Your mom goes to Oxford

HELLO FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND RANDOM PEOPLE WHO I HAVE NEVER MET AND PROBABLY NEVER WILL!

Welcome to my travel blog! I'm sorry there has been a bit of a delay getting this going, I've been busy, you know, living in the UK, but I promise (hopefully) to keep this up more consistantly from here on out.

Anyway so here goes....

Oxford is amazing. I am at St. Anne's College, which is just north of the center of town, and is one of the bigger (and more international) colleges at Oxford. For those of you are confused and think that I've been lying all along about going to the Oxford University, allow me to clarify. Oxford is made up approximately 30 colleges. Think Federal and State governments. Oxford is the federal government, responsibile for the curriculum, examinations, and general overview of academic affairs. The colleges act as the state governments, collecting tuition, providing accomodations, personal tutors (academic advisors), welfare programs, individual libraries, etc. etc. You cannot live in a country without living in a state (except D.C. ignore that), just like you cannot go to Oxford without also going to a college.

St. Anne's is one of the newer colleges at Oxford, and was the first college to accept women in the University, originally called the Assocation for the Education of Women. St. Anne's became co-ed in 1979. There is a strong focus on equal opportunities for education here, which is why it is one of the most international colleges to this day. Obviously, all of this makes me very happy.

Upon arriving at St. Anne's last Saturday, I was both exausted and giggly with excitment about what was to come. For those of you who know me (hopefully all of you, creepy), giggly is an extraordinarily high level of excitement that rarely comes to life and usually results in post-giggle denial. This blog will now explode in 15 seconds. But in any case, I was also exausted so napping took priority after exploring the college, throwing my suitcases on the ground, and attempting to (E.T) phone home. Fun fact, Oxford is not technologically savy (read: technologically challenged). They don't have to be. They are not competiting with other universities to be the best and needing to brag about their vast technological resources to prospective students. They are the best, they have always been the best, and they don't care that logging onto the internet is a huge pain in the behind, WIFI is hard to come by, and there is one printer for the entire college. That being said, I have an ethernet connection in my room, and I am happy.

I have met some really great people. Some American, and many from all over the world. St. Anne's did a great job getting us all "oriented," assigning Fresher's Helpers to arrive to college early and be nice to us and tell us stuff like where to do your laundry and how to check your pidgeon hole (you guessed it, mailbox!). We had to go to a bunch of Fresher's (Freshman) lectures, many of which were quite repetitive due to the fact that I have already been in a university for two years, but some were helpful and watching the extrodinarily hungover Freshers was entertainment enough. The first or second question anyone here asks you (usually after your name), is what you are "reading" or studying. It is how you are categorized and a large part of your identity. "Oh that's Sara she reads PPE." Finding someone who reads the same subject is like sinking a battleship, and excitement and chatter about fellow tutors and courses always ensues. More on the tutorial system later, but it's a school night!

Tomorrow is the first day of school. Tomorrow is October 11th. I repeat, tomorrow is the first day of school.

That's all for now. I have a ton of profound observant shit to write about the US vs. UK cultures, smart people, English Breakfast Tea, etc. But right now I need to sleep.  I have been fighting (unsuccessfully) the "Freshers Flu" all week, an inevitable sickness almost everyone (especially silly Americans) contracts soon after arriving at Oxford, and I need to wake up brilliant for my first day of school, and I have nothing to wear!

So party people, just remember: look both ways before crossing the street. Now look the other way, because they drive on the wrong side of the road.

CHEERS