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Monday
Orientation
So my first "orientation" activity was Enrollment. I still didn't have a class schedule at this point so I figured that's when I'd get this all figured out. Nope, not at all. Just paperwork to confirm our place at Glasgow School of Art. Not too long after there was a general "International Welcome". The faculty here seem really great and very lively. Philly even got a shout-out! Not for anything good unfortunately....mostly for being dangerous : /. Well, better to be notorious than not known at all? Next was Library Induction which was not nearly as formal as it sounds. Simply a quick overview of the services the school library offers.
Tuesday
Nancy Drew and the Case of the Missing Tutor
At 10am I was supposed to go to the satellite campus and meet my tutor (advisor). I live conveniently near most of the school buildings but unfortunately the new design building is under construction on main campus. So the temporary quarters for the design school is 15 minutes away (reminiscent of the walk between PhilaU Main Campus and Falls Center. Nicer walk though!). I actually woke early to take the shuttle since I wasn't familiar with this area of the city. I got on the shuttle at 9:15 and didn't arrive until 9:45 due to other stops. So I will definitely be walking when it's a nice day and still light out. So I found my proper department and found the staff office. My tutor was not in yet so I was led to the studio and told I could wait there. Around 10am another exchange student came. She's from the Netherlands and was also meeting the tutor at the same time. We chatted extensively and waited 1.5 hours for the tutor to arrive. Finally we decided to leave. We exchanged numbers and emails hoping to get the issue sorted out soon. When I got back to my room I sent an email to my contact in the International Office here at GSA. She replied to say she'd look into it. Shortly after she forwarded an email from our tutor, he had called out sick and she apologized saying she must have read her email in the wrong order. Oh well. As of Tuesday....still no indication of what I will be doing school-wise here.
Church Plans
At some point church came up on our walk back from the pub Sunday night. Someone in our party was going to go to church at 9pm but unfortunately we were out too late and they missed it. I mentioned I was hoping to find a church here to the people I was walking with and they mentioned the names of the people in the house that go. Well today during dinnertime I bumped into one of them and she invited me to come with her Sunday. Sounds like they might also have a bible study. Yay!
Movie Night
The girl who invited me to church (also one of the few actual Scots I've met directly) proceeded to invite me to watch a movie with her and a couple of other housemates in her room. Later that evening I descended to the downstairs that I didn't even know existed (it feels like our house just consists of stairs, lots of stairs). The 4 other girls and I all watched "Big Fish". Andrew is actually the one who introduced it to me and it's my favorite Tim Burton movie because it's strange, but not in his dark usual way. Another really nice time with the people of my house.
Wednesday
Wrong FoCI lecture
While I'm here I only have 2 courses, Design and a research course called "Forum for Critical Inquiry" that all of Year 3 takes. Every year has their own FoCI course. In orientation they went over both Year 2 & 3's topics since the 40 exchange students are spread out across those two years. The Year 2 FoCI sounded interesting but Year 3 just sounded like research methods....very dull. Well Wednesday morning, a few exchange students and I all bumped into each other at the theater where the initial briefing for FoCI is supposed to take place. It gets started and it's actually a full lecture today based on "Modernity in the City". It was really fascinating. Rosters were being passed around while we listened and when I got it, all the pages said Year 1 across the top. My name was no where to be found. After the lecture wrapped up we talked to the lecturer and she apologized and said ours was actually TOMORROW morning. *sigh* Well at least it was a good lecture. It's just that now I know that Year 1 AND 2 are going to be doing more interesting things than me....darn.
While I'm here I only have 2 courses, Design and a research course called "Forum for Critical Inquiry" that all of Year 3 takes. Every year has their own FoCI course. In orientation they went over both Year 2 & 3's topics since the 40 exchange students are spread out across those two years. The Year 2 FoCI sounded interesting but Year 3 just sounded like research methods....very dull. Well Wednesday morning, a few exchange students and I all bumped into each other at the theater where the initial briefing for FoCI is supposed to take place. It gets started and it's actually a full lecture today based on "Modernity in the City". It was really fascinating. Rosters were being passed around while we listened and when I got it, all the pages said Year 1 across the top. My name was no where to be found. After the lecture wrapped up we talked to the lecturer and she apologized and said ours was actually TOMORROW morning. *sigh* Well at least it was a good lecture. It's just that now I know that Year 1 AND 2 are going to be doing more interesting things than me....darn.
The STILL Missing Tutors
After attending the wrong lecture, my Dutch friend and I went to the International Office to clarify some things. There are no signs anywhere but with some directions we confirmed that the random door next to the theater was it. Up a couple flights of stairs looking for some sign of GSA, we found the office. Our contact there apologized for the wrong date and suggested we go to our department and see if we can meet one of the other faculty members since our tutor was still sick. When we got down there, none of the Communication Design staff were in. We talked a bit to the other students and they gave us the project briefs but suggested waiting to speak to our tutor before starting. We got desk space for each of us then left.
After attending the wrong lecture, my Dutch friend and I went to the International Office to clarify some things. There are no signs anywhere but with some directions we confirmed that the random door next to the theater was it. Up a couple flights of stairs looking for some sign of GSA, we found the office. Our contact there apologized for the wrong date and suggested we go to our department and see if we can meet one of the other faculty members since our tutor was still sick. When we got down there, none of the Communication Design staff were in. We talked a bit to the other students and they gave us the project briefs but suggested waiting to speak to our tutor before starting. We got desk space for each of us then left.
The West End
My Dutch friend lives in the West End of Glasgow, closer to the satellite campus than the rest of school. She decided to show me around down there since we really had nothing else better to do. First we walked through the Kelvingrove Park. I have heard Glasgow has a good amount of green space but the area I live in doesn't have a lot (at least not that I've found). Even though it's typically wet, overcast and cold here, I really loved walking through the park. Something wonderful about those open greenspaces. :)
Then we went into the Kelvingrove Art Galley and Museum. Apparently all the museums in Glasgow are free so that's very cool. We just wondered around the ground floor, not being overly careful we saw everything. I definitely want to come back. Though it's kind of funny the way the exhibits go. We walked from Native Wildlife to Extinct Animals/Dinosaurs to Ancient Egypt to a City of Glasgow exhibit. Kind of eclectic but it was still really nice. Then we decided we should probably go back home before it got dark. My friend told me there was a bus stop nearby and also the Subway, but I figured I'd just walk. I haven't been on public transit yet and I knew I would be able to find my way back home walking. I definitely underestimated the walk. It was quite a ways but I finally made my way back. I must figure out public transit soon if I want to explore more areas of the city!
No camera so just iPod pictures!
Then we went into the Kelvingrove Art Galley and Museum. Apparently all the museums in Glasgow are free so that's very cool. We just wondered around the ground floor, not being overly careful we saw everything. I definitely want to come back. Though it's kind of funny the way the exhibits go. We walked from Native Wildlife to Extinct Animals/Dinosaurs to Ancient Egypt to a City of Glasgow exhibit. Kind of eclectic but it was still really nice. Then we decided we should probably go back home before it got dark. My friend told me there was a bus stop nearby and also the Subway, but I figured I'd just walk. I haven't been on public transit yet and I knew I would be able to find my way back home walking. I definitely underestimated the walk. It was quite a ways but I finally made my way back. I must figure out public transit soon if I want to explore more areas of the city!
Thursday
Thursday nothing too exciting happened, the only highlights were:
RIGHT FoCI Lecture
I attended the right FoCI lecture. It was so boring! Apparently we get to choose our own topics to research though, so maybe that will be good? It doesn't help it's in the morning either. Best part was chatting with the other international students at the end.
I attended the right FoCI lecture. It was so boring! Apparently we get to choose our own topics to research though, so maybe that will be good? It doesn't help it's in the morning either. Best part was chatting with the other international students at the end.
Grocery Shopping
Again this just proves how bland my day was. I went grocery shopping again, got there and did all my shopping. I was ready to pay when I realized I forgot my wallet. I put back all the chilled items and went back to my house. Fortunately it's only 10 minutes there and back. I left my other things in my basket out of the way on the floor but they are apparently very efficient because it was gone when I came back. So I re-shopped and went on my way.
Again this just proves how bland my day was. I went grocery shopping again, got there and did all my shopping. I was ready to pay when I realized I forgot my wallet. I put back all the chilled items and went back to my house. Fortunately it's only 10 minutes there and back. I left my other things in my basket out of the way on the floor but they are apparently very efficient because it was gone when I came back. So I re-shopped and went on my way.
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So not a whole lot of things have gone right this week but despite all that I have really fallen in love with Glasgow. Hopefully by next week I'll have everything (school-wise) figured out.
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