Week 10 This weekend our Social Programme took us on a day trip to Cambridge. The most memorable part of this trip for me was punting along the canal and seeing the different colleges in the University from there. It was a rainy, gloomy day, but I think we all made the best of it.
To the left is said to be an apple tree descended from the one that gave us Newton's Laws. To the right are some photos from punting along the canal.
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Week 9 INTRODUCTION Two main reasons I took a trip to Copenhagen: 1) I love Scandinavian interior design and architecture and 2) I also heard great things about this city from friends and classmates. This was another solo trip and honestly it is one of my favorite experiences so far. I have loved all the places I have gotten the chance to visit, but the social experience I had here this past short weekend is why I think people travel. ACCOMMODATION I stayed in a hostel called Next House. Honestly, it was one of the best experiences. The facilities were super hip and modern. They had lockers I could use to store my stuff before check in and after check out. The other travelers I met here made my experience in Copenhagen. There were a mix of families and young adult travelers, but majority I would say were people in their late-twenties. My dorm was an all-female dorm with 6 beds. TRANSPORATION The city's public transportation system is great, however, the ticketing is a bit confusing. I am still not sure what ticket you need for the buses. While you don't necessarily need a ticket to get on the metro (as in there is nothing blocking you that you need to scan to open), I always bought a ticket because you never know when the ticket master is walking around or in some cases, the police. For the most part though, I just walked around the city. ITINERARY DAY 1 Danish Architecture Center Christianbourg Palace
DAY 3 Week 8 In comparison to the United States, the UK system is more independent study. While there are equal opportunities to engage with tutors (their version of professors), the lack of incentive in terms of impact on grade to attend all the lectures and seminars makes going to class a personal choice. For one of my courses, barely anyone would show up to the seminar sessions (maybe 4 of us max.).
For all three of my UK courses, the materials are building up each week to help us write our final summative assessment, a 2500 word report. My formative assessments were not graded but were tools to get feedback from our tutors on the first part or a section of the summative assessment. The weekly lectures and seminars go over materials that we can potentially use in our summatives. The grading system is also different in the UK. For that reason, there is a conversion chart that each home university needs to provide. UH Study Abroad Center has this in one of the packets. Because of the way the UK system grades, undergraduate level scores are much lower than US counter parts. It is basically impossible to get above a 90 because that means your work is academic journal level publishable. For the most part, a score of 70 or higher will get you an A at UH Manoa when grades transfer back. Terminology Tutor (equivalent to US professor or TA) Assessment brief (Document in beginning of the year that outlines formative and summative assessments) Formative assessment (like a mid-term but sometimes not graded) Summative assessment (final assignment, usually rest of grade not included in formative) Lectures (tutor lectures on week's material) Seminars (discussion time, class activities, actively engaging with other students) Week 7 INTRODUCTION As a part of our Social Programme, we went to Wales for a weekend. Going through the program was actually a great way to see the country because we got a tour guide, bus, and accommodations were taken care of. It felt like I was back in high school on a field trip because we got to travel with the other study abroad students who signed up for the Social Programme ACCOMMODATION The university program booked us all in the Holiday Inn in Swansea, Wales. Our bus dropped us off in Swansea and we got dinner and enjoyed some of what the small town had to offer and took a taxi to the hotel. There is public transportation, however, it stopped running by the time me and my friends headed back. ITINERARY This was all pre-planned through the University's programme. DAY 1 Caerleon Our first stop in Wales was a town called Caerleon where the Roman Legions used to be stationed when Britain was under the Roman Empire. Here we got to see a Roman Amphitheater that hasn't been fully excavated and learn more about the history of the Roman Legion located here at their local museum. Cardiff We stopped in a coastal part of capital of Cardiff and then headed to the heart of the city for lunch. Caerphelly Castle After lunch, we headed to the ruins of Caephelly Castle. Swansea Our accommodations for the night were in Swansea. It was actually Halloween weekend, and everyone (I mean everyone) out and about were dressed up. It was surprising as this is a small town in Wales. DAY 2 Big Pit This was probably one of the highlights of this Wales trip for me. We had the opportunity to go down into a retired coal mine. Guided by a former miner, we learned and saw what it was like for workers. I thought it was interesting because throughout history classes in high school and college, we learned about the importance of the coal mine as an integral part of history. To see one in real life and see the conditions these men, women, and children had to endure was eye opening.
Tintern Abbey Overall, I had an absolute blast on this weekend in Wales trip. It was super fun to travel with a large group (over 20 of us) of college students. Wales is a beautiful place and I am glad I was able to see part of it.
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Kaylee MikiI'm a college student from Hawai‘i studying abroad in London and looking forward to traveling around Europe and sharing my experiences. Archives
January 2023
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