What a week! The first week of school has been so hectic, but it will (hopefully) start to settle down on Wednesday when we begin regular classes. I decided to take English, Spanish, and Middle Eastern History at the higher level, and Physics, Math, and Economics at the standard level. Those classes, along with the service I will pick and a couple of other requirements will make up my IB program for the next two years! So I hope I picked ones I will enjoy!
On Tuesday, half of the school went to first year camp. It was on a farm in West Wales that was surrounded by some gorgeous scenery...cliffs, mountains, the ocean, and an old slate quarry where we went coasteering! Coasteering is basically exploring cliffs, climbing on rocks, and jumping off those rocks into the water. It was one of the best parts of camp. Meeting so many people was great as well...before camp, we had really only met the people in our house and the others from the same country as us. Camp was very tiring though. We had a lot of activities each day, and every morning the second years woke us up by banging pots and pans and blasting music into our dorms! They also ran the same 12 songs on a continuous track...the goal was to make us remember camp every time we heard those songs! That's all fine, but if I hear Katy Perry's "Firework" any time in the next two months, I may just remember being sick of it. Anyway, we were all very tired when we stumbled back to school at midnight on Friday. Oh, on Tuesday the bus broke down on the way to camp and started smoking, so we all got out and talked to people and waited an hour for a new bus to arrive. So that was lovely.
I'm ready for classes because I'd like to get in to a bit more regular routine...everything is a little strange right now, with first years running around doing induction and each day so different than the previous one. Two of my three roommates have arrived....one, Bridie, is from the UK, though she has lived in China for the past 5 years. The other, Chisom, is from Nigeria, and she just got here a couple of days ago. Our final roommate, Yangchen, is from Tibet, and she'll be getting here September 4th. Chisom and Bridie are great...they are lots of fun and very considerate people, which is good since we are sharing a very small space.
I have to leave now because we are about to go to ILB induction, which is the lifeboat service at the college. It sounds interesting, so I'll have to see what it's about! We've been lucky with the weather so far...no rain yet, so I hope that continues while we're on the water today! The castle is amazing to walk around when the weather is nice, though I have yet to really find my way around campus.
I miss everyone at home and think about Jacksonville every day. I love it here, but it has been difficult being away from my friends and family. I hope everything is going great at home and that hurricane season doesn't hit too hard! We're waiting to hear about NYC since a girl from my house comes from New York and her family is up there. Please send good thoughts their way!
Madi
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Day 0: Last Night Home
Hi all,
Well, it's finally here. The day I've been hoping would come for two years and anticipating for four months is just around the corner, and I am more excited than ever! Tomorrow I leave sunny Jacksonville, Florida and fly to London. My mom will go with me, and my cousin Joanna will meet us in London. We will stay in London for five days before taking a train to Cardiff, Wales. After staying in Cardiff for a couple of days, Mom and Joanna will drop me off at the United World College of the Atlantic, my school for the next two years!
Atlantic College is one of twelve United World Colleges located around the world. Atlantic College was actually the first college founded in 1962, and all the other colleges are loosely based off of its program. The goal of the program is to bring international students together for the purpose of providing a secondary education that focuses on leadership, service, and global cooperation. The large amount of countries that the school's students come from (about 70, with only 350 students in the school) allows students to learn from each other outside the traditional classroom setting. All of the students participate in the two-year International Baccalaureate program, a standardized curriculum that is recognized in most places in the world. This rigorous academic program adds to the international environment and challenge of the school.
That's a little bit about the program I'm going to be a part of for the next two years. I am very lucky to have this opportunity, and I am looking forward to it more with every new piece of information I receive. Recently, I got my rooming assignments, which was a major source of excitement. I will be living in Morgannwg (when I learn how to pronounce that I'll let you know how to say it!) with 24 other first-years and 23 second-years. My dorm mates will be three first-year students. One girl is from the Cayman Islands, one is from Nigeria, and one is from Tibet. I am very excited to meet them all, and the contact I've had with Abi (the girl from the Cayman Islands) and Yangchen (the girl from Tibet) has made me feel like we'll all get along quite well.
Hopefully, I'll be updating my blog every week, depending on Internet accessibility, which I hear can be pretty spotty on campus. All in all, I am only excited about the upcoming two years. I'm sad to be leaving all of my great friends and family, but I'm not nervous because I know what's in store for me will be an experience of a lifetime. I'll keep you posted on the college, Wales, and all the people I meet!
Madi
Well, it's finally here. The day I've been hoping would come for two years and anticipating for four months is just around the corner, and I am more excited than ever! Tomorrow I leave sunny Jacksonville, Florida and fly to London. My mom will go with me, and my cousin Joanna will meet us in London. We will stay in London for five days before taking a train to Cardiff, Wales. After staying in Cardiff for a couple of days, Mom and Joanna will drop me off at the United World College of the Atlantic, my school for the next two years!
Atlantic College is one of twelve United World Colleges located around the world. Atlantic College was actually the first college founded in 1962, and all the other colleges are loosely based off of its program. The goal of the program is to bring international students together for the purpose of providing a secondary education that focuses on leadership, service, and global cooperation. The large amount of countries that the school's students come from (about 70, with only 350 students in the school) allows students to learn from each other outside the traditional classroom setting. All of the students participate in the two-year International Baccalaureate program, a standardized curriculum that is recognized in most places in the world. This rigorous academic program adds to the international environment and challenge of the school.
That's a little bit about the program I'm going to be a part of for the next two years. I am very lucky to have this opportunity, and I am looking forward to it more with every new piece of information I receive. Recently, I got my rooming assignments, which was a major source of excitement. I will be living in Morgannwg (when I learn how to pronounce that I'll let you know how to say it!) with 24 other first-years and 23 second-years. My dorm mates will be three first-year students. One girl is from the Cayman Islands, one is from Nigeria, and one is from Tibet. I am very excited to meet them all, and the contact I've had with Abi (the girl from the Cayman Islands) and Yangchen (the girl from Tibet) has made me feel like we'll all get along quite well.
Hopefully, I'll be updating my blog every week, depending on Internet accessibility, which I hear can be pretty spotty on campus. All in all, I am only excited about the upcoming two years. I'm sad to be leaving all of my great friends and family, but I'm not nervous because I know what's in store for me will be an experience of a lifetime. I'll keep you posted on the college, Wales, and all the people I meet!
Madi
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