Highlights of Week 2

Sunday January 14th : Gorceries? Nah.
One week down!

Despite my best attempts to make it through the entire weekend on tea (the college doesn't provide food on the weekends), Tyler convinced Kristie and I to finally go to the COOP grocery store to buy something substatiative to eat. It's only 2 blocks away so it was nice not walking miles to get there...and I came back with a very balanced stock of bread, jam, and spaghettie. What can I say, I want to make sure I get a good amount of carbs for all the energy I burn walking (well, the fact that I got all this for about 1pound 50 may have also been a factor)

Monday January 15th : Losing My LIFE

I declared this my first official day of school. In celebration I woke up at 7:30 am and made it to breakfast! After the 2 mile hike I was certainly ready to eat.

Then it was time to buckle down and finally get to work. Which meant beginning the search for my assigned readings for the essay due in 4 days.

The greatest draw back to the Oxford system is that there are thousands of students that have to share the same books...so even though a library may have the book I'm searching for, the copies are either already checked out by other students or the book is declared sacred enough to be "confined" which means I can only read it in the library where it is located. So collecting the needed books to use for my paper can often be like scavenger hunt...finding out which library has my book available and allows it to be removed....not that I don't want to spend my entire day in one library, I just like the freedom of reading where ever. Because I was still getting adjusted to this process on Monday, I feel like the only thing I did between breakfast and lunch, was walk for ages and take brief breaks at the libraries I went to. But I guess this is just how it had to be.

I made my first trip to the philosphy library which was a great deal smaller and older than the social science library. There must have been 50 people crammed into the room at the tables between the shelves that lined the wall and the long table that ran down the center aisle from the front door to the back wall. Yet I felt that every step I took had to be the loudest noise in the room and I felt like I must be disturbing everyone just looking around for my books. Yet as "cozy" and quiet as the place was, every person stayed intensely focused on their readings. This is unlike anything I've experienced in the Georgetown library where everyone one turns and stares at anyone walking by.....not to mention the many pointless conversations that follow. Ah. How I miss having an excuse to procrastinate in the library. Now I just have to get to work like everyone else.

After Lunch I attended my first Rowing Practice! I walked with the girls to the Oxford University Athletic Center where we practiced in the "Tank" which is where we practice rowing without being on the river. There are the rowing seats (which slide up and down on grids), four oun each side, and on either side is a pit of water to simulate the rowing expierience. Hannah, the captain who lives with me, assigned me the bow side. She then helped me strap my feet in and showed me the correct way to hold the oar. It has taken me a bit of concentration to get the technique down but I think I'm going to enjoy it. One thing that is worth noting...rowing is all in the legs (which is good, because as a runner I have no upper body strength whatso ever)...but truly you use your legs to push the seat back...keeping your arms locked and then give a final pull on oar when the stroke is complete...before sliding back up to start again...I can't wait to get on the river and actually make the boat go somewhere. The girls say the tank is much harder than the river because the water creates more resistance in the tank and doesn't get us anywhere....all I know, is that I came away with some pretty blisters on my palms...


Just when I think I'm making progress as a responsible individual, something just happens to convince me that despite my efforts, I will always be the most absent minded person alive. This would be okay if I lost track of truly insignificant things....but when I was getting ready to go back to dinner Tuesday night, I realized that I had in fact lost my little change purse....which contain virtually MY LIFE:
debit card,
Oxford Bodleian Card (giving me access to the libraries)
About 30 pounds in notes (cash)
All of the codes to the buildings at Regents
My key to get in Regents College
My GCARD! (which is useless to me here, but always seems to get lost)

I had only 30 minutes to make it dinner. So after destroying my room I finally decided there was nothing I could do about it...but I might as well not starve...so I just left for dinner. Needless to say, I couldn't help but go through my typical panic ritual imagining every possibility of where most most essential possession could be.

"Let's see....I could have dropped it on the way home from the tank...and if so certainly someone has taken it by now. And there's no telling how much of my money they're already devoured...and then there's my identity, which I guess is more important than my money ...and of course there's the fact that I will have to pay for the loss of keys...and someone has the codes to all the buildings on campus so the school will have to handle that and I'll be completely embarassed.....I'll have to purchase new cards with the money I know longer have....and stupidly I haven't written the numbers down for card company so I have no way to even find out how to stop transactions from where I am...the office at the school is closed so they cannot help....this is such a disaster...and the worst part is, no one will be surprised in the least....and my parents..well maybe I'll just not tell them that I've let myself be robbed....but I've been trying so hard to keep up with that thing! why couldn't I lose a book somewhere? but no, it had to be my purse. Go figure. A day in the life of Jennifer Martin. "

This all went through my head in a matter of about 1 minute. So as I hurriedly walked to Regent's faster than ever before (as if this would help me find it) I scanned the ground as if magically my purse (which is about the size of my palm and black) would appear. Once I passed the athletic field again, I decided this was useless. Hopefully I just left it in the Regent's Library, which is the last place I remember having it...and hopefully no one will have wanted my identity and every penny to my name.

When I walked into college I tried to be calm, and ran directly to the computer I had used in the library earlier. Fortunately my friend Jonny who lives with me at Stanley was using it...I told him my situation and he said that he definitely saw it there earlier..and that no one at Regent's would have taken it but I would have to wait till morning to check with office..my heart rate return to a sane level...I felt a great sense of relief as you can only imagine.

Sure enough, the librarian had sent me an email around 4 to let me know she had my purse. Imagine, if I had only checked my email.....ah well, perhaps my scare would help me keep up with it....but i never keep my hopes too high for that miracle.


Tuesday January 16th : Internet AT LAST

I finally was able to see Bob the ITS guy who fixed my computer and gave me access to the internet!! This was a relief as I could now write my essay and email it from my own computer...not to mention I could start keeping in touch with everyone and download my pictures on Facebook- a very crucial thing. :)

Wednesday January 17th : First All Nighter Fellas!

Even though it was crunch time for my paper, I decided to go to the Royal Oak pub with my housemates and some of their other friends. I was ready for a break and it was good to spend some time with people after spending time with books all day long. The Royal Oak seems to be the favorite of the Regent's gals and fellas. Apparently there is great attempt by some to help broaden the variety of where they go to hang out in the evenings....and somehow they always end up back at the "Roak", as they refer to it.

Thursday January 18 : Tutorial Jitters

After staying up virtually all night long...and finally getting past the first paragraph around 9:30 am...I completed my paper by the 5am deadline...and even had about an hour to proofread. What a relief. The topic was "Liberty" and I chose the question " Your money or your life, Is this a free choice" Meaning if a gunman demands you to give you his money or else he'll kill you- do you have free choice. ....something to think about....and I spent plenty of time doing just that.

I was surprised when I recieved an email from Seth, my tutor, around 7 who had already read it. He told me there was no need to be nervous about my first "tute" (word used for tutorial by everyone at oxford). It made me feel a little better, but of course I was going to be nervous. I'm Jennifer, over worrying is just something I do. I've decided its some strange form of motivation that drives me to get things done....

Friday January 18th : Only the Beginning
Finally the day of my tutorial.....I met Seth at the Social Science Library...as I went to open the door to the discussion room...I pulled it shut (because it handle that looked like it needed pulling). Infact this door was supposed to be pushed....and as the front wall of the conference room was just a huge window, Seth could see my struggle...and I thought I had made the door lock...so it took me a moment to see him telling me to "push" the door. What an awkward start.

I actually enjoyed my meeting.....it was the first time I fully grasped the difference in the Oxford/Cambridge tutorial systems from every other university in the world. Because Seth had already read my paper...and developed his critique of both my arguments and writing style before I had arrived...So the hour was spent not only discussing the fun stuff (philophies of liberty and all)...but also my tutor was gave me very specific feedback on each section of my essay...helping me to understand better ways to explain my own arguments and develop my essay more clearly. If I do not improve in my writing and analyzing ability, it will certainly not be for lack of specific instruction. Because the critique is directed just at me, and it will be painfully obvious if I blatantly don't follow his advice. There is definitely no room for laziness in this situation.

Friday night I enjoyed my second formal hall, and a night of liberation from the week of reading.