Today started as any normal day. We had classes and then before chapel and lunch. a small group of us went with Erimeta to the University of Florence. We ate in there Cafeteria which they only have one choice, but you get a decent amount for the 7.50 Euro, I got a pasta (tortellini) a small salad, a piece of chicken with some sort of lettuce or cabbage slices on top and then you squeeze a lemon over it, a drink, and a desert if you want one... after we ate in the cafeteria we went around the campus in the rain. we went in a few buildings saw some people taking there oral exams... (side note) all Italian Exams are Oral and one on one with the Teacher unless graduating then you and a panel of teachers. they can ask you pretty much anything and then they decide what your grade is. If you do not like it you don't sign and you come back and take it again. She said you get 3 chance in like a 2-3 month period which starts in January, but you don't have classes during that period. Also learned that it only costs them 2.000 euros a year for school. It is not by class or credit, just by the year. Student also don't take more than about 4 classes a semester and many take few and take longer to finish. Also to graduate with an undergraduate degree you must complete a 140 page thesis on a topic decided on by the professor along with an oral examination with a panel of teachers. Also instead of a large graduation with everyone, it's just you that graduates. another interesting thing about the universities in Italy is the culture of individuals. Unless you know people before you got there it is very difficult to meet people. Partially because everyone that lives in Florence that goes to College, stays at that university and few outside students come. Also the Italian Culture makes it very out of character to just walk up and start talking to someone or try to start a conversation. Generally you must be introduced, generally through a connection of friends that you must develop. Also teachers and students don't communicate, they read pretty much straight from teh book and expect you to know it by doing your own reading and work and then test you on it. Very little if any relationships are formed teacher to student and we got to witness an oral examination from a hallway, and it makes the students very scared and nervous when it comes to the examinations.
but after that She took us to a library downtown near the Duomo, which is free, and has a beautiful view, and shelter from the rain and cold. So we took some pictures and sat inside and chatted for a bit before it started to snow. IT SNOWED! it didn't stick but it was kinda cool to see it coming down, and it doesn't happen very often here. so we took some more pictures and then headed down the long walk to the bus to come home (which by the way I can't remember if I said this, but they changed the bus routes the other day so it's a farther walk than it use to be!! but on Sun they open the Tram! and we have the opportunity to see the mayors do some sort of ceremony and get on some of the first trains (which are free for the first week!). but that will m ake it only about a 10 min ride into Florence maybe instead of the 30- 60 min bus ride!)
So all in all it was a good day, and while it did rain, and sorta snow, it was fun. And tonight we are going to watch the Sound of Music and work on free travel. upcoing this week is some trips. We are going into Florence and we are going to go to a few museums and churches and I'm hoping to get a Duomo trip in the next few days, and I have a few other places I'm gonna try to go to! and we are also going to go to Rome next week, and then free travel!
Looking like we are po0ssibly going to go to venice; vienna, austria; germany; maybe coopenhagen, Denmark; maybe Stockholm, Sweden, maybe Switzerland, and then some of us may try to go to Greece, or Spain and Andorra... so very busy and cray 10 day trip, but it will be awesome and I'll get to see a lot! and I'll hopefully have more of an itinerary soon!
So I hope everyone at home is doing well with all the Snow and crazy weather and hopefully the computer can get soem of these pictures uploaded!
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