Mid-term excitement

The reason I haven't been blogging that much recently is simple - its to do with a simple little thing called mid-terms. In your English brains you probably think this means something exciting like half-term holidays and I have been too busy travelling to keep in touch. Au contraire. I have been stuck inside revising for tests. Only its not called revising over here, its called plain old studying. Well let me tell you that I am plain old tired of "studying". And I intend to let my frustrations out in this blog.

I feel like I haven't had a weekend since this term began. Each week Arabic gives us loads of homework, plus other subjects give us readings and the result is that I don't get to relax or travel. Its beginning to wear me down a bit and I better get the opportunity soon or I will create one myself by ignoring all my work and just hibernating. It is concerning that it is only Monday and I'm already calling for a weekend, I usually get to Wednesday before begging for one.

I'm used to having exams once a year, over here they are six times a year (or eight if you go to summer school). There is what feels like constant tests. I'm not too good at revising, I like to have something more specific to aim my work at, for example an essay. Revising everything is too broad and I get distracted easily. However over here I have no choice but to study (and procrastinate!).

I'm getting good at procrastination. Today being bonfire night I decided to reassert my Englishness in anyway I could, unfortunately I have no garden to have a bonfire and no fireworks to set off, so I made toffee apples. They were yummy and made me feel British. I've also been frequently distracted by the TV (we have about 200 channels - way too many) and Oz, who I invite over when I know I shouldn't.

I had my first midterm of this block (I had an Anthropology one two weeks ago) this afternoon. It was Arabic and going into it I was pretty sure I was going to fail. However it turned out to be much easier than expected and I think I passed. Sure, I couldn't remember number 4 or 9, but beyond that I filled in everything.

Tomorrow I have a modernity and secularisation exam and am fairly concerned about that. Our lecturer is very intellectual and gives us readings to do that seemingly don't relate in anyway to the topic and then goes off on massive tangents, yet still expects us to have a detailed knowledge of the subject. I went to a study group today and one of the guys there had some really detailed notes and he helped flesh all the gaps in mine out, I'm now feeling fairly confident. The guy kept using the analogy of his being naked to explain Freud's sublimation, so its fairly likely that I'll wake up tonight dreaming of him dancing naked in the rain, thankfully he's hot and so it won't be too much of a hardship. That study group went on for three hours and I'm now knackered, all I want to do is to doze in front of the TV, however my room mate is studying on the floor in front of it, so its kind of out of use at the moment. So instead I'm writing to you lovely people.

Changing tact entirely the weather has been bad here lately, and I mean October in England bad. There had been a thick cloud that has been really low and cold hovering over IV for a few days making everywhere really cold, and with ridiculously thin walls it is cold inside houses. Girls are walking around in ugg boats (that's ugg for uggly), they clearly think its freezing, its not, but it is decidedly cold. However today it broke and the sun came out. Not before I had gone shopping online (I'm too busy to shop in person) and brought myself a winter coat and long sleeved tops. Seeing as the weather has improved I may have jumped the gun and so am in the process of persuading Oz that we should go somewhere really cold for Christmas so I can wear my new coat. I'm thinking a nice cabin in Yosemite, it would snow!!!

This weekend I'm going backpacking in the Sequoia national park with the excursion club and Oz, should be good fun, although really hard as we've got to walk miles with all our stuff (tents, food, etc) on our backs, plus bear cans - containers that smelly stuff goes into that bears can't get into - we're in bear country. Apparently its going to be very cold, so I've had to buy thermals and polar fleeces, scarfs and jumpers (which is another reason to go to Yosemite for Christmas - I want my moneys worth!). Should be great fun though. Although its another weekend with no lie ins.