The first thing I have to do is explain this UK university system. All of the students who study here long term are in certain courses (what we call a major). From their first year of study, they are assigned 3 modules (classes) each semester. Everyone in the course attends the same modules with the same professors. This seems more like an elementary way of doing things to me... but what do I know? There are also no class size limitations, and often, more than one module attends the same lecture. For example, my anatomy and physiology module contained Biomedical course students as well as Pharmacy students. We will all go to the same lectures, but take different exams and attend different seminars.
Two of my modules are second year and one is first year. I was allowed to pick my courses because I am an international student, but I had a strange experience registering for my modules. On the University's website, they have a timetable with ALL of the module's lecture, seminar and practical (lab) times. I looked up the modules I thought I would need, and then I had to get the department heads to sign off on them. Since everyone else takes the same courses, this was a rather confusing process for them. Two of my modules overlap on Mondays, but the Biomedical chair looked me in the eye and said "You can go to one lecture one week, and the other the next week." ..... I'm sorry, WHAT?
To this comment, I actually had to reply, "Um, really? In America, that would never be okay, but if you look me in the eye and say that's what I can do, then I will do it."
This is why my quote for the week has been “Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” - Alice in Wonderland
So he said I could do it, and I am still a bit confused as to how that would have worked. Thankfully, it worked out that the conflicting lecture on the timetable is only for pharmacy students and I don't have to attend it. But still, WHY IS IT ON THE TIMETABLE IF IT ISN'T FOR EVERYONE TAKING THE CLASS?! I have been asking these kinds of questions in all caps for the past week, but I am finally just coming to terms with these culture differences.
My first lecture this week was Genetics. I have a very soft spoken woman of a professor with a pixie cut, and at first I thought she might be a little tough. Now I think she is more afraid of us than we are of her. Her first lecture was a review of cell biology. Before she began, she asked the class if we had all had cell biology last year. I have not had cell biology, but everyone else in the room already had, of course, because they are all on exactly the same track. As she began, I was a little worried, but I need to say a big thank you to Dr. Gillespie and Dr. Gilliam, who did a fantastic job teaching me more than the basics of cell bio in intro bio. I am light years ahead of everyone else in that lecture! (Of course it is only their second year and I am in my third...)
I got the same basic review of biology and chemistry in all of my other modules as well. In physiology we started out with the basics in the nervous system, so thank you to Dr. Mewaldt and Dr. Gilliam for introducing me to the Na/K pump and dendrites and axons well in advance. The Psychobiology professor also had to teach the class what an ion is and that ions with different charges will attract. He said that's how they get together to form a salt within a neuron... For the sake of the lecture, that's all the sophomores needed to know. However, I still sat there cringing, playing all of those ionic bond lectures from chem 211 over again in my mind.
Just today I had a lecture in Genetics on agarose gel electrophoresis, which is what I spent the last half of my summer doing! Most people in the class were thoroughly confused on the process, but I can tell you right now, I will be the first one done with that lab on Tuesday. Thank you Dr. Day!
I truly felt bad for the first year students in my anatomy and physiology class. I wasn't taking notes because I already knew the information on the powerpoint slides. When we went on break, however, I found out the girls in the bathroom had to stop taking notes because they couldn't understand the slightest bit what he was talking about. The only time I have experienced utter confusion in a university class was in Organic Chemistry, but I think that is justified. Thanks to my wonderful high school teachers, I have never sat in a college classroom and felt completely turned around. So this is when I have to ask, are American students really behind the rest of the world? Or is that just some popular myth we have in the states to make us all feel horrible about ourselves and want to improve things?
Anyway... here are my six impossible things before breakfast for this week:
1. The University of Ulster says it is no problem at all to be in two places at once.
2. Ulster doctors don't prescribe antibiotics until you have had flaming, dying, cold symptoms for 3 WEEKS.
3. "You's" is an acceptable plural form for "you all".
4. All 4 seasons can happen within 20 minutes.
5. A 63 can be an A grade.
6. The American dream lives
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