Why is there caffeine in this..? (Sept 8-13)

This first week at school was called "Fresher's Week" because it is the first week of first semester and all of the new students are moving in. The first semester of college is an even larger deal here because the freshman are also turning the legal age to drink (can you imagine if we started college at 21?! TROUBLE, exactly) Therefore, not only are they entering a new unfamiliar environment where partying is more accepted, but they are actually legally allowed to do so around the city. We have stayed away from the younger bars this week to avoid the Freshman who have been released into the town for the first time.. wow I am starting to feel old. But they are just babies (many even have braces) and are shocking to see beside me at the bar.. when I am not even legal in the States. This first week of classes went well overall. I had to make a few changes to my schedule, but I liked the lectures that I had and am excited for this new style of learning. I think that it is going to challenge me to think in a way that neither high school nor Bryant have and it will make me a better student when I return. The professors here truly believe that we should be doing our own learning and they are there to simply provide the tools to help us with that. It is not about memorization or copying notes word for word, but taking the concepts that they discuss and researching the details on our own time to develop our understanding. None of my classes have quizzes, assigned homework or periodical tests... We have final exams and one paper for most. Though that excited me at first, it is actually A LOT of pressure. These lecture style rooms do not make it as easy to ask questions, so I will have to make sure that I am truly trying to grasp the material when they present and visiting them in their office hours if I need further assistance (I LOVE to ask questions in class as soon as they pop into my head.. if not I usually can only focus on that point until I find the answer AHH). One test and one paper to show everything that I learn in an entire semester is a little daunting, but I am up for it! The classes I am taking this semester are:


Introduction to Irish History for Visiting Students
The Irish Literary Revival and Irish Modernism
Irish Film History
Exploring Irish Traditional Music
Historical Debate
The United States and the Vietnam Wars, 1945-1975



.. These are mostly history and english courses because Bryant does not allow us to take Major specific courses at UCC (I am double majoring in Management and Marketing back home). However, I am actually super excited about that. I already am enjoying hearing our school books referred to as "American textbooks" and hearing how our history and current affairs are seen from the European (and my roommate's) points of view. We discussed, in my Historical Debate class, understanding historical awareness and how "history" can be represented differently by different people in different times and places. For example, the Germans commenting on WW2 in 1950 compared to now, or the American's discussing the same topic then and now. The mentality (values, fears, hopes) and situation can greatly impact what is focused on and what is left out in specific records of historical events, therefore it is very important to be aware of these intentional and unintentional biases when researching. I found this to be extremely interesting and plan to use this historical awareness approach when asking my peers and learning from my professors about American events to try to understand how and why they view my Nation as they do (good or bad).

The last few days I have come down with an awful cold which has put me in bed this whole weekend. It is going from Dry to Wet Season here (awesome..), they don't have four distinct seasons like we do.. crying because I LOVE every single season in Maine. I have noticed the lack of sun is already getting to me a bit and making it hard to get out of bed in the morning, plus my window faces away from the light even when it is nice out so my room is always dark.. BUT I don't believe in letting the weather affect my mood SO I'll just have to make my own sunshine :)
I had to miss the trip to Cobh (but it is only 30 minutes by train and Sarah said she would go back with me) and sleep. I have been drinking lots of tea and bought cold medicine here. BUT I did not realized that there is 65 mg of caffeine in the meds and have been having the worst time trying to sleep (DUH KIRSTY READ THE PACKAGING). So now I am wide awake with a sore throat questioning why anyone who had a fever, headache, sore throat or body aches would want caffeine?!? UGH.. oh and does anyone know if they sell Acetaminophen in Ireland/UK?? I am not supposed to have other types of pain meds with my kidney issue.

I am going to rest up this week because next weekend is OKTOBERFEST and I get to travel to Germany for the first time + see Delaney and Brianna who are coming from Italy. SO EXCITED, but I must feel better since it will be a very long weekend. Sarah, Brendan and I are flying from Dublin this Thursday and staying in Munich til Sunday. I hear that wearing a Dirndl is a must to make the experience so I will try to find one online today.. I'll take lots of photos, I promise!

** side note: I love to cook at home! BUT here, in real life, the realization that if you don't cook you do not have a meal.. therefore you starve is not cool and it totally taking away my love for cooking. I NEED to meal prep better because I will run out of Kind bars and meal replacement shakes one day.

Bye for now!