Week One.. Check!

Hello, everyone!  It has been one crazy week here in Swansea.  The pre-session course has been in full swing for a week, and the adjustment continues!  Our schedules have consisted of lectures, seminars, and plenty of time to get to know our new friends.  It has been really fun to meet all of the other students from ISU and UNI that are on the same study abroad trip as myself! 

On Monday, all of the international students took a trip to the Gower Peninsula.  It was unlike anything I have ever seen.  We traveled on big coaches through the narrow and winding roads of Swansea, stopping to see some brilliant sights along the way.  At one point of the trip, the driver told us not to worry when he sounded the horn because we were approaching what coach drivers call the "wall of death," and he just needed to warn oncoming traffic.  The road was literally only wide enough for one bus to get through.

The trip to the Gower Peninsula is the only trip we were able to take this week due to some unexpected bad weather.  It doesn't usually snow in Swansea because it is a coastal city, but it ended up snowing a few inches (what would seem like nothing in Iowa) and classes were all cancelled on Friday!  We all accepted our day off with great pleasure!  We were scheduled to take a trip to the "Big Pit" on Saturday (a coal mine), but the snow was worse in the area of the mine, so we were not able to go.

In our course we've been learning about the history and politics of Wales and the UK from 1945 to present day.  We've covered topics from the government to the Beetles in only four short days.  Our assessment at the end of the two week long course will be a 2,500 word paper on one of seven various British Culture related topics. 

 The Gower Peninsula. Amazing natural beauty.

 Me at the Gower Peninsula. It was very cold and windy out there right along the coast.

 One of the buildings on campus at Swansea.

 Another part of the campus.  It's amazing how beautiful the walking paths can be. 

 The beach right next to Swansea University's campus.

 A view of the University from the main road.  (Better pictures to come)

Another beautiful sight on our walk.

This is all the exciting news this far from the first week.  I am in the process of planning my weekend long trip to London, as well as a few other trips over the three week long Easter break.  I will be traveling with other international students at Swansea to Dublin, Ireland for St. Patricks Day in March!  Stay tuned for more beautiful pictures and stories about my experiences!