Class, Day 1

The wind is blowing and I am coughing. Sucks. Seriously. My friends are out at a pub right now, and unwilling to subject my already rebellious lungs to a shock of air at a brisk 48 degrees, I am holed up in my room about to crack open the Norton. (The new Norton. Norton II, if you will.)

First day of class today. My first lecture on Post-Modernism wasn't anything all that new, and wasn't exactly presented in an exciting way. The lecturer was a very fidgety sort of woman. A bit scatterbrained. No Kimberly Drake, for those of you who know what that means. My second lecture focused on Shakespeare and his language. This lecturer had an accent that was difficult to follow, but what he had to say was fascinating. He was basically talking about the fact that no one really knows what Shakespeare sounded like when he spoke. He used instances of off-sounding rhyme in some of Shakespeare's works to propose possible "correct" pronunciations of certain words at the time during which he wrote them. I don't know if that explanation makes any sense... but it was quite interesting. 

The overall lecture experience was rather bizarre, though. It seemed so detached and impersonal. I guess I'm just very used to seminars, and love shooting off my mouth in class. Today's experiences felt rather empty. 

One of the major differences between the British and the American educational systems is that the British system places the emphasis on independent study and learning; whereas, the American style is more interactive between the student and teacher. I guess it'll just take a bit of time to get used to. 

I'm ready to stop coughing and start exploring. And reading, of course. 

Sorry for the boring post. Just wanted to offer an update. Love you all!