I cannot believe that I have only been in Scotland for one week. Although I still have a ways to go as far as fully adjusting to life at the University of Stirling, throwing myself into a new culture has already been rewarding. Read about some of the challenges and triumphs of my first week!
Courses
Courses at the University of Stirling are called modules. Modules may consist of lectures, seminars/tutorials, and practicals. Lectures are pretty straightforward, and similar to most classes at Susquehanna. Seminars, or tutorials, are essentially discussion-based sessions that involve a professor guiding students' analysis of assigned readings. Practicals are like labs, and are more common for students studying science. Most modules will have one seminar a week, in addition to one or two hour-long lectures a week. This structure is extremely different than American colleges. One of my English modules is just one seminar a week, no lectures. So I have way more free-time versus my class schedules at SU, which are usually three MWF classes and one T/TH.
My plan of attack for this adjustment is to go to the library whenever I have a few hours to kill between lectures, or on the days that I don't have any academic obligations. Of course some days I will go on trips, but I want to stay on top of my readings and start writing my essays as much in advance as possible. Speaking of essays, most modules base students' grades off of a scarily short list of assignments. I'm used to submitting weekly reading responses, speaking up in class for participation quotas, and being assigned individual or groups projects at least twice a semester. For my modules this semester, I have to write a midterm essay, and a final essay, each of which counts for 50% of my final grade.
This is intimidating, but also just the motivation I need to avoid slacking on readings. I appreciate the independence because I will be able to use the additional free time to put more time and effort into these essays than I usually would be able to at home.
Navigating Campus
Finding the buildings on campus is pretty straightforward, especially because there are only two academic buildings. Although, the first time I walked to Pathfoot, I walked almost entirely around the perimeter of campus, not realizing that I could have walked down the path near my housing to avoid a large hill and save about 10 minutes. The real challenge is finding the right room in a maze of lecture halls and computer labs. The hallways are so confusing that I will probably have to give myself a few extra minutes to find my way for the next few weeks. I also have to select my seats pretty carefully, because the rows are so narrow that there is no possibility of getting up to go to the bathroom if you've sat in the middle.
The Student Union at the center of campus is pretty much a one-stop shop for events and anything a student might need. There is a grocery store with reasonable prices and a decent selection, the campus bookstore, a pharmacy, multiple grab-and-go and made-to-order dining locations, as well as a party space and cafe downstairs that serves Starbucks. A few additional features are the Blue & Green Space, a second-hand shop for students to purchase used household items and textbooks, a store with university apparel, and probably more that I haven't discovered yet.
Clubs and Activities
To join a club here, you must purchase a clubs and societies membership card for £5 in addition to a membership fee (usually £5 as well) for each individual club. Luckily, every club and sports team is required to host a free "Give It A Go" (GIAG) event each semester, usually a game night. This gives students a chance to learn more about the organization and chat with other members/interested students before committing to the membership fee(s).
This week I will be going to the GIAGs for the History Society, the Environmental Society, and Brig, the student newspaper. My friends and I participated in the Mountaineering Society's GIAG this morning, which was a hill-walk to the top of the mountain next to campus, but more on that later.
Venturing Off-Campus
Friday night, my friends and I took the Unilink bus to Stirling, which was £1.30 for a one-way ticket. Not far from the city centre bus stop is the Thistles mall and an area of shops with cobblestone pedestrian-only streets between them. After doing a bit of light shopping, we wandered the streets looking for a restaurant with mid-range prices and wasn't too touristy. After a few minutes, we found a restaurant called City Walls.
When we walked in and saw a dining room full of middle-aged Scottish couples, I knew we'd found a good spot for dinner. There was a decent selection of traditional Scottish meals like meat pies and haggis, and dishes like the spicy cajun chicken penne I ordered. The generous serving of pasta, which came with a side of garlic ciabatta, was only £13, including my drink as well.
When we left the restaurant, I asked a group of locals to take our picture in front of a statue. In true Scottish fashion, they happily agreed and struck up a conversation. The trio were workers at the Youth Hostel, out for the night supplying water and keeping an eye out for youngsters partying too hard in the clubs. They were very excited to meet international students, and recommended that we watch the sunset from the top of the hill we were standing at the base of. An elevated view of the city during golden hour sounded pretty fantastic to us, especially since the Stirling Castle is at the top, and the pictures we took definitely do not disappoint.
This morning, we climbed another hill, although Mt. Dumyat was on an entirely other level of physical challenge. The way up took just under two hours, but the incline was pretty aggressive for someone used to the relatively flat trails that Pennsylvania has to offer. The ground was pretty muddy, which made the walk down particularly terrifying at parts, and the rockier parts were slippery as well because we had a light burst of rain about halfway through our ascent. I'm glad that I brought hiking boots with me, because I was amazed that there were other students wearing sneakers, one boy I met was even wearing a pair of converse. While I'm sure this won't be the only time I make use of my boots, I don't plan on climbing to Dumyat's peak again anytime soon. As one of the Mountaineering leaders told me, everyone should climb it at least once a semester for the experience, so it's a good thing I've gotten it out of the way my first week here. But when I walk a mile to class for my 10 AM lecture tomorrow morning, I'm sure I won't be too happy about my Sunday adventure.