Yes, I do believe that it is my first time waking up to snow in Jönköping! It was absolutely beautiful yesterday, so I had no idea that it would snow today. I doubt that it will stick around long, but it was a nice surprise.
Yesterday, I went for a hike in the morning to think about my senior thesis. It was gorgeous outside and I re-sunburned my nose (I guess SPF 15 was not enough).
Yesterday, I went for a hike in the morning to think about my senior thesis. It was gorgeous outside and I re-sunburned my nose (I guess SPF 15 was not enough).
Spring flowers
In the forest...
I thought of quite a few thesis topics, but no specific questions. I have to submit my top three questions with a description in a week! Does this sound crazy to anyone else? I have been thinking about it non-stop for the past three weeks because a thesis topic is not exactly something that one can just choose on a whim. I definitely want to do something with environmental policy and developing countries. I am going to write my thesis with the Economics Department because I like it better than Political Science (haha!); as an IPE Major, I get a choice of options for my senior year. Also, course registration is coming up. I cannot believe that I am about to register for my last courses as an undergraduate! What happened to my undergraduate career? What happened to my LIFE?
And then there is life in Sweden...it is good! I took my BIG Swedish final on Friday and I am sure that I passed it. It was sort of difficult, which was expected, but I prepared as best as I could for it. I know that I did a lot better than the majority of my peers because I a) opened my books and b) enjoyed the course. The actual testing was a horrific experience! I am dreading all of my future examinations! Here is what I dislike about school here: lack of challenge, relationships, and trust. The challenge part I whine about all the time - school is way too easy here and some of the courses (ahem Economic Geography of Europe) are easier than those that I took my senior year of high school. I would LOVE to go to lecture more often and actually have assignments. I have learned a lot, but it has mostly been self taught, which is okay, but I did not come to Europe to home school. I honestly think that the European educational system is much easier than that in the USA. I also miss knowing my professors. I have no idea who my professors are here. For my Economic Geography course, I have a different professor every time and my International Trade course had upwards of one hundred students. I do know my Swedish teacher, which is really nice. I miss having professors that know my name and actively engage students in class. I hate being the only person that answers questions because everyone gives me weird looks and the professor looks completely surprised that someone actually answered. It makes me wonder if all of the questions here are rhetorical?
And trust. Well, I have to say that coming from CC, I am used to being highly trusted. The Honor Code is super important. I am allowed to take my examination in my room, on an airplane, in another state...and I am trusted to only use the resources specified. JIBS is the polar opposite. All of the examinations are given in special 'examination rooms' with rows of desks spaced a few feet apart on all sides. Students are required to register for the exam two weeks in advance (taking the course is apparently not good enough) and bring confirmation of registration along with TWO pieces of ID to the testing room. All belongings except a pen must be checked in at the back. I actually had to beg one of the proctors to let me keep my coat because it was freezing in that room! During that actual exam, no one is allowed to leave (there is a bathroom in the room) and two 'exam police' patrol the rows the whole time. The teacher checks in every now and then. It is so incredibly nerve wracking! The girl behind me ate an apple LOUDLY for at LEAST an hour and the boy in front of me would not quit sniffing and blowing his nose as LOUD as he possibly could. I will admit, I did not check any of my work and finished that exam in a third of the allocated time because I had to get out of there!
Okay, so that was pretty much a rant. I will give this school a little bit of credit and say that they sort of need a system like that. Last Tuesday, I had to take the other part of my Swedish exam - the essay part - in the classroom. Afterwards, I found out from the other students that I was literally the ONLY person who did not cheat on that essay! Are you kidding me? We had to write fifty to one hundred words about a picture and people cheated? Everyone had words written up and down their arms on a system with their neighbor. It was so appalling. People here have no integrity.
Now on to better news...
After the exam of death on Friday, I went to After Work with some people from my class because we thought that it was a fitting post-Swedish exam activity. On Fridays, restaurants have a special promotion where people buy drinks/pay to check their coats and then can hang out between 4:00 to 8:00 pm and eat whatever they want from the 'After Work buffet.' It is a really good way to meet people. I think that we will do it again next week! Yesterday, we had the monthly international dinner at my house and this time, the countries cooking were: Holland, Germany, and the USA. I made cruelty-free chocolate chip cookies and everyone loved them! Chocolate chips must be an American specialty because I could not find them here. I improvised and spent a good forty-five minutes chopping up dark chocolate bars into little pieces. I also ate my body weight in cookie dough, which was probably not the best idea, but also delicious. The best part about vegan cookies is, of course, the fact that they are free from exploitation, but second is the fact that the dough will not make you sick! I brought my own dinner to the dinner because I could not eat anything else there (the other American delights were mac and cheese, meatloaf, and coke/ice cream floats - the last one really freaked people out)...but it was fun anyways.
Today I have class and should probably work on that home exam for the Economic Geography (really easy, but also boring). I am making yummy potatoes and cabbage tonight. :)
Okay, so that was pretty much a rant. I will give this school a little bit of credit and say that they sort of need a system like that. Last Tuesday, I had to take the other part of my Swedish exam - the essay part - in the classroom. Afterwards, I found out from the other students that I was literally the ONLY person who did not cheat on that essay! Are you kidding me? We had to write fifty to one hundred words about a picture and people cheated? Everyone had words written up and down their arms on a system with their neighbor. It was so appalling. People here have no integrity.
Now on to better news...
After the exam of death on Friday, I went to After Work with some people from my class because we thought that it was a fitting post-Swedish exam activity. On Fridays, restaurants have a special promotion where people buy drinks/pay to check their coats and then can hang out between 4:00 to 8:00 pm and eat whatever they want from the 'After Work buffet.' It is a really good way to meet people. I think that we will do it again next week! Yesterday, we had the monthly international dinner at my house and this time, the countries cooking were: Holland, Germany, and the USA. I made cruelty-free chocolate chip cookies and everyone loved them! Chocolate chips must be an American specialty because I could not find them here. I improvised and spent a good forty-five minutes chopping up dark chocolate bars into little pieces. I also ate my body weight in cookie dough, which was probably not the best idea, but also delicious. The best part about vegan cookies is, of course, the fact that they are free from exploitation, but second is the fact that the dough will not make you sick! I brought my own dinner to the dinner because I could not eat anything else there (the other American delights were mac and cheese, meatloaf, and coke/ice cream floats - the last one really freaked people out)...but it was fun anyways.
Today I have class and should probably work on that home exam for the Economic Geography (really easy, but also boring). I am making yummy potatoes and cabbage tonight. :)
1 comment:
Hey T-Straw! I have enjoyed reading your blog the past few months...you're much more on top of things than I am when it comes to keeping people up to date! The whole examination process surprised me too! The room we were in felt like the great hall at Hogwarts and I was afraid to even look up from my test without the proctors getting mad at me. I tried to explain the honor code to other students and they looked at me like I was crazy!
Anyhoo, Happy St. Padraig's day a few days late! Good luck with your thesis topic...we don't have to decide on our's quite yet but the fact that it is even a legit thing to start planning is scary/soooo exciting! Miss you tons!
~Chai
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