Learn New Life Skills

       I can recall during one of my writing classes at Siena when we learned about how women’s colleges years and years ago taught Life Skills courses, instructing students on how to cook, clean, and even manage kids. These classes seemed strange to me as I questioned the true purpose of them. I would assume that any necessary life skills would either be taught by parents or just learned instinctively. Well, you know what happens when you assume.

       I have yet to discuss my living situation and the various changes in lifestyle that I have had to face since arriving in Scotland. So let’s have at it. I live in a five-person flat consisting of five single bedrooms for each of us. At the moment, I have three other flat mates: one from the US, one from Scotland, and one whom I have yet to meet due to our busy orientation schedules and therefore his origin is unknown. Our rooms are all connected by a hallway which links up to two closets, a shared bathroom and shower, and a communal kitchen/lounge. I have linked a video that gives a very rough outline of the flat, though mine is a little bigger than the video makes it out to be: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfSaz-6rG4g

        Probably the most challenging “life skill” that I have had to adapt to is balancing my budget between getting food, preparing for the semester, and, well, shopping for my own selfish personal benefit. My residence hall is in perfect location, however, because it is only a five minute walk to two grocery stores as well as a fresh produce and butcher’s shop. I have been the produce store a few times now and the food is unbelievably delicious. Plus there’s a student discount! It is difficult though to adapt to this style of dining when compared to the pigging-out I would do at Saga three times a day back at Siena. Oh well.

        Many of my friends back home (you know who you are) would be very jealous of what I am about to describe. I took the subway today down to Buchanan Street which is right in the City Centre and one of the main shopping areas in Glasgow. I have never seen so many stores in my entire life. This place puts the half-mile long Crossgates Mall by my house to shame. There are stores lined up for what appears to be miles, and all of which sell various goods from clothing to mountaineering gear to shoes to furniture. Each store off this street typically had at least 2-3 floors of merchandise and they all led up to what is called the Buchanan Galleries; this is basically your typical mall but with three floors of shopping and a fourth floor of dining. It was amazing. I could see myself going there very, very often.

        Lastly, I have finally figured out my class schedule for the semester which will consist of three classes: Exploring Scottish Culture, Scottish Literature 1A, and Irish and Scottish Literature in the 18^th and 19^th Centuries. They all look really interesting to me except for the part where I had to order twelve books for all the classes and each new book that I get in the mail sets a new record for either “Smallest Font” or “Most Amount of Words Cramped into One Page.” The best part about my schedule is that I have no Friday classes so I will be able to easily travel on the weekends. Additionally, one week in October is Reading Week at the university so there are no classes then either. I think I am going to attempt to plan a long trip during that week.

        I keep thinking about those Life Skills classes and I actually find myself a wee jealous. I still think a lot of those skills come to people naturally, but there are so many opportunities for people nowadays where those classes could come in handy. Whether you are studying abroad or starting a new job in a different city, it’s helpful to have a guiding hand to get you there safe and sound. And so while I may not have taken courses in school that taught me how to not waste 3000 pounds on everything interesting I lay my eyes on, I had friends and family supporting me along the way. I believe those Life Skills courses evolved within our society; they became a form of second nature for all of us to teach one another. With this thought, I would like to dedicate my third tip to all those people who have supported me on my journey to this moment. Thank you for helping me to fulfill a life-long dream of mine, whether it was by giving me advice before I left, encouraging me to explore foreign areas of the world, or simply displaying a proud smile as I left for the airport. To all of you, thank you.

Side Note: For anyone that would like to see my pictures, please follow the link below. I believe it should update every time I post new photos. So far, these are of the university campus, Kelvingrove Park, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Loch Lomond, and Dumbarton Castle.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10201909152835645.1073741828.1388736035&type=1&l=c4d78cfe1e