Take a deep breath...

Week 2 Summer term.

I can't recall if I mentioned this before, but I live in a flat full of first years. Which is great, because in your time here, first years are some of the best kind of friends you can have. They aren't jaded by the university experience yet, they are vibrant, interesting, and coping, much the same as study abroad students are.

However, I do have one peeve. They have no exams till June.

I just got finished taking my second exam here. I hesitated to write about the experience of the first because I thought it might be useful to see if the second would lend itself to the same feeling. Thankfully, that wasn't the case.

First of all, the pre-exam tension before you head in is killer. If you weren't nervous before, you certainly will be now.

People will tell you that everyone revises in their own way and that there is no "best way" to revise. These people are in denial. If you must procrastinate, make sure that you leave yourself at least a week to revise the lectures before the exam. I'm not going to tell you that any less and you aren't applying yourself, because you will have gathered that by this point. What is especially relevant to those who haven't exactly been proactive at studying for the exams is that if you haven't looked at the materials from each section of the course for at least a few minutes of every day, then your stress will be exponentially higher than need be. 10 minutes every day people. THAT'S ALL. Save yourself some truly embarrassing stress. Take it from me, I'm a psychologist.

Referencing the above, to help you even more, find a friend who is willing to learn passively, and explain to them the answer to previous exam questions. Explaining in this way to someone who likely has no idea what you are talking about and making it sound interesting demonstrates knowledge and understanding. Contrary to popular belief, the former is not enough to get you through one of these exams.

DO NOT BE INTIMIDATED. I was sitting next to this one girl who had decided to write the word count equivalent of Dostoevsky's 'Crime and Punishment'. Necessary? Absolutely not. You are meant to be exhibiting knowledge and understanding of the question being asked. Not perform what lectures call "knowledge dump". These people have lives to lead. Show some respect. The point is, don't take that as a sign that if you don't fluff up your mere 2 pages it's going to get a bad mark. As long as it is all concise, relevant, and answers the question, you are done.


Drink plenty of water the day or two leading up to the exam. You are 70% of it. You will need every bit of yourself for these things.


Basically, here's the point of these bits of advise. Exams here are NOT like they are in the States. They are vastly more intense, require more understanding of the material, can be on classes you took months ago, and require you to have done at least some revision. You absolutely cannot walk in without having been to a lecture and expect to pass the class. The exams count for 50% of your grade. That simple.


In other news, the weather is becoming exceedingly gorgeous and everything is in bloom or starting to flower. One of the most beautiful things I have seen here is the countryside in last few days. Take some time to yourself and walk to town from the university. It's a good hour, but a great show in local beauty.


More to report soon. Postings will be sparse for a little while due to much studying and less outing.

Way on down south London town.

You know those contests that you sometimes see advertised if you follow your favorite band or celebrity on Facebook, MySpace or Twitter? Most of us pass by them, right? I mean, who wins those things anyway?

Well, I won one.

VIP passes to Bullet for my Valentine's latest CD release in London's SoHo district.

One problem.

It was in two days, and I had to find a way to reason spending £50 (df= one weeks living expenses) on the train ticket, plus necessary expenses for one day and nights accommodation.

After little debate however (I mean, how often does this chance come?), I was on my way to the capital, with girlfriend in tow.

Having not visited the city since December of 2001, I was truly excited to see how my perspectives of it, now somewhat weathered by knowledge and time, would be during this brief and intense return. Not to be trumped, London didn't disappoint. With more culturally cool things to do than you could name in a day, we had no shortage of things to see and do within the budget of £0. Obviously, having a London newbie in my company, the need to see the essentials was necessary. From Euston, walked to the West End, the Palace, St. James's Park, houses of Parliament, Waterloo Bridge, Trafalgar Square, National Gallery (great collection of Renaissance and impressionist art), and finally Piccadilly en route back to the hostel in Camden town. Total time: 4 1/2 hours. With a break. Boo Ya.

Of course, the event that we had gone principally for was incredible. Open bar at swanky SoHo hotel whilst getting to be the first people in the world to hear the new album of one of your favorite bands while also getting to chat to them (translate - get exceedingly tipsy with them)? Makes for one hell of a good time.

What's the moral of the story then kids? While on study abroad, don't hesitate to enter those silly "I'll never win this" contests. Because while 60 million people makes for silly odds, its better than 360 million, and should you win, there is a good chance you will be going somewhere special.

Oh, and, London rocks. Go there.

Everyone do the student slog!

I'm not cut out to be a rockstar. Touring multiple cites with a new bed to sleep in every night is do-able, but  I appreciate knowing that my base it not far away.

The lack of updates can be attributed to 3 things. 

Americans abroad. You know how sometimes you make invitations for people to come and stay with you, not really being certain of how you will accommodate them, but being sure that you could figure it out should the time come? Well, 3 friends from the states, as well as 1 from England, called me on my invite. All at once. A smashing good time was had by all, as well as some of the tightest sleeping arrangements ever devised. The mindset was that they were not tourists (though we did do some very touristy things, cause you kinda have to), but outsiders, like I once was, to a completely new culture and it's practices. To make a long story short, they integrated smoothly and honestly into the university life of an English student. By the end of their week, they were no longer visitors to our flatmates, but neighbors. I say success on culture introduction. 

Mad dash to the coursework finish-line. 9,500 words. A poster. A full lab report. 3 weeks. Done. BEFORE THE DEADLINE. Proud? Damn Strait. 

Easter Traveling. 5 Cities over less than a week and a half. Dublin, Blackpool, Manchester, Warrington, and Liverpool. Let me give you a brief rundown:

Dublin - Ridiculously cheap flights using Ryan Air. Left for, and arrived on time. Very impressive. Great city with lots of history. The Irish are some of the most hospitable people I have ever encountered traveling. I recommend these sights, Dublin castle, Temple Bar, Grafton Street, the National Gallery, St. Steven's Green and shopping centre, and of course, the Guinness Storehouse. All of which, by the way, with the exception of the Storehouse are free to experience. Menupages.ie is an invaluable source for finding cheap eats and the best local spots to hang around. I highly recommend visiting the Brazen Head, the oldest pub in Ireland (since 1193) lots of real history to be found there. Stop into the Queen of Tarts cafe by the castle for a cuppa and some real charm from a truly unique cafe. Be comfortable with walking as well. 

Blackpool - We had the privilege of having a local show us round England's resort town and found, as it often happens, to be so much more. Rich history of supporting local talent in the music scene exists in the more indie parts of town. A nice break, for sure. 

Manchester - The capital of the north. Unfortunately I don't have much to report on way of things done, because spent most of the time in enjoyment of company of girlfriend and friend. We did hit up the Manchester Art Gallery, which was surprisingly well stocked with great 18th century art. The star of the show though, had to be the Odd Bar. Great vibe, even better food and a quirky setting. Dig it. 

Warrington - This was my first venture into a more "village" type of place. As expected, it was close and intimate, with plenty of character all on it's own. Participated in my first pub quiz, which I had been dying to do for ages now, didn't do too shabby, but definitely rocked it at darts. Comes recommended for a stop if you are in the area. 

Liverpool - This was the destination I had been looking forward to. As a lifelong Beatle-manic, this was my pilgrimage that I have been needing to make. For an entire day, I walked in their footsteps. Even stopping by the Jacaranda Club and Heebie Jeebie's, the first club they ever played and a club they might have frequented, respectively. The city itself is a vibrant place, full of great architecture and atmosphere that truly made you aware that you were in a place full of history. That said, I offer Liverpool in great esteem. 

Now that I am back in Lancaster, I have begun what can only be described by fellow students as the crawl towards exam period. With more and more people packing the learning zone every day, everyone is beginning to feel the premature end of the holiday. Who would have thought that out of all the things that I would miss from the states, the testing system would be one of them!?

That said, I need to be getting some sleep if I am going to be hitting up Cognitive Psych lecture notes tomorrow... Over and out.