Matriculation, or How I Became Hermonie Granger For A Day...

Yesterday was one of the most unusual, definitely unique days of my life: Oxford Matriculation. At its core, it was just a simple ceremony consisting of a few sentences in Latin and a short speech in English. But nothing here stays simple for long.

What it actually was started at 9:30 in the morning (a cold morning, in fact) where 200 Green Templeton freshers were wandering around the college wearing their robes, hats, ties and "sub-fusc" (that is white shirt, black skirt/pants, and black shoes for the girls and white shirt, dark suit, black shoes and white tie for the boys).

Then, after milling around and taking photos for 2 hours, we walked en masse to the Examination Schools, where the ceremony actually took place. And it wasn't just Green Templeton students who were doing this; it was every fresher in the city. Oxford was over-flowing with people in gowns and sub-fusc. The tourests sure had a sight yesterday.

After the ceremony, the day was filled with English-y things, including Pimms and croquette, the Eagle and Child, and the Turf pubs. All while looking a sight in sub-fusc. But that's the good thing about Oxford: no matter how ridiculous I look, somebody looks even stranger.

Oh, and yes, I did also have my first week of classes. It's taking a bit to adjust to the ways that social scientists think and research, but the work is interesting. My supervisor for my dissertation (not a thesis, at least not in this country) is the former head of the Oxford teacher training programme, so that's going to be very exciting. And, lastly, I'm trying out rowing. Who knows, maybe I'll be back in London in 2012 for the Olympics...

Probably not.

It's Not Spam, I Swear

0th (or Naughth-I think) week is coming to an end and Monday will be the official start of term. It's been a surprisingly hectic week, yet sometimes simply filled with busy nothings. I've spent a lot of time over at the Education Department, which is very conveniently located 10 minutes from my flat. It's a largeish area, with lecture rooms and seminar rooms, a common room, a library, a few computer labs, and a garden. It's in a lovely red brick building. It's going to be a good place to spend a year.

I've also met with the other students doing my strand, and my tutors for the course. There are 12 people studying Higher Education, 5 of whom are from China, 4 from the states, and 1 each from Canada, Turjikistan, and Austria. We have two tutors, on of whom is English and the other German. It's a rather eclectic mix. But they all seem to be good people and some of the research questions proposed are fasinating (Things like: who applies to elite schools and why? Do Oxford tutorials teach critical thinking? What is the value of higher education?)

When not at the department, or not reading (always there will be reading), I've been caught up in "Freshers Week," or in the case of Green, "Freshers Fortnight." Basically, it's a series of events for new students, or Freshers, to help you get to know you college, the university, each other and join clubs. With all of the reading/classes/errands during the day and Freshers Week events at night, 0th week has been an exercise in burning the candle at both ends. Thankfully, it ends soon, but so far it's been a fantastic expierence and a good way to meet people.

Lastly, I've been getting to know Green College--where things are, who the people are, etc. Some cool features include fantastic gardens, tennis courts, a common room with fantastic views and free coffee/tea, and finally our own private former observatory, where we can get great views of the city. It's not quite the same as having a lake, like Megan has, but it's pretty good.

And yes, apparently Blogger thought this was all spam. But its not. I swear.

Learning to Drink Whiskey and Other Important Tasks

Yesterday, I learned how to drink whiskey. It was a big night for me. I'm so close to Scotland, and Lauren-a fellow Green student-loves it. I thought it was the right time. I've never had whiskey in any form before, let alone strait up, in a tumbler, and without ice or water (I did have a glass of water on hand in case it was necessary. It was).

Turns out, I actually kind of enjoyed it. I've always wanted to drink something that was old enough to order itself, and whiskey definitely fits the bill.

Guess my education began a few days early after all...

Settling In

I've been in Oxford for a grand total of 3 days, and am finally feeling pretty settled. My flight from O'Hare to Heathrow was 1/2 full, and arrived over an hour early. This is apparently typical of the flight, so remember: Virgin flight 40 from O'Hare. Plus, the service was excellent. To wit: free wine with dinner!

It was a long first day, mostly because I had two very heavy bags and two heavy carry-ons that I lugged around the city, and had to walk 30 minutes north to get the key to my room. Thankfully, the incredibly wonderful Megan (a friend from IWU) helped me every step of the way (in some cases literally)--even though she had Latin class! In case I don't say it enough, I have fantastic friends.

Tuesday through today have been a flurry of shopping, orientating, and making friends. Green is a beautiful college and everyone in it is incredibly friendly. The bar opened last night, so I got to meet a lot of freshers, or new students, who are currently in town.

The best thing at the moment is my location. I don't think I could've picked a better one if I tried. I'm living in University housing on Wellington Square. The building was clearly built in the 60s and the room is not so great, but the location is to die for. I'm literally a 5 minute walk from Megan and Annie (Megan's friend, who is now mine). I'm also a 5 minute walk from Green, and about a 7 minute walk to the city center. What's better is that within a few meters of my apartment are some of the best restaurants, bars, and ice cream in Oxford. This could get dangerous...

I have 3 more days until I officially begin my course on Monday. I'll post more then...