It's Time to Learn

First day of school: check.



It's been a tiring (and eventful) first few days at the Dollar Academy. In that short span...

-I moved into my new home- Heyworth House. There are about 16 girls overall, cared for by a hospitable family with two little boys and two cats.The house is as multicultural as it is comfortable, with girls from China, Croatia, Montenegro, Barbados, Germany, and other places.
-I settled down into my new room (which is a single! Yay!). While my orange curtains are fantastic, that cool hanging lamp was smoking when I turned it on, which was definitely not as fantastic. I can walk to town basically any time that I want, which is also nice, and wear normal clothes--Civvies, anyone?-- after the school day.

My new dorm room. Be jealous of the rugs.

-I picked my classes. For full classes (in the Culver lingo of "solids"), I have Modern Studies, Geography, and Politics. Can you tell that I love the Humanities? For modules, which are the fun classes, I picked Home Economics and Italian. And, no, I don't speak a word of the language yet, so that's going to be interesting. I've only attended two periods, one of "Mods" and the other of  geography, because of the back-to-school training and all. As soon as I get more of a feel for the classes, I will certainly give a report.
-I got my new uniform, as illustrated below. Culver girls, stop complaining about the kilts-- these are below the knee, so shut up. Yes, I do have a tie, but few girls are wearing them at this time of year.

Snazzy.

-My laptop charger broke, probably because of the different voltage here.
-I've had, like, 32,974 cups of tea. Lemon ginger is my favorite one in the dorm house, which is available 24/7.
-Most of the names of the hundreds of people I have met from Thursday have now escaped from my brain. Oh well.
-I tried Irn Bru, the unofficial national soft drink of Scotland, It tastes like a mixture of cream soda, bubble gum, and oranges. Tonight, some friends are taking me out for a deep-fried mars bar, which will definitely be an event to document.
-Last, but not least, I am beginning to feel more independent than ever here, especially because of the emphasis on personal responsibility and improvement. If pupils want to succeed, they do-- simple. If we do our work, then we will be rewarded, both by our own satisfaction and those around us. This style fits well with my own work ethic, and I appreciate the value of knowledge and determination in place at the school. I must take my responsibilities upon myself, and I do so with enthusiasm and care.

At least, I say that now. Hold me to that in the dead of winter...