Classes have officially started! I am doing two classes. Although I was hoping to do more, I will get
the necessary credits and will have time to be very involved on campus. The first class I am taking, and perhaps the
one I have been looking forward to the most is “Approaches to Gender in English
Literature.” Of course, I am excited
simply because we will be studying English Literature; however, I am also interested
to study the interplay between Genders.
I am far from being an expert; however, even my 21-year-old limited
experience in life brain has been able to notice the disparity of the treatment
of genders in literature.
Having
noticed this, and/or had it pointed out to me by many a teacher, I am excited
to take this class and find out more about what society thinks (both in the
present and in the past), and even more than that, I am excited to discover
assumptions I have made, or have been taught, simply because they are a
societal norm.
The second class I am taking is
one I am also excited for, although I never thought I would be taking it
here. Broadly speaking, the class will
cover various genres of fiction writing and the technical aspects that separate
those genres. We already had our first
assignment, and I am waiting to hear back on my (very) short story.
As both of these classes are
designed to be for first or second year students, (Swansea advises exchange
students NOT to take the final year’s classes) I am discovering that there is a
certain amount of repetition in these classes compared to what I have already
taken. This is very similar to what I experienced
my freshman year.
I was blessed to attend an academically
challenging High School, so there were many classes my freshman year that were simply
a repeat, or perhaps a slight expansion, of what I had done in High
School. I think that speaks well for
OBA, but not at all badly for NWOSU. In
nearly the same way here, many of these classes are a repetition of what I have
already learned, at least in the simplest condensed form. Of course, I have taken most of the lower
level English credits, but I think it is more than that. Here, the classes are very structured and in
that limited.
Structure is wonderful, as an
A-type person, you will likely never hear me complain about the presence of structure. However, because so many of Northwestern’s
classes are discussion rather than lecture based, I think we cover a wider area
of ground, allowing for both specifically topic related and general
learning. With this in mind, I am not saying
that Swansea is in the wrong, not at all in fact. I think it is an excellent institution. I do however, know that Northwestern is preparing
me as a student, and am so happy to have been placed in that learning
environment. I know people often say
that distance gives you perspective, and from someone who is an ocean away, I
can certainly attest to the fact that Northwestern is a quality institution
which inspires learning and creativity.
I must apologize for running on,
but I am afraid two things have hit me at once:
“Fresher’s Flu” and homesickness.
For those of you, who like me are generally unfamiliar with the idea of “Fresher’s
Flu,” the phrase alludes to two things, first the concept of a “Fresher,”
essentially an individual who is new to campus, so a Freshman or an Exchange
Student. The second idea “flu” is self-explanatory. So in its entirety, “Fresher’s Flu” refers to
the consequence of throwing a LOT of people (each bearing their own germs) together
into various social and academic events:
widespread sickness. Seriously
though, the class rooms are littered with coughing, the buses must be a
breeding ground for death, and even my constant handwashing/sanitizing, refusal
to share drinks, and tendency to avoid (most) social events has not prevented
my partaking of this wide spread virus.
The other issue this week has been
homesickness. It is a strange concept,
and one I have experienced before. Camp
was always difficult for me, as a child, being away from home for more than a
night or two always seemed to induce an all-encompassing ache to be with
family. The homesickness I have been experiencing
here, however, is different. Perhaps it
is a consequence of more maturity (hopefully) than was displayed at 6th
grade camp, or perhaps it is the knowledge that this time the absence spans
months rather than weeks. Regardless of
why, the homesickness has been more of a pressure than an ache.
I would describe it much like
having a bruise on your leg. The bruise
doesn’t necessarily hurt, but there is a slight pressure on it. The pressure is of course easily ignored, but
in the silent moments throughout the day the pressure becomes more noticeable,
only to slip below the consciousness again when the mind is distracted. And, the bruise will hurt occasionally, but
only when pressed upon. This is the
homesickness I have experienced.
Even among the stress with
arranging classes, the sniffles, and the pressure, I am glad to be here. I have met so many people from so many other
walks of life. I am being forced to
examine my beliefs about my own culture, because here American culture (specifically
certain aspects of it) are out of the norm rather than expected. Every day, I am challenged to step outside my
shell, to ask questions, and to enjoy this experience.
Of course, I miss my family, and I
miss my NWOSU family. I so look forward
to being on a campus where I recognize (most) of the faces I walk by. I look forward to conversations in the lunch
line at the Student Center, English classes where we somehow manage to get
completely off topic yet learn so much, and family dinners that end with a hug
and kiss goodbye. But, however much I
may miss those things, I am not ready for my time here to end. In the silent moments the pressure to long
for those things does sneak up, but even in the silent moments, I know that the
plan for my life, at least for now, is to enjoy these precious moments at
Swansea and remember with joy (rather than longing) my families waiting for me
at home.
God Bless!
-Chandler