My beautiful, though deceptively sunny, Edinburgh.
May 14th, 2014.
Wednesday, 14 May 2014
Sunday, 4 May 2014
Things I'm Looking Forward To.
At the moment I think the best way to describe my feelings about McGill is that it is 'looming.' Don't get me wrong, I know it is going to be a phenomenal opportunity but . . . There are lots of buts, and I think it is mainly due to the uncertainty of it all. To try and remind me of all the fun to come, here's a list of everything I'm excited about deep down. Followed by some of the reasons I'm a tad worried . . . keepin' it real and whatnot.
- Courses - I have been choosing my courses over the last few weeks, and I have to say - some of them look AMAZING. Some of the courses on medieval literature could have been designed for me. The grading system is really different too - there are performances, recitations, and 'reactions' to texts which all count towards my overall mark.
- People - I've pretty much sorted my accommodation, thanks to a little bit of luck. I'll hopefully be living with three Canadian girls from the year above myself (see things I'm worried about. . .)The flat seems great and it is a fraction cheaper than my current tenancy in Edinburgh, and all the bills are flat rate so hello heating, come winter! I'm really looking forward to looking forward to meeting some 'locals' as I'm very keen not just to befriend other international students, and this is a great avenue in.
- Arriving - My family and I are using my place as an excuse for a holiday. We're arriving in Canada, via Iceland, a few weeks early. We fly into Toronto then will wind up to Montreal. It will be a great chance to get my bearings, and to have some fun with my parents and sister.
- Best Buddies - This one is a little more niche. I've been involved with the Edinburgh branch of Best Buddies International since Freshers' Week and this year I was on the committee. I'm very sad to say goodbye to everyone for a year, and that's why I'm pleased that there's also a branch run by McGill students. Hopefully we can get some sort of pen-pal system established for the buddies, watch this space . . .
And what's causing the butterflies?
- People - While I've no doubt I'll get on well with my flatmates, I've never met them! They have their own established friendship groups and I can't expect them to go out of their way to add me to that. Just wait for six months time when I'm crying at the thought of leaving them . . . I'm lucky that there are 11 other Edinburgh students going to McGill too, and I'm hoping we'll all get on well.
- Workload - I hear it isn't for the feint hearted . . .
- Missing people - I'm not one to get home sick, but I've never been away for such an extended period. I know that I will inevitably miss certain things, such as a lot of my friends' - and boyfriend's - 21st birthdays. My relatives are elderly, and poorly, so that weighs on my mind too. The five time difference will make contacting home when I just 'need' to contact Mum a little tricky, but things like Skype and Whatsapp will be life-savers.
Application.
My place at McGill has been a long time in the works. It began before I even started at university because the option to go on an international exchange was one of the real clinchers when I was deciding whether to apply to the University of Edinburgh.
Applications to be considered for the exchange happened relatively early on in second year. I hedged my bets and applied for Erasmus as well. (I was eventually offered the opportunity to study at Copenhagen.) While the process was relatively straight forward, I had no idea as to what standards I would be competing against. I knew I had strong grades and I've been involved with lots of university societies since day dot, however I assumed the most prestigious places such as Barnard or McGill would be reserved for demi-gods.
However, on the evening of December 19th, the night before my final exam of the semester, an email pinged into my inbox offering me a place at McGill University. I was initially in utter shock, amplified by the fact that my flatmate had received an offer to study at the same institution. While I couldn't have been more thrilled, my first feeling was really upset - my other two closest friends had also applied to the exchange system, and had heard nothing.
This offer was only the very beginning of the story, and it was made clear that this 'offer' was actually no guarantee of a place at McGill rather that Edinburgh would now begin the process of recommending me to their partner institution. All in the all it took until mid-April to be firmly accepted by McGill, having had to apply to them through their UCAS-esque system. (That was a hoot in itself, I had to name two sports I'd like to be involved in . . . figure skating, anyone?)
I'm currently liaising with the English Department at McGill as I work to finalise my course choices, at which point I'll be able to sort out my Learning Agreement and get the green light to head across the Atlantic. I won't breathe a sigh of relief just yet . . .
Applications to be considered for the exchange happened relatively early on in second year. I hedged my bets and applied for Erasmus as well. (I was eventually offered the opportunity to study at Copenhagen.) While the process was relatively straight forward, I had no idea as to what standards I would be competing against. I knew I had strong grades and I've been involved with lots of university societies since day dot, however I assumed the most prestigious places such as Barnard or McGill would be reserved for demi-gods.
However, on the evening of December 19th, the night before my final exam of the semester, an email pinged into my inbox offering me a place at McGill University. I was initially in utter shock, amplified by the fact that my flatmate had received an offer to study at the same institution. While I couldn't have been more thrilled, my first feeling was really upset - my other two closest friends had also applied to the exchange system, and had heard nothing.
This offer was only the very beginning of the story, and it was made clear that this 'offer' was actually no guarantee of a place at McGill rather that Edinburgh would now begin the process of recommending me to their partner institution. All in the all it took until mid-April to be firmly accepted by McGill, having had to apply to them through their UCAS-esque system. (That was a hoot in itself, I had to name two sports I'd like to be involved in . . . figure skating, anyone?)
I'm currently liaising with the English Department at McGill as I work to finalise my course choices, at which point I'll be able to sort out my Learning Agreement and get the green light to head across the Atlantic. I won't breathe a sigh of relief just yet . . .
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