During my second week of Uni, my goal was to get more situated and make Stirling feel more like home. I did not do anything too excited during my second week but there were still some fun events sprinkled throughout the week. I focused a lot of my time catching up on the blog and my travel diary on Monday. I also caught up on some readings for my classes as well. This will be my first full week of classes including my lectures, seminars, and screenings so I wanted to be prepared! The courses, or modules, here at Stirling are split between a large lecture hall taught by a professor and a small classroom discussion setting taught by either a professor''s assistant or another professor. I had to sign up for the seminar classes separately compared to the lecture hall. I have also fallen in love with running around Airthrey Loch, located right on campus. It is such a pretty and quiet scene and you can easily spot the locals, the ducks and swans are nearly everywhere on the trail!
On Tuesday, I woke up to the nice sound of rain with two lectures and a seminar class ahead of me. I ended up meeting up with a friend from my study abroad program between classes and began to plan some future traveling! Since I do not have a meal plan, the student union offers a few cafe options, perfect to grab breakfast or lunch! Lately, my go-to breakfast has been a croissant and chocolate milk. I would say I have easily adapted to the croissant, jam, and tea lifestyle since I have been here. Later that night, my flatmates and some additional friends attended the Mountaineering Club's social located in downtown Stirling. The club called the social event "Pub Climb" (get it?) From meeting a boy from Germany to meeting a Cincinnati local, it was a great opportunity to meet people from across the world!
On Wednesday a storm was brewing on campus. Scotland does not get experience many thunderstorms but they do experience a lot of "storms". These storms usually last one or two days and often include high winds and heavier rains, compared to the light sprinkles of rain campus usually experiences. Luckily, I was able to avoid most of the weather with a screening of the film, "They Live" for my Reading Film and TV module. Later that night, I snuggled up with a cup of honey tea and my vintage £12 Scottish sweater I found in Edinburgh last weekend and worked on my travel diary.
Thursday involved catching up on my readings for my module classes and seminars on Friday. I also worked to catch up on my blog and travel diary. I also decided to check out Uni of Stirling's Club Swimming and attended their give-it-a-go practice. I am still debating if I am going to join or not through due to the unusual practice schedule! During practice though, I did end up catching up with a former Kennett Area YMCA swimmer who I use to swim with in middle school. He moved to England in middle school and now attends Uni of Stirling as a full-time student. A small world it seems to be! I also attended Uni of Stirling's Study Abroad Homecoming event, which was a great event to meet other international students and grab free food and drinks.
Friday's are always my busiest academic days with two lectures and two seminars. Between classes, I caught up with a friend and we checked out the library to finalize some traveling plans. After class, I went for a run around the loch and completed some housekeeping things, such as cleaning my room and doing some laundry! I finished off the night with cookie butter, pretzels, and a cup of raspberry tea, ready to watch the Da Vinci Code in preparation for my Scottish Border adventure on Saturday. Check out the next blog post about my excursion to the Scottish Borders and the Rosslyn Chapel, Melrose Abbey, and the Kelpies!
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