Midterm Season

Hello again, 

Well, midterm season snuck up faster than I expected this year. Typically, midterms occur six to seven weeks into every course. Not surprisingly, I fell victim to some of the distractions of senior year and did not realize how quickly time passed the first month and a half of the semester. For the past two weeks, most of the undergrads have been sequestered in our main libraries to prepare for the first round of exams this fall. Fortunately, my exams fell on different days so my work load felt very manageable.

For example, in my American Architecture class, our professor projected pictures of buildings on the overhead and we identified the architect, style, period and location of the buildings. We also analyzed the style changes in the 17th and 18th centuries in the U.S. In Argumentation Theory, our exam was a fairly typical true/false and multiple choice style test. For the most part, my midterms felt reasonable and best of all there were no surprises. 

I finished all my work in time to meet up with some friends from my semester abroad this weekend. I studied abroad last spring in Prague, Czech Republic on an "external program." In essence, the BC Office of International Programs allows students to study abroad on Boston College programs or on approved external programs. Because BC did not offer a Prague program, the office suggested several external programs students could attend in Prague.

Prague, one of the most magical cities I have ever seen, was a perfect place for me to spend a semester. Just 23 years after the fall of communism in the Czech Republic, the rich history of the Czech people could be felt everywhere in the city. Students on my program attended schools all over the U.S.  Each program, BC or external, offers different pros and cons for each student based on individual preference. Personally, an external program in Prague met my priorities for my time overseas. Most importantly, I finished my five months in Europe with dear friends and memorable stories.

My favorite view in Prague

This Saturday, several friends from my time in Prague met up with me in Boston to reminisce about last semester. So when I overhear different groups of sophomores and juniors discuss their future trips abroad and I cannot help but feel a tinge of jealously. Just a year ago, I nervously committed to living in a country for five months where I did not know the language nor a single person at the school. I survived the coldest winter in the Czech Republic in thirty years (remember, I am a California girl) and returned home with some intermediate Czech proficiency and a new understanding of Central Europe. Towards the end of my semester, two friends and I made an impromptu trip to Bratislava, Slovakia. The freedom to hop on a bus or a train and spend a weekend in a different country made me feel incredibly grateful for my opportunity to study abroad.

Old Town Hall in Bratislava

In other news, I want to congratulate the men's ice hockey team, the 2012 National Champions, for a strong start to the season and the women's soccer team for beating number 1 ranked Florida State University. Also, if you have not already, check out this fall's lineup at Robsham Theater. Here are some foliage pictures from this week! I've been trying to snap as many pictures as I can before the last of the leaves fall. 

That's all for now,
Emily