Transfiguration and Charms

I wish I was taking those classes. But alas, I will have to settle for Economics and Sociology. It has been quite a few days since I've had any spare time to post. I am much busier than I thought I would be! Each day there are academic activities, such as seminars and lectures, in addition to set meal times and social activities. I had no idea this program had such a big social focus. There is at least one social activity a day, which is right up my alley, but does not leave much time for blogging! Today I'll write about my classes. Then when I have some additional free time I'll write about the social activities we've been doing, my dorm room, new friends, and historic sites.

When I registered for classes I picked two courses: "Political Economy in a Globalized World" and "The Uncertain State of the European Union." The summer program I am enrolled in offers 8 different courses and students are allowed to enroll in two. I chose these two courses because they are directly related to what I teach. Also, these are two areas that I am not very confident in. Generally, I enjoy the history and domestic politics side of Civics and Economics as opposed to the international politics and Economics. So I figured by choosing these two courses I would have a better understanding of what I teach, and can in turn be of better service to my students. 

However, on the first day of class one of my friends told me she was enrolled in a sociology course! I had no idea there was a sociology course available! I minored in sociology while in college, taking courses at both App and UNCG. It was always my most favorite subject, even more so than history. The course offered at Oxford is called the "Changing Face of Britain," which I interpreted to be about British politics or government instead of the society. After reading over her syllabus I contacted the summer program director to see if I could switch into the sociology course even though I missed the first day. Thankfully both he and the tutor were very accommodating! I was able to switch courses, which I do not believe is a luxury offered to many students when we are only here for a month. Even though this course is not related to what I teach, I could not pass up an opportunity to study my favorite subject once again. I switched courses purely for my own enjoyment.

So now my course schedule is as follows

Monday: Economics 9-11, Lecture 11-12:45, Sociology 4-6

Tuesday: Lecture 11-12:45

Wednesday: Economics 9-11, Lecture 11-12:45, Sociology 4-6

Thursday: Lecture 11-12:45

Friday: Lecture 11-12:45

I have three days a week pretty much 'off,' other than lecture. Which will be of great benefit when it comes to my working/productivity habits and the work I must complete before finishing the program. I am an early bird and like to rise around 5am to work all through the morning and afternoon on a project. I am not productive after around 3pm and am not skilled at studying daily. I work better in long bursts of studying, specifically when I begin very early in the morning. Though it's not for everyone, I love being an early bird. There is something peaceful and calming about rising just before the sun. 

The educational system at Oxford is unlike that of most other university systems in the world, other than Cambridge. The program I am enrolled in is like a "mini" Oxford. It gives students exposure to the system of education here in a short period of time. I am enrolled in two seminar courses and one general lecture. The general lecture is given every day and the topics change for each day. There is a wide range of topics covered, as long as it is a part of the History, Politics, and Society program theme. For example on Tuesday I attended a lecture entitled "Warfare in the Modern World," and today I attended one entitled "Corruption and Transparency in International Business." This is designed to give all students in program exposure to the multiple topics throughout the summer school. It gives each student a general overview of a topic they may be studying or it could introduce them to a new subject. Everyone enrolled in the program must attend every lecture. Attendance is taken and students lose credit from their final credit if they are not present. For each lecture the presenter speaks for an hour and then there is a period of thirty minutes after for questions. Out of the four I've attended so far, most have been interesting. However, Wednesday's lecture on  research methods in international development was quite boring.

The two other courses I am taking are seminar courses. There is one tutor with a small group of students, ranging from 5 to 15 students. For my first course, Economics, there are 12 students and the tutor. We meet in a room from 9am-11am off staircase 5. The room is lined with photographs, tapestries, and documents. In the middle there is a long table. The tutor sits at one end of the table and the students fill in the rest of the spaces. It does not feel like a traditional college set up whatsoever. It is much more personal with only 13 people in a room, sitting in a circle for two hours. My economics professor is originally from Bavaria in Germany. He currently spends the school years teaching at a univeetsity in Switzerland and his summers teaching at Oxford. He is by far one of the most intelligent and intriguing men I have ever met. He's pretty good looking too! He hasn't shared the entitreity of his life with us, but from the little I do know about him he has a Doctorate degree. He's worked as a journalist in America (where he discovered his hatred for the American media -- I AGREE!), worked in the UK, advised some of the highest investors and bankers, backpacked through rural China for several months  toward Tibet, once had a girl friend that was Italian, worked in Singapore, and studies a particular strand of economics that focuses on how people and society influences the economy, allowing him to predict the crisis of 2008 and the current situation with Greece in the EU. 

While he lectures for the majority of the time, we do have multiple opportunities to speak. He poses questions to to the class frequently and at the beginning of each class a student must deliver a 5 minute presentation to introduce that day's topic. In my economics class there are 2 Chinese students, 2 Philippine, 1 Dutch, 1 Nigerian, 5 Americans and 1 British student. It gives us great diversity and allows us to have discussions with greatly varying view points. 

My second seminar on Sociology is much different from the first. In this class there are 6 students, two girls from Australia, two girls from America including myself, and two guys from America. Since there are so few of us the course operates in more of a discussion format. The tutor will ask us questions very often. Each student will then have the turn to offer his or her opinion. I do not know much about my tutor for this class yet. Since I missed the first day I missed his introduction of herself. This classroom is located in my staircase, number two. It is down a spiral staircase in the basement. The room has a similar set up with a large square table. The walls are lined with pictures of the rowing team for Exeter College from years past. It also has championship winning certificates, team rosters, and hand drawn rowing crests. 

The grading for each course depends upon a final research paper. For each separate course I must write a 5-6 page paper on a topic of my choice that relates to the course. It must be a scholarly research paper with multiple credible sources, footnotes, bibliography, appendix, the works. Luckily, thanks to my fantastic history degree from UNCG I already know how to research like the best of 'em! When my economics professor was explaining how to correctly format a footnote my classmates were scribbling their pens furiously. I just sat back, put my hands behind my head, crossed my legs, and cracked open a beer because I already knew it all. 

For Sociology the tutor developed research questions and allows us to chose from her list. The question I will be answering is "What are the main changes in coupledom over the past 50 years and what explains them?" For Economics we choose our own topic as long as it relates to the topics of globalization and economics. Luckily I ran into my economics tutor outside of the Hall this afternoon and I was able to discuss my research idea with him. I am not sure exactly what my questions or hypothesis will be, but I do want to write about the growing consumer nature of weddings in America. Today, weddings focus more on materialistic desires and putting on a show rather than the marital union itself. I want to trace the growth of consumerism with respect to American weddings from the years 1990-2015. He suggested finding a niche by selecting a time period (check) and potentially even a particular group of people, such a Southern woman. 

I am very excited about both of these research opportunities. I really enjoy studying about women, and the institution of marriage. I focused my undergraduate research at UNCG on the power and influence of women regarding their social and marital status in Norman England. 

I feel the need to apologize for the length of the post after each blog entry, but I shall refrain. If you know me you already know how long-winded I am. Telling a small story can turn into fifteen minutes where I recount every detail. So you know what you're getting yourself into. I don't have any pictures that directly relate to my courses, so I will leave you with a few quaint pics I've snapped. I'll upload lots more when I get to more specific blog posts.

This alley cuts in between my college and the college next door, Brasenose, of which Prime Minister David Cameron is an alumnus. The colleges are set up like castles or fortresses with small alleyways or streets in between.

This is staircase four, located directly across the quad from my staircase. It is a private staircase and the door is always closed.  I have seen members of the staff go in and out. The crest above the windows peaks my interest. 

Saw this poster hanging in the window at Blackwell's, a local bookshop and one of the largest booksellers in the world. It is a poster where you color in the pubs as you drink at them! Haven't bought this yet, but I'm hoping to be able to color them all by the end of the trip. I was able to cross three off the list last night!