Level One, Here We Come

The school/grading system here in the UK is very different than what we are used to in America. Your final grade is a level. Level 1 is an A, level 2 is a B and so-forth. Our grades will be entirely based on one 3000-word paper we write for each class. These 3000 words, we were warned, need to be in UK English. We don’t really understand why colour needs a “u” or why the British think they should spell organisation like the French, but it’s their programme, so we’ll try to be on our best writing behaviour!

The past few days we have been pretty busy getting settled into our rooms, attending a make-up orientation (we missed the original one because our flight was cancelled) and actually going to class (we still think we’re on holiday here). Classes here only meet once a week for 2 hours, but have a lot of independent reading. The stereotype of English people being anti-social even surfaces in the education system! Fortunately, both of us are taking classes in which we fancy the subject matter.

As we settled into our rooms we realized we definitely needed some hangers. Our coats were sprawled across both of our rooms and it was starting to get a little crowded. When you don’t have a Target or Wal-Mart it is nearly impossible to find hangers! We asked various people around campus and NO ONE knew. The best answer we got was (remember to put on your British accent), “I just buy my clothes and take the hangers they come on and hang them up that way.” Oh, thanks buddy. After searching for hours we felt accomplished when we found a couple of packs in a market nearby; you can see the tacky carpet on our floors now!

Today we ventured into a street market in Deptford, a town about 10 minutes away (the same town where we found the hangers). We tried on some interesting British fashion and saw some characters. We enjoyed the atmosphere and want to make it a Wednesday tradition!

Remember when we said the UK school system was different? Well, the teachers and students here are a little too comfortable with each other. In class today, Cristina witnessed a student talking to a teacher about a reading she had done. As they talked, the student proceeded to pull out some marijuana and roll a blunt. NO BIG DEAL. The teacher continued talking as if everything was normal. Everyone in the whole room acted like that. Cristina, on the other hand (on the inside), was in utter shock. What happened to D.A.R.E? or Red Ribbon Week??

Tonight we went grocery shopping at our local grocery store, Sainsburys. We have made a trip there at least once a day, but sometimes up to three times. We love it!

We have been exploring where we live and our urban home is growing on us, especially when we get to watch London sunsets from our windows every day :)

Cheers!