We were asked to keep diaries if possible to let other
upcoming Russian students know how it is like in here.
So, I resume my blog.
The updates won`t be regular (as usual) - just when there`s
something to say or to show.
Hope it would be useful.
It`s our third day here already, but only the first day I finally managed to make first notes. You will have two weeks to explore the campus, they said. You will, but not more, so hurry up. From the very beggining you should have ears, eyes and maps ready to start to navigate easily here and resolve all organization issues during the first week (as some of the classes\modules has already begun and just a few start the next week)!
It`s absolutely no problem to ask anybody about everything, everybody`s kind and quite helpful (with some exceptions). Some false directions can be given by mistake, the leaflets are almost useless - no specific information about almost anything. For example, we didn`t know about the existance of a dining hall in our... hall (Sherwood Hall) till the end of the second day, so we almost missed the pre-paid lunch. The leaflet about the meals had absolutely no info on the time and place where it is served.
How we got here: booked transfer tickets Moscow (Sheremetyevo) - Helsinki - London (Heatrow) (5+ hour flight, 13 000 rub approx.) Then coach by National Express from terminal 2 (we took a wild run to get there on time!) - funfare tickets with a discount from the University (don`t mind the line "tickets are not available to travel to\from airport" in "help" to the tickets - nonsence) - 3,5 hours ride. We got very thoughtful drivers, who kindly asked where we need to get to (gosh, we didn`t know ourselves for sure!) - so, they got us to Sherwood hall directly.
Customs problems: long queues mostly, approx. 1 hour. We were asked why we didn`t have return tickets. We said, that we were not aware of assessment schedule, so afraid to loose them if booked in advance.
How we got here: booked transfer tickets Moscow (Sheremetyevo) - Helsinki - London (Heatrow) (5+ hour flight, 13 000 rub approx.) Then coach by National Express from terminal 2 (we took a wild run to get there on time!) - funfare tickets with a discount from the University (don`t mind the line "tickets are not available to travel to\from airport" in "help" to the tickets - nonsence) - 3,5 hours ride. We got very thoughtful drivers, who kindly asked where we need to get to (gosh, we didn`t know ourselves for sure!) - so, they got us to Sherwood hall directly.
Customs problems: long queues mostly, approx. 1 hour. We were asked why we didn`t have return tickets. We said, that we were not aware of assessment schedule, so afraid to loose them if booked in advance.
A short "to do" list when arrived:
- go to the accomodation firstly (keys, laundry card, directions, welcome pack)
- go to receive another welcome pack (info about where is in the booklets in the room`s welcome pack)
- register online (if not registered at home). REMEMBER THE PASSWORD - it`s the access to all of the online fascilities: the campus WiFi, the student portal, Moodle... well, everything. (I failed here:))
- register in person (again, booklets)
- go to get your University Card (having scraped through the novels, we learnt that they are in your "school" (CLAS, for example, in Trent building)). The card is your ID here, access to the meals in the hall, to the library, to the 1 pound bus ride (for specific routs).
- attend the meetings in the given schedule ("Welcome information")
- try to choose modules by the end of the first week by speaking to people in the schools
Ok, here we are by now.
As for meeting other students, it`s the same as everywhere so far. Accidental striking up an acquaintance, pointless exchage of Facebook accounts (hate Facebook so much!), trying to remember the names... People are quite nice, of a huge variety of nationalities. There are so many beautiful people out here, really want to make friends, but I`m so bad at it, gosh! Well, we`ll see.
We get up at 8 am, go for the breakfast and then we are busy till it gets dark (5 pm). No way to do anything after except of eating again - so exhausted we are. We`ve been invited to clubs today - refused to go.
No noise time - 10:30 pm (doesn`t include leaving the room, taking a shower - that`s quite quiet:)
Meals: breakfasts and dinners are prepaid (simply go to the dining hall with the University Card) + we have 5.30 pounds to get anything tasty from any cafe\bar\food court at the territory of the University. Yep, even at Starbucks:) (psss, the one at the library is the cheapest;))
Mon-Fr
Breakfast - 7:45-9:30,
Tea & toastes availiable until 10:00
Dinner - 17:30 - 19:00
Sat-Sun
Brunch - 11:00-12:30
Dinner 17:30-18:30
Sherwood Hall photoes
Room facilities: double-sized bed, table lamp, book shelf, note board, table, fridge, wardrobe, sink, mirror. Showers & toilets are in the corridor, quite neat and cleaned regularly. Cattle, toaster, microwave oven & filtered water are availiable on the 1st and 2nd floor (2nd and 3d actually - that`s Britain).
The territory is huge, sort of a park with a pound, flower-beds, green loans, old trees and bushes nicely cut. We`re still getting lost sometimes, have to do a lot of walking. But that`s ok. The weather... well, it`s Brtitish. Sometimes it`s warm and sunny, but mostly it`s drizzling and gloomy, and wild is the wind... sorry. It`s comparatively warm, beautiful and it`s Britain - what else do you need when from Russia?
P.S. Just realized, that a leaflet with PHOTOES OF THE BUILDINGS and THEIR NAMES would be VERY USEFUL, for the god`s sake! Yes, you can connect to wifi and google it (but I had hard time trying to do that, as it kept disconnecting). Come on, you printed so many happy students on the covers, IS IT REALLY THAT HARD to really make them a bit happier?
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