Saved by the Bell

And with the end of orientation came the beginning of class. It sounds like the ultimate doomsday. Us young students, on our semester-long vacation, dreams dashed by the distinct memory of readings, homework, and exams. Ah, to rain on our parade.

However, despite this mentality, I was excited for class to start. I am a creature of habit, and class meant a schedule and a way for me to organize the fast-paced life I am now living. I am enrolled in the history of European witch hunts, the history of the Renaissance, the history of the rise and fall of Hitler, political science and the European Union, and a French text in context class. As nightmarish as these may sound to an outsider, I cannot help but say I’m pretty fascinated with the material.

Every student is required to take at least five classes, or 16 credit hours. Amongst these, they must take a language (German or French), a base course study, and a mini-field tour study. The base course study is a four credit hour class in history, music, art, American Studies, etc that will be one of your main classes for the semester. This class will meet during the week, and also in April will go on a weeklong tour of the places you may be study. The rise and fall of Hitler is my base course, and I will be visiting Cracow, Auschwitz, and Prague. Other classes go to Amsterdam, Rome, etc. The mini-field tour class is similar. It is a sprint class, meaning it only meets until March. In February, you go on a five-day trip with your class. My mini-field class is the history of the witch-hunts, and I will be travelling to towns in France and Germany, including Trier, where the hunts were the most active.

I only had one change to my schedule. Everyone has his/her mini-field tour class on Thursdays. However, most students only have this class. Therefore, when this class ends in March, people have the day off to do day trips around Luxembourg, France, and Germany. I was stuck in a 400 level class Thursday afternoons. I decided it would be in my best interests, and that of my travel itinerary, to switch to the political science and take a French class back in Oxford next semester. For anyone going to Lux in the future, this is definitely something to look for.

Overall, my classes are good. It’s difficult having class start at 8:45 after an hour commute. I also go straight from 8:45 to 4:00 with only a half hour break for lunch. At least the rest of my week will be easy. My witch-hunt teacher is a little intense with a lot of reading, but the material is interesting. Political science will be a three hour long class once a week, and the material is difficult since I have never taken a political science class before, but I think it will be very useful. French is what I am most excited for. I actually feel as though I am beginning to understand the language living here.

Okay, these blog entries get so long and I’m sure no one wants to read to the end, but I’ll be sure to keep posting!