Tag Archives: Oxford

La Vie En Rose

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ABSTRACT

A beautiful flowing piece of pink satin fabric with a few taints made by challenging tutorials, cold weather, instability at Penn State and a financial tank on E would describe week 5 at Oxford. I am writing this (the old school way) on my train back from Paris, where I spent the weekend completely astounded by all the beauty compressed into a single city.But coming back from my vie en rose, it dawned on me that I was coming back to bedlam. The essays, the studying, the overwhelmingly large textbooks I occasionally comprehend and the unwelcome visit of bees in my room were all awaiting me. And before I got to the complaining, I realized how much of a blessing in fact it is. If you don’t take away from anything I just typed, remember this: focus on the bigger picture.

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A beautiful flowing piece of pink satin fabric with a few taints made by challenging tutorials, cold weather, instability at Penn State and a financial tank on E would describe week 5 at Oxford. But while life has not been painted in a constant shade of rosy pink, the minor distortions are not worth complaining about. So let’s focus on the positives. Under this category falls the simple notion that it is WEEK 6 ALREADY! I don’t know how to feel about this. Just 3 more weeks and it’s all over; the experience that took me months to prepare for will be over. I really miss my family and Penn State, but I’m not sure I am ready to leave all the wonderful things, people and places I have encountered here, FOR (possibly) EVER! O.o . LouvreI’m honestly not even sure if Penn State will have the same vibe and warmth when I get back. Things have changed, people have changed, how easy will it be for me to squeeze back into a comfortable place upon my return? At the same time, no matter the vibe, it is my Alma Mater and something about it just draws me back, so I am ready to go….kind of…I don’t know if I am ready to leave this close and convenient location on the globe that gives me direct access to a myriad  of cultures.

I am writing this (the old school way) on my train back from Paris, where I spent the weekend completely astounded by all the beauty compressed into a single city. On more than one occasion, songs by �dith Piaf, or La M�me Piaf (the little Sparrow) as some may now her, played softly in the background like a soundtrack to my dreamy perfect French experience. Fortunately, over the summer, (as if I knew) I had watched her autobiography, La Vie En Rose, from which I cleverly borrowed the title of this entry and named after one of her most popular songs. You may have come across her song Je ne Regrette Rien that was featured in the movie Inception apparently (I am yet to watch the movie). Anyway, putting aside the tips of the French culture, it was such an amazing experience. Going to the Louvre Museum I must say was one of the most meaningful things I have ever done. As a child in Africa several years ago, staring at a picture in a book of this beautiful mysterious place in the world I never imagined ever having the chance to live out the experience and with patience and perseverance, when I least expected it, I was at this place, soaking in the breathtaking beauty. In addition to that, I visited the Eiffel tower and went to the 2nd floor (the top was closed), L’arc de Triomphe de l’�toile, the Notre Dame Cathedral, Walked along the Champs–�lys�es and ate crepes. Something about all the monuments makes you feel so small and not necessarily insignificant, but a part of something so much bigger than yourself- this world. The buildings, especially the arc, are so large, so concrete, so strong and make you seem so fragile, delicate and protected almost. I would definitely recommend the trip for anyone on the fence about.

Eiffel TowerBut coming back from my vie en rose, it dawned on me that I was coming back to bedlam. The essays, the studying, the overwhelmingly large textbooks I occasionally comprehend and the unwelcome visit of bees in my room were all awaiting me. And before I got to the complaining, I realized how much of a blessing in fact it is. Education in this world is a privilege and most definitely Oxford is a great one. I realized the opportunity to travel ANYWHERE on a weekend, in a safe country, with change in my pocket, food to eat and friends for company is a blessing. I was always taught to count my blessings and the moral of the story, or I guess this entry would be to count yours. Many of us are saddened by recent happening at Penn State and by excessive homework, perhaps sick relatives and I am pretty sure we are not living la vie en rose. In fact, so few of us are meanwhile we can all be.

If you don’t take away from anything I just typed, remember this: focus on the bigger picture. Every week (sometimes twice a week, when I have 2 tutorials) I stress over my essay. I focus on the word count, the structure, the argument and then I have to stop and think about the purpose of all this. I look at the bigger picture. I have 12 essays in total for one semester’s worth of grades out of 8 semesters total. I want to graduate with good grades because I want to go to law school, get a good job, start a family, etc. 20 years from now will I even remember this day? Is it worth stressing so much on or should I just relax, finish it and prepare better for the next one? Some may argue the contrary and while philosophies on life are subjective, a common denominator for most is that at the end of this rollercoaster we call life, we all want to be able to look back at all our deeds and experiences and think je ne regrette rien.


Location: Paris, France

Dominus Illuminatio Mea

Oxford I

I just completed my first week at Oxford University, St. Catherine’s College. One word I could use to describe it: Amazing. It has been so much fun and I have met amazing people who all seem so simple and normal but have the most developed thinking skills I have come across in years. I just completed Fresher’s Week, which was pretty much the ideal Fresher’s week I never had my freshman year. It was a week full of costume parties, performances, meetings, tours, dancing, bar tours, and bonding over drinks at the pub. Honestly, it’s been tough for someone who likes to do it all. Receiving on average 10 emails a day containing series of events presenting numerous opportunities for socializing and involvement, it is tempting to want to be up all night, meeting new people and have to wake up bright and early to meet more new people. I tried that lifestyle, but fell sick within 2 days and needless to say I backed out of the fast lane. On a more serious note, fresher’s week consisted of meeting with the Master, the Dean, tutors (professors) and other faculty that will assist me throughout my stay here

Oxford II

Oxford VIIIncase you are unfamiliar with the Oxford University system, as I was up until very recently, I will give you a quick overview. The University is no one particular building. There is no “main campus” either. The university consists of 38 self-governing colleges across the city of Oxford. I personally think St. Catherine’s college is the best, however, if you are looking for older architecture and a traditional feel to things, Catz(as we call it) will not be the one for you, seeing as it is the most recently built college. I have a primary and secondary tutorial: my primary tutorial is Public International Law at Balliol College and my secondary tutorial is European Democracies at St. Hughes College. With my BOD (ID) card, I have access to almost all Oxford University resources. Individual college libraries, for instance. are exclusive to the members of that college. Once I week I meet with my primary tutor for an hour and once every two weeks, I meet with my secondary tutor for an hour. Each time we meet, I have an essay of about 2000-2500 words due and during the tutorial we are to discuss the paper, which serves as a means to an end as opposed to an end in of itself. I have not had any tutorials yet, so I cannot tell you exactly how they go, but I will be sure to inform you about them. And so you may be wondering, for all my critically thinking readers, what then do you do the rest of the week Joyce? Well I am about to tell you what I do throughout the week, or what I am expected to do. There are lectures offered at various colleges on various topics throughout the week that I am not required to attend, however, I am expected to attend in order to better understand the materials I am using for the essay topic I am tackling that week. Tutors have made it clear that they are not necessarily the ones giving the lectures, and neither are they keeping track of whether or not you attend any, so this is completely optional and up to the student. The lectures are similar to what we would call “classes” except they are run by someone different from the person grading your work. It seems however, that regular students are required to attend the lectures and take them very seriously. Besides those lectures, studying required readings in the library, and typing up my essay, I do not think much more is expected of me.

Oxford IIII


On to the fun stuff! Is St. Catz like Harry Potter? No. Are there other colleges like Harry Potter? Yes. I have not visited them yet, but I have every intention to. Each college seems to have it’s own vibe and I want to experience it in part before I leave. Another question you may have: have I met Emma Watson yet? No I have not. Apparently she is indeed here at a college I cannot disclose to you for confidentiality reasons. Apparently she is an active visiting student attending fresher’s events and such, but that is just word on the street, I have no evidence to back that up. And finally, if you were wondering about the tradition and such, yes we have to stand up in silence in the dinning hall when the master and other elders walk in. We also have to wait for the master to hit the gavel and for those on the high table to sit before we can sit and are served our 3-course meals. Unlike the University College, and other colleges, we do not have to say grace in Latin prior to meals; however, the master does utter a few words in the language before he slams the gavel down.

Oxford VIIIThose of you who know me know that I strongly believe in getting involved on campus, and honestly, I am having a harder time doing that here as both a visiting and single-term student. A lot of organizations require membership fees, which cover you for anywhere between a year and a life time, but this is not beneficial to me. Also, because there is not much of a point getting involved on a campus I will only be attending for roughly two months, I find myself getting highly involved with the athletic organizations, such as basketball and football (soccer). All in all, it has been great, it has been fun, it has been different. The architecture is different; the people are not at all as uptight as I assumed they would be. The British accent is very easy to pick up on, and in case you are wondering, Dominus Illuminatio Mea, means the Lord is My Light and it is our Oxford University motto.

**Pictures: I included several pictures in this post, of the various colleges so that you can see for yourself how each college has a different feel to it and you can also get a feel for the town itself. I ran around taking the pictures today and at some point lost track of which picture was of which college. Check out the university website for a more detailed take on things.Oxford III**

Look forward to next week’s post-tutorial sessions/week II post!

Oxford V

Location: Oxford, England

Never Can Say Goodbye…or Can I

The Tower Bridge

Cheese Chocolate and Jogging

The three things I have fallen in love with since I’ve been in Europe. I can’t seem to understand why or how, but being here sets new habits. I am proud of just one of my new-found joys -jogging. I never knew how peaceful and relaxing it could be to jog. Recently I have been going to Hyde Park at sunset and enjoying the beauty of the area with just me, myself and I(pod). It has become such a part of me; I will miss it dearly when I leave for Oxford tomorrow (Tuesday 03/10/11). Rumor has it however, that Oxford has beautiful green space where I can implement my jogging skills, so that is definitely something I look forward to, unlike the course load. Speaking of course load, while academia deserves its own entire blog post, I will quickly hint that things have been tough and show no signs of looking up any time soon. On the bright side, I have been showing signs of stepping up, so that is always good.

Buckingham Palace


It’s been three weeks since I came to London and knowing that it is all coming to an end on Tuesday is bittersweet. Bitter because I got so accustomed to the underground, the environment and the luxuries in Chelsea are definitely something I can get used to.  It felt so good to finally know where I am going, and how to get there, despite the numerous times I got lost jogging. It is an even greater feeling to have the fire of ambition I see in everybody else’s eye as they drag briefcases or click their heels up and down the tube station (Tube is what they call subway, FYI) reflected in my own.  I will miss looking out my window into the eye of London and not be able to make two subway stops without landing at a touristic site; from the Buckingham palace on the Victoria line, to the billboards of Trafalgar Square.

The sweet part of it all is that while my mates have been in school for the last month and a half, my classes haven’t started at Oxford yet and I am beyond ready to get the ball rolling. You may be wondering “then what did she mean in the first paragraph about things being tough” and so here is your answer. During the last three weeks, we the students of the Oxford program have been taking a tutorial (class) at the IES center. This counts for 3 of the 15 credits we will achieve during this trip abroad. The tutorial is taught by a lecturer and has a maximum of about 3 students, so it is very intimate. This is also a gradual grooming into the UK educational system that will hopefully help us adjust in Oxford. With that said, I cannot wait to be in the college environment again. I can’t wait to be the busy bee I love to be, involved with several organizations, living on campus, meeting locals and just being able to mentally establish myself to the proper mindset. This is a school I read about in books and saw clips of in movies, but never in a million years would have ever imagined myself attending, whether it be for a day or a semester. Big Ben

In between my mixed emotions on leaving London, a set of emotions I am certain about, are those I feel towards my Alma Mater. I miss Penn State. Some Penn Staters in the program and I went to see the PSU v. Alabama game at a pub in London and it was amazing. There were PSU alumni from classes dating back to the 90’s all together under one roof; watching, chatting, cheering. There was an instant bond of talks of THON, Old main lawn, Artsfest. The alumni relying on us as current students to bring in the latest scoop and as they listened, you could see the nostalgia translating through their eyes.  I realized I have something they want; I attend Penn State. What a beautiful thing to be part of such greatness. The experience made me want to get so much more out of my final semester when I return. We are...Penn State



Location: London, Oxford