from person to person after a visit to the loo without washing one's hands with soap. The ultimate message was "Clean hands save lives."
15 October was Global Handwashing Day. To raise awareness, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine partnered with the UK's Department for International Development (DfID) and other organisations that work to combat disease and promote public health, sanitation and hygiene. The School hosted an event--the Golden Poo Awards--to increase awareness about the results of our vile habit of not washing hands properly after using the toilet. Such an action makes us susceptible to unpleasant, disease-causing bugs. This is especially a problem in the developing world, where diarrhoeal disorders per diseases transmitted by faecal matter kill annually millions of children under five.
The main feature of the awards was a film competition. Six short films to raise proper hygiene awareness that were entered in the London Film Festival (which is currently on-going) competed for the coveted Golden Poo Award. They were all cartoons and lasted about 2ish minutes each. Some of them were hilarious (i.e. animals dancing to up-beat music whilst pooing and washing their hands), while others were pretty disgusting (i.e. cartoon people pooing on their hands and touching others to overtly demonstrate that is basically what you do if you don't wash your hands). I won't be a spoiler and tell you which one won (hint: it's one of the films that I just described; I voted for the loser...). The event organisers are putting the films on YouTube. It's worth checking them out, as well as the website: www.globalhandwashingday.org.uk. The videos, as well as other details of the awards, should be on that website.
PS--It was great to be around and go to the awards with people who get as excited as I do about [diarrhoeal] infections of bacteria and viruses, as well as bodily functions, like pooing, in general. This place is GREAT!
15 October was Global Handwashing Day. To raise awareness, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine partnered with the UK's Department for International Development (DfID) and other organisations that work to combat disease and promote public health, sanitation and hygiene. The School hosted an event--the Golden Poo Awards--to increase awareness about the results of our vile habit of not washing hands properly after using the toilet. Such an action makes us susceptible to unpleasant, disease-causing bugs. This is especially a problem in the developing world, where diarrhoeal disorders per diseases transmitted by faecal matter kill annually millions of children under five.
The main feature of the awards was a film competition. Six short films to raise proper hygiene awareness that were entered in the London Film Festival (which is currently on-going) competed for the coveted Golden Poo Award. They were all cartoons and lasted about 2ish minutes each. Some of them were hilarious (i.e. animals dancing to up-beat music whilst pooing and washing their hands), while others were pretty disgusting (i.e. cartoon people pooing on their hands and touching others to overtly demonstrate that is basically what you do if you don't wash your hands). I won't be a spoiler and tell you which one won (hint: it's one of the films that I just described; I voted for the loser...). The event organisers are putting the films on YouTube. It's worth checking them out, as well as the website: www.globalhandwashingday.org.uk. The videos, as well as other details of the awards, should be on that website.
PS--It was great to be around and go to the awards with people who get as excited as I do about [diarrhoeal] infections of bacteria and viruses, as well as bodily functions, like pooing, in general. This place is GREAT!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Long Day
Wednesday is finally over. "Hump day" looks as if it will be my longest day of the week during this term. Sitting in multiple lectures and practicals all day was rather exhausting.
I started off the day early (8.00) with "Grand Rounds" at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases (HTD). One of my peers told me about the lecture series at the travel clinic every Wed. morning, and invited me to go with him this week. I leapt at the offer. The presentation was really informative. The presenter was a clinician and researcher of central nervous system tuberculosis (CNS TB). The first 15 minutes of the presentation was a case study, but the subsequent 45 minutes was a bit over my head because the medic went into the immunology and microbiology of the disease (as much as I love immuno and micro, it is a bit hard to 'digest' on an empty stomach at 8 in the morning). The rest of the day was jam-packed with lectures and practicals: Extended Epidemiology from 9.30-12.30, Lassa fever lecture from 12.30-13.30, Health Policy/Planning/Power from 14.00-17.00 and an inaugural lecture of the Royal Society for Tropical Medicine & Hygiene's first woman president from 17.30-18.30. Yikes! My brain is fried. I never thought that I'd say that I'd be too tired to do and am uninterested in reading. I've got plenty of it--more than is physically possible...ugh.
I started off the day early (8.00) with "Grand Rounds" at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases (HTD). One of my peers told me about the lecture series at the travel clinic every Wed. morning, and invited me to go with him this week. I leapt at the offer. The presentation was really informative. The presenter was a clinician and researcher of central nervous system tuberculosis (CNS TB). The first 15 minutes of the presentation was a case study, but the subsequent 45 minutes was a bit over my head because the medic went into the immunology and microbiology of the disease (as much as I love immuno and micro, it is a bit hard to 'digest' on an empty stomach at 8 in the morning). The rest of the day was jam-packed with lectures and practicals: Extended Epidemiology from 9.30-12.30, Lassa fever lecture from 12.30-13.30, Health Policy/Planning/Power from 14.00-17.00 and an inaugural lecture of the Royal Society for Tropical Medicine & Hygiene's first woman president from 17.30-18.30. Yikes! My brain is fried. I never thought that I'd say that I'd be too tired to do and am uninterested in reading. I've got plenty of it--more than is physically possible...ugh.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Weekend in Wales
The end of my first week came rather quickly. I am still getting used to the fact that there are really no assigned/required readings or assignments, but only ones that are recommended or optional (however, as you all figured, I will not be able to rest until I have completed them to ensure that I gain the best understanding of the subject materials. That means I'm doing the suggested readings and exercises plus more if possible...). Also, it may be another week or so before I fully get used to the demanding 9.30-17 daily schedule of lectures, seminars and practicals. Grad school is challenging, but interesting and fun. I decided to get away from the city to take some time to collect my thoughts so as not to get overwhelmed. It's been nearly three weeks since I arrived in London, so I figured that I should start exploring beyond the city. I was thinking about visiting Windsor Castle in Windsor or Cambridge over the weekend, which are a both a short train ride away from London, but I settled on something else: Wales!
Cardiff Bay was the second part of the city that I explored. The buildings that occupied this quarter of town had an eclectic mix of old and new architectural styles/designs. Apparently Cardiff has had a revival in that the port took some time to modernise and convert from a major exporting port to a major importing port. The Senate of the National Assembly for Wales was located on the bay (the building with the flat roof and glass walls), as well as the multi-venue Millennium Centre (the golden "domed" building), the unique Cardiff Visitor's Centre ("the Tube"; pictured below) and the vast Mermaid Quay shopping centre (the collection of buildings in the left of the picture). 
Edinburgh, Scotland is on the "to see" list for next weekend! I've heard it's a bit nicer than Cardiff, so it should be a good excursion.
Monday, October 05, 2009
The First Day of School
Every young person wishes for a half-day of school. I got one on the first day! The only class that I had today was my statistics course. The lecture topics seemed rather simple: data and distributions. The practical session wasn't bad either. We spent the time going over what we had learned 30 minutes earlier. If stats continues to be like this all term, Mondays are going to be low stress. They also will be welcomed because I am not in class all day!
Despite the fact that I have had only one day of classes, I am already beginning to see the differences between education here in the UK versus the US. This may only be LSHTM- or postgraduate school-specific, but it is still interesting nonetheless. The stats course is a requirement for many courses in the school. The lecture theatre--the biggest in the School--was crammed full of people. My largest class at Alma contained about 40-50 people. It was such a big change from my "norm". There were at least two to four times that amount today. I sat in the first couple rows, which was about eye-level with the lecturer. I felt as if I was barely noticeable in the crowd. However, the LSHTM is by no means is it a large school because it only has about 800 students. My comfort apparently still lies within a small school atmosphere!
The other big difference that I've noticed is what we are expected to do to prepare for the lectures, seminars and practicals. There are only "recommended" readings for the classes that are listed on "reading lists", versus assigned textbooks. We are also told to supplement our classes with outside reading. Lectures only briefly touch on the relevant topic, and are extremely quick-paced. Education in the UK is really 100% what you make of it. I better get started on making it a great, enriching experience--it's reading time!
Despite the fact that I have had only one day of classes, I am already beginning to see the differences between education here in the UK versus the US. This may only be LSHTM- or postgraduate school-specific, but it is still interesting nonetheless. The stats course is a requirement for many courses in the school. The lecture theatre--the biggest in the School--was crammed full of people. My largest class at Alma contained about 40-50 people. It was such a big change from my "norm". There were at least two to four times that amount today. I sat in the first couple rows, which was about eye-level with the lecturer. I felt as if I was barely noticeable in the crowd. However, the LSHTM is by no means is it a large school because it only has about 800 students. My comfort apparently still lies within a small school atmosphere!
The other big difference that I've noticed is what we are expected to do to prepare for the lectures, seminars and practicals. There are only "recommended" readings for the classes that are listed on "reading lists", versus assigned textbooks. We are also told to supplement our classes with outside reading. Lectures only briefly touch on the relevant topic, and are extremely quick-paced. Education in the UK is really 100% what you make of it. I better get started on making it a great, enriching experience--it's reading time!
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Final Days of Freedom
The past few days have been great. It was nice to relax and take in more of the city before classes start on Monday. With the exception of Monday, I have class every day all day until Christmas break: 9.30-17.00, with a 1.5 break between 12.30 and 14.00 for lunch. This is reminiscent of high school (class all day), but with a longer lunch. Meh. I am getting my degree in one year versus two if I were getting the equivalent degree in the States, so I guess the School really means "intensive" when they say it. I'll survive as I always do.
Choosing my classes was particularly hard this year. Alma was a small school, with a limited number of classes from which to choose for each term. There were a few classes that I would have liked to have taken but I didn't have time. I don't feel as if my education was discounted because of that, though. It feels a little different here. This term, "Term 1," allows us to take up to six modules and doesn't have many choices for electives. My course--Control of Infectious Diseases (CID)--has to take basic statistics, an epidemiology course, health economics and/or health policy/processes/power (HPPP) and a course on disease agents and their control. We could have chosen basic epidemiology, health economics and HPPP or extended epidemiology and either health economics or HPPP. I was so conflicted with what to choose. I have always been extremely interested in health policy (I designed my undergrad major around it), so I knew that I would be taking the policy course. However, the crux of my decision was whether or not to take the basic epi so I could take both the policy and econ, or to take the extended epi with just the policy course. Both epi and health economics are extremely important; epidemiology (the study of disease patterns in populations) is the foundation of public health, whereas health economics is crucial to be successful in creating good policy. I finally chose the extended epi and health policy after mapping out my schedule for this term and the next two terms, making several pro/con lists and thinking WAY TOO MUCH on the subject. Does it make me a nerd that I have decided to buy the health econ book to teach myself the material regardless of the decision? My course director at our course meeting on Friday, after many of my course mates and I turned in our class selection form, basically told us to take the extended class. That made me feel good, especially after many students scrambled to change their class choices. I'm happy with my decision so far. Hopefully I didn't cheat myself out of an opportunity to better understand public health and the intricacies that make interventions within it good (or not)! I'm not looking forward choosing classes to Terms 2 and 3, in which we can only make a single choice for a class in each module (modules C, D and E) from a list of about 5-8ish really interesting and pertinent courses to my degree and future.
Another event that made me feel great occurred on Friday. That was the day where we were able to meet our personal tutors. The tutor is the equivalent to our academic adviser. S/he helps us with any problems that we are having, academically or personally if need be, as well as help give us advice on making sound decisions on classes and summer projects. There was a chance that the tutor would not be there given that many of them are overseas doing research. However, I was able to meet and speak with mine. He is a French doctor who not only studied at the LSHTM, but who does work on HIV/AIDS (and STI co-infections) in sub-Saharan Africa (i.e. Tanzania!). His personality was great, too; he was extremely nice and seemed very committed to the School's students. It looks as if I will be well guided over the next year!
On Thursday, in addition to yesterday and today (Sat. & Sun.), there were no course functions. The free time gave me an opportunity to do some last-minute sightseeing before I will be bogged-down with coursework. Per the advice of one of my British classmates, I went to the [south-west] London borough of Richmond on Thursday. It felt as if it was a world away from the city. Richmond lies along the Thames (as does the city of London), so it had many boats and people along the river. However, unlike the city, the greenery and quaint houses/businesses along the river's edge made the area seem like one was in the country. It was brilliant. Everyone was outside because it was such a BEAUTIFUL day! The sun was actually shining. Although I enjoyed the down town area, the best part was the park (as per usual). It was HUGE. I walked in it for over an hour. There were even deer! I saw fawns, does and a large stag. They didn't seem to mind the passers-by. We were only about 100m away! I would have gotten better pictures, but my bloody camera's battery died.
My Saturday was devoted to more of the natural world--the Natural History Museum. It's a must-see here in London. The building is gorgeous, the exhibits are really informative and it's easy on the pocketbook because it's FREE like many of the museums here! I've been there before, but one could go back over and over again because there is so much there. Go if you ever have the chance!
And finally, today! The last day of my summer (it's only been about 5 months and one season later!). I went to the borough of Greenwich (south east London; it sounds like "grehn-itch"). Given that it's Europe, I had several choices of transportation to get out there: train, bus or boat. I chose the boat! That was a lovely experience in itself. You can see so much of the city. It's great. The ride took about an hour, but the sun was peeking out of the gloomy clouds at times and you could get awesome views of St. Paul's Cathedral and the City Hall (in the picture), in addition to the London Eye, Parliament, the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge. I was not bored for one minute! When I did arrive in Greenwich, I was able to see the Old Royal Naval College, the British Maritime Museum and the Royal Observatory. You may be wondering to yourself by now, "What's in Greenwich? Why go there? Wait, 'Greenwich' sounds familiar. Where do I know that name?" Well, you are RIGHT. I'm sure you've heard of "Greenwich Mean Time." Our modern time zones are based off of the city because the Prime Meridian, or 0 degrees longitude (0 0'00"), passes through the city and observatory. I was able to stand in two hemispheres at once! Hopefully I am as excited by my course materials as I was by simultaneously being in two different sections of the globe at once. I am sure I will be--I begin to find out tomorrow when classes start!
London rocks!
Choosing my classes was particularly hard this year. Alma was a small school, with a limited number of classes from which to choose for each term. There were a few classes that I would have liked to have taken but I didn't have time. I don't feel as if my education was discounted because of that, though. It feels a little different here. This term, "Term 1," allows us to take up to six modules and doesn't have many choices for electives. My course--Control of Infectious Diseases (CID)--has to take basic statistics, an epidemiology course, health economics and/or health policy/processes/power (HPPP) and a course on disease agents and their control. We could have chosen basic epidemiology, health economics and HPPP or extended epidemiology and either health economics or HPPP. I was so conflicted with what to choose. I have always been extremely interested in health policy (I designed my undergrad major around it), so I knew that I would be taking the policy course. However, the crux of my decision was whether or not to take the basic epi so I could take both the policy and econ, or to take the extended epi with just the policy course. Both epi and health economics are extremely important; epidemiology (the study of disease patterns in populations) is the foundation of public health, whereas health economics is crucial to be successful in creating good policy. I finally chose the extended epi and health policy after mapping out my schedule for this term and the next two terms, making several pro/con lists and thinking WAY TOO MUCH on the subject. Does it make me a nerd that I have decided to buy the health econ book to teach myself the material regardless of the decision? My course director at our course meeting on Friday, after many of my course mates and I turned in our class selection form, basically told us to take the extended class. That made me feel good, especially after many students scrambled to change their class choices. I'm happy with my decision so far. Hopefully I didn't cheat myself out of an opportunity to better understand public health and the intricacies that make interventions within it good (or not)! I'm not looking forward choosing classes to Terms 2 and 3, in which we can only make a single choice for a class in each module (modules C, D and E) from a list of about 5-8ish really interesting and pertinent courses to my degree and future.
Another event that made me feel great occurred on Friday. That was the day where we were able to meet our personal tutors. The tutor is the equivalent to our academic adviser. S/he helps us with any problems that we are having, academically or personally if need be, as well as help give us advice on making sound decisions on classes and summer projects. There was a chance that the tutor would not be there given that many of them are overseas doing research. However, I was able to meet and speak with mine. He is a French doctor who not only studied at the LSHTM, but who does work on HIV/AIDS (and STI co-infections) in sub-Saharan Africa (i.e. Tanzania!). His personality was great, too; he was extremely nice and seemed very committed to the School's students. It looks as if I will be well guided over the next year!
On Thursday, in addition to yesterday and today (Sat. & Sun.), there were no course functions. The free time gave me an opportunity to do some last-minute sightseeing before I will be bogged-down with coursework. Per the advice of one of my British classmates, I went to the [south-west] London borough of Richmond on Thursday. It felt as if it was a world away from the city. Richmond lies along the Thames (as does the city of London), so it had many boats and people along the river. However, unlike the city, the greenery and quaint houses/businesses along the river's edge made the area seem like one was in the country. It was brilliant. Everyone was outside because it was such a BEAUTIFUL day! The sun was actually shining. Although I enjoyed the down town area, the best part was the park (as per usual). It was HUGE. I walked in it for over an hour. There were even deer! I saw fawns, does and a large stag. They didn't seem to mind the passers-by. We were only about 100m away! I would have gotten better pictures, but my bloody camera's battery died.
My Saturday was devoted to more of the natural world--the Natural History Museum. It's a must-see here in London. The building is gorgeous, the exhibits are really informative and it's easy on the pocketbook because it's FREE like many of the museums here! I've been there before, but one could go back over and over again because there is so much there. Go if you ever have the chance!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Orientation Week
It's about time! This week is "Week 0", or "Fresher's Week". All orientation events are occurring around the University of London's schools, which are scattered around the the Bloomsbury area here in West London. Everyone, approximately 90,000 students, has been scrambling to attend all of the different welcome sessions of his or her uni and of the whole system. This includes me! Yesterday was the first day of orientation. My course only had to attend the School's welcome session in the morning and be back to the hall for registration at 2pm. This consisted of turning in one's registration form and other necessary documents, as well as get a photograph for the coveted student ID. More events, like the course lunch time meeting, occurred today and will take place for the rest of the week.
Unlike in the US where registration for your school occurs on one day or over the internet, it apparently takes about a week here; only one or two required events take place throughout the day. For instance, my course met for the first time together as a course today to have a lunchtime meeting. We discussed our course handbook, the "bible" for the year. It outlines the logistics of the course: important dates of the year, examination procedures, class descriptions, etc. Everything seems a bit overwhelming right now, but will surely be manageable once the classes begin next week. It's like meeting new people and making new friends. At first, you are nervous and hope that at least one person likes you. However, the majority of people are extremely nice and are eager to make friends because they are in the same situation. It may help that all of the social events are located at the pub (a UK thing?).
Although the long orientation week isn't stressful, I'd just assume start classes. London is a great city and there is so much to do, but I need school. Five months have passed since I've sat in a classroom and have had the typical student obligations of studying, sitting exams and LEARNING!!!! Some things apparently never change. I am still such a nerd. I am still stressing over which courses I should take and what my schedule is going to look like (it's going to be extremely hard in the upcoming terms where there is the possibility of only choosing ONE class out of the 5ish that are available per module slot). I am still thinking about taking on extracurricular work [to be a course representative (!!!?????)]. I have only to wait until Monday when all everything is finalised to start becoming more comfortable with my life in London as a student!
Unlike in the US where registration for your school occurs on one day or over the internet, it apparently takes about a week here; only one or two required events take place throughout the day. For instance, my course met for the first time together as a course today to have a lunchtime meeting. We discussed our course handbook, the "bible" for the year. It outlines the logistics of the course: important dates of the year, examination procedures, class descriptions, etc. Everything seems a bit overwhelming right now, but will surely be manageable once the classes begin next week. It's like meeting new people and making new friends. At first, you are nervous and hope that at least one person likes you. However, the majority of people are extremely nice and are eager to make friends because they are in the same situation. It may help that all of the social events are located at the pub (a UK thing?).
Although the long orientation week isn't stressful, I'd just assume start classes. London is a great city and there is so much to do, but I need school. Five months have passed since I've sat in a classroom and have had the typical student obligations of studying, sitting exams and LEARNING!!!! Some things apparently never change. I am still such a nerd. I am still stressing over which courses I should take and what my schedule is going to look like (it's going to be extremely hard in the upcoming terms where there is the possibility of only choosing ONE class out of the 5ish that are available per module slot). I am still thinking about taking on extracurricular work [to be a course representative (!!!?????)]. I have only to wait until Monday when all everything is finalised to start becoming more comfortable with my life in London as a student!
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