Kari's Blog

There are 18 days left in this beautiful country of Northern Ireland for me. That is 432 hours or 25,920 minutes or 1,555,200 seconds. How am I going to spend this precious time, you ask?! REVISION!

Every time I look at my calendar, I have to blink. It says that I only have 6 more weeks in Northern Ireland, but I could have sworn it was more. I have been here since January 17th which is hard to believe, but it is the truth. I have yet to come to terms with leaving this country, but alas, I must starting figuring out what I'm going to be doing this summer and how I am going to make back all the money I have been spending over here.

It may seem strange to you that I'm putting all my time and energy into being actively involved on this campus even though I'll only be here for another two and a half months. Why am I doing this you ask?

As I approach the middle of my fifth week here at the University of Ulster-Jordanstown, I would like it's a crime to do school work. Let me explain. The Irish culture is MUCH slower paced than the rest of the world. They do everything here with a little bit of a drag, except for driving. Most students that I have talked to here have yet to even open a book for any of their classes. Now, I understand that may be the case for some students at the U of M, but not me. I feel like I am already falling behind, yet Irish students keep telling me not to worry.

I know this is a long overdue update, and for that I apologize. I have been pretty busy with the first week of classes, meeting new people and trying to keep up with the 'Irish culture and lifestyle'.

My amazing journey began close to one week ago, January 16th from O'Hare Airport in Chicago, Illinois.

My Thanksgiving break started on Tuesday at 5:30 PM. I rushed out of our Ambassador’s meeting, not because I don’t absolutely love each and every one of my colleagues, but because I was extremely excited to go home.

Sometimes we all need a little push in order for us to make it through a day, a week, maybe a month, but no matter the time frame, we all need a support system to help us through those tough weeks. This week for me was one of ‘those tough weeks.’

As the forth week of classes approaches, I can't help to think how much I have on my plate this semester. I knew it would be busy, but I never thought I'd be running around as much as I am.

With three exams, three papers, one lab and one concert left before my freshman ends, I am trying to stay on top of my schoolwork. It is so easy to get lost in the fact that we only have three weeks of school left and I want to spend all my time with my friends before they all leave to go home, and I start working full time this summer, here in Minneapolis. After spending 9 months in the city I now call my home, I can’t help but think what got me here.

As this week comes to a close, I can’t help, but reminisce about last weekend and about all the wondering things I’m doing this weekend. Last weekend, my friend and I took a road trip to Wisconsin to see a couple concerts and our families. It was a ton of fun, and coming back to school was a bit depressing, but I at least still have the memories. The only way this road trip was possible was because I decided, as a first-year student, to have my car on campus. I brought my car to school after spring break and it has been a wonderful addition to my college life, but I really only use my car when I go out of town or when I have to run a quick errand. Otherwise, there is always the Metro Transit system that is great to use as well. For only $64 a semester, students are able to receive unlimited rides on any Metro Transit Bus or the light rail, simply by scanning their U-PASS. I believe that there is no need to have a car on campus as a first-year student, but it is just more convenient than having to wait for the bus or light rail. The majority of the time I use the 16 or 3 bus to get downtown to shop or have a night on the town because parking is ridiculously expensive. Parking on campus is done through a lottery. You can choose the lot or ramp that you want to keep your car, and names are drawn at random to hand out parking spots. If you don’t get a spot, than there are alternatives available, such as side street parking or monthly downtown ramps. It all depends on what your plans are as a first-year student, but I would definitely say there is no need for a car on campus, but it sure is nice to have.

Besides being a little down after coming back to school after a fantastic weekend, I am excited for what this weekend holds. Some of Middlebrook Hall’s 3rd floor, including myself is walking in Relay for Life held at the Recreation Center. It’s going to be a crazy 12 hours of fun and little sleep. For those who don’t know what Relay for Life is, it’s an event that people walk and stay up for 12 hours (6 PM-6 AM) to raise money for cancer research. I get to spend 12 hours with some of the greatest people ever, listening to music, talking to survivors and meeting new people. I think it will be a great time had by all people involved.

I’m sitting here in the third floor study lounge of Middlebrook Hall (residence hall) with three of my friends and we’re studying. Actually they’re studying because I fortunately have a very laid back week, unlike last week.