Classes, Buses, Pubs & Ramblings

Yesterday was my class meeting. There are eight or nine of us (a couple people didn't show & my supervisor couldn't remember the exact number). I, unsurprisingly, am the only American. There's one other girl who didn't go to UCC for undergrad. Everyone seems really nice so far.

My class load seems a bit crazy. Aside from the very few demands of postgrad course work (a one hour course once a week, one two hour course every fortnight -- side note: I love that they actually use the word "fortnight"), I have to attend some undergrad courses. They're all third year courses (which would be like our upper division/senior seminar classes). Luckily I don't have to be graded in any of these. They're suppose to help with the understanding of 20th century Irish history. So, I've got one seminar and four lectures to attend (with one more lecture course to attend next semester) -- the seminar is required of all MA's, but the lectures are to be taken if you didn't take them as an undergrad...and, well, I clearly have taken none of them.

We also get to take research trips this semester. Which I'm dorkily excited about. :)
Several will be around Cork, but we also get to go to Dublin: the National Archives, National Library, Trinity College, Univ. College Dublin, Military Archives...maybe another place or two.

Oh, and throughout all of that, I have to write a 20,000 word thesis. By next October.
And pass an examination & 5,000 word essay shortly after Christmas.
No pressure, right?

In more exciting news, I got to pretend like I was in charge yesterday afternoon. Checking names off a list and sending almost 40 Arcadia study abroad students to Co. Limerick for their homestays. It took up less than an hour of my day & I got paid. :) Yay for money!
I was a bit nervous about it, but I think that mainly 'cause I'm just a couple years older than they all are. I'm sure I'll do much better when I help out on the Killarney day-trip.

Also, last night I finally got to meet some Irish people! Started out the night at an International Student Society meeting/party at a nightclub, which turned into the typical Friday night scene. Which was so loud you could barely hear yourself think (I think I still have a bit of a headache from the loud music...curses).

Hm...still trying to decide what to do today.... Exploring is always a fun option. :) But getting rained on is not. Such a dilemma.