Traveling through London and Dublin with a backpack was quite entertaining but I’m glad to be settled in Canterbury now. It felt funny moving back into the dorms; it’s every graduating senior’s dream “to go back to freshman year and do it all over again.” Well guys, I get to. Fresher’s Week, as they call it, is a completely genius idea. One week where there is no class but just orientations for your major and the student union plans different drinking events every night (18 is legal drinking age). I have a bar in my halls and the store that sells paper and notebooks sells booze. So a whole week of bonding with your floor mates before the pressure of work can get in to the way. I wish it had been like that for me at PSU. I don’t even think I can remember the names of the girls on my floor because I was never forced to get to know them, I met more people in class or at frats. Well, fresher’s week is coming to a close and my liver hurts and I feel a nasty cold brewing but that won’t keep me from doing our floors unofficial pub crawl tonight.
Although it was hard at first–being alone in a different country–I’m beginning to see how this could be one of the best experiences of my life. But class starts in a couple days so I may retract that statement. Doubt it 😉
Location: Canterbury, Kent UK
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Monique – I COMPLETELY agree with you about Fresher’s Week! Penn State (or most U.S. unis for that matter) would never host an orientation like this. Granted, the drinking age is different, but Kent has planned some great activities for the week.
It is so much more relaxed here. There were no boring ‘ice breaker’ orientation games or meetings. I am finding that people actually want to show up for the events here as well, in comparison to most American orientations. This may also have something to do with the fact that Kent seems to treat its freshmen like adults, and does not pretend to be oblivious to how students really are/act.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend and good luck during your first classes! We should meet up sometime soon to explore campus and/or Canterbury!