10. 11. 2009
3 minuty čtení
Probably as every future freshman (they are called "freshers" here), I felt concerns about many things before leaving home. But it soon turned out that they had been, at least for the time being, quite unnecessary. The university tries to make it as easy as possible for new students at the beginning of their stay. As early as September, my mailbox filled with numerous brochures, fliers, guides and handbooks that explained everything, ranging from the system of classes through to the operation of the school's cafeteria. On the other hand, the university expects that you are a grown up person and that you therefore will actually study the guides. If you don't, nobody will explain it to you for the second time.
The first two weeks of school could briefly be described as the getting acquainted time. Of course, only for the freshmen; other students follow a normal program. In the very first week, week 0, first year undergraduate students do not even have classes, and they only need to come to the school once to attend an introductory event at their school/department. Thus, they have more time for acclimatizing to their new environment, settle in the dorms, find their way around in the "student village" (find the laundry, cafeteria, supermarket, ATM, etc.), and, not least, get to know the other people. The last of these probably takes the longest time, quite understandably.
Week 0 is also an opportunity to become fully involved in university life. For this purpose, the local student union (called the Guild of Students; more details in one of my next contributions) organizes large student group and society fairs, job fairs for students and, of course, the requisite evening entertainments. In addition to all of this, try-outs and auditions take place for the university sport teams, orchestras, drama ensemble, musical performances, and much more.
The second week already sees classes on the normal timetable. However, most of them are still focused around getting to know how things work; the teachers introduce themselves and their subjects, and matters of a rather organizational nature are addressed. There are good reasons for this: the school campus is huge, and every class is taught in a different building. All freshmen therefore spend the whole week roaming the campus with a map in their hands, trying to find their lecture halls.
However, come the third week, all the fun is over, and instruction goes live. It is automatically expected that you will be everywhere not only on time but also well prepared. Mandatory reading and essay assignments are pouring in from all sides. I handed in my very first essay a week ago, although it was only a "practice" assignment, i.e., no marks were given for it. All of us are quickly finding that university studies will not exactly be a walk in the park. But, after all, we all anticipated this.
Petr Bulka, a student at the University of Birmingham, UK (International Studies with Economics)
Petr Bulka's studies at OPEN GATE and at the University of Birmingham have been supported by the Educa Foundation.
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