"Summer Break" is officially over and my classes at the Universität Hamburg have finally started. After three months of going to German language class every day, it's weird to wake up and know that I have to study something other then German. My study abroad is officially through the Meteorology Department, but the majority of my classes are from the Integrated Climate System Sciences program at the University. The degree I'm taking classes from is mandated to be taught in English, so while Kaitlyn and Daniela sweat bullets over learning in German, I get to listen to all my lectures in English. I guess being a Master's student has some perks after all...
My classes are all really neat, but my brain is completely overwhelmed. I'm taking 3 science classes, 1 modeling class, 1 economics class, and 2 policy classes. I've been studying pure science for so long that I think my brain has forgotten how to process something that is not physics or math based. All my classes seem pretty doable, although I'm a bit worried about my economics class. I've never taken economics before, so I have absolutely no background on the basic concepts. We'll see how that works out for me...
There are definitely similarities between classes in the US and Germany, but the differences were way more noticeable. First of all, classes in the university only meet once a week. Back in Oklahoma, most classes meet 2 to 3 times a week, so I kept feeling like I was skipping class even though I wasn't. Another major difference is that students knock on the desk at the end of each lecture. Apparently it's meant to symbolize that they've enjoyed the lecture. When it first happened, I had no idea what was going on. I just kind of followed suit and awkwardly knocked on my desk. I still feel really silly doing it, but I suppose it's a custom I'll get used to overtime.
Unrelated to school, I moved into my new room last week. Our lease expired on March 31st, and the three of us moved to new student dormitories closer to the university. Daniela and Kaitlyn were placed in the same dormitory, but I was placed in one about 25 minutes away. It's really lonely knowing that they're no longer one floor away! It's definitely been a change, but I'm sure I'll adjust soon. Before the move I lived in a 4 bed apartment, but now I live on a hall with 8 other people. I feel like I've been thrown back to my freshman year of college!! Everyone on my hall is super friendly though. They were all really welcoming and immediately made me feel at home. The people on my hall are also really diverse. A few of them are not from Germany but rather are here as Erasmus (European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students) students. It's been neat meeting other study abroad students who are in a simliar situation to me.
I was a little worried about my new dorm because I had heard rumors that it was the "party dorm." But, I was pleasantly surprised when I got here. Sure there's a large bar in the dorm, but it's really not that bad. It's super quiet during the week, and it only gets rowdy on the weekend. I went to the bar on Friday with a few of my new roommates, and it was super crazy! The bar is two stories tall, has a large dance floor, and a room for playing pool and table hockey.
I think that's all for now. This past week was wicked low key - I just caught up on sleep, went to class, and settled into my new place. Until next time...
Tschüss!
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