Students’ First Week

Me and Frank, a piper!

When I last left off, the students had just arrived. Gosh, that seems like ages ago now, though it hasn’t even been a week yet!

We have 14 students from Wisconsin and Minnesota staying with us for the summer term in the palace. They are a wide-eyed bunch, but they seem eager to learn, which I appreciate. I must say, I am really seeing the student development theory we discuss in class coming alive as I watch these students transition into a new international environment and a living-learning community. As a group, they seem to have good chemistry and I look forward to getting to know them over the next few weeks.

 

The Summer 2008 Cohort

We spent the first three days with the students in intense orientation, pretty much covering the Maslow basics (food, shelter, safety). For those first few days, I was easily working 16 hour days! Then on Saturday, we took them on a hike up Arthur’s Seat, a 823 foot peak above the city of Edinburgh and Holyrood Park. You can imagine the view from up there… But if your imagination is poor, let me help you out:

A student playing with fate (it was super windy up there!)

On Sunday morning, after a few days of orientation, we set them loose in the city of Edinburgh. They went in small groups on a scavenger hunt of the city. I think the activity provided a good exercise for them to learn how to use a map and their resources, navigate a city, work together as a group, and troubleshoot. I think if nothing else, when a student studies abroad they should at least walk away from the experience with the ability to troubleshoot – because flights cancel, trains run late, hostels fill up, people get lost. If we in International Education can help them develop productive ways to respond and cope with those last-minute changes and failures, I think we will do good by them.

While the students were scampering about Edinburgh, I went with Meghan, Patty and Nat to the new love in my life, the Car Boot! Picture, if you will, a parking garage with the entire bottom level full of people selling stuff from the trunk of their cars. It sounds sketchy, but it is just a big community rummage sale that happens every Saturday and Sunday. And as someone who loves a good deal, I think it is magical!

On Monday, classes started for the students and so I’ve had a bit more time to catch up on my sleep. I am starting to get acclimated to the draftiness of the palace, though persuading myself to of my warm bed every morning is quite a mental feat.

This weekend I am going with the students on a three-day tour and hike of the Isle of Skye. The Isle of Skye is just off the west coast of Scotland. We will be leaving from Edinburgh with a tour company and we will do a loop through the Highlands, Loch Ness, Eilean Donan castle (probably the most recognized castle in the UK), Fort William, the Cullin Mountains, the Wallace Monument, and Stirling. It is fair to say there will be hundreds of pictures when I return…!