Why Choose Warwick

Yorkshire Tea, Cadbury chocolate, and Branston Pickle--those are the things UK expats miss when away from home.  How do I know this?  I am in Japan, my home country, for Warwick’s Easter Holiday which separates the Spring and Summer terms and have been hanging out with my former teachers from Britain.  I think I am going to miss those foods, too, along with the UK Doritos (which are the best I have tasted in three countries).  They even beat out the yummy Japanese Doritos which are far superior to the US versions--what is up with that, Frito Lay?

However, I did not come to England in search of better chips.  I thought it would be interesting to spend the next few blog entries focusing more on life at the University of Warwick and why one might choose it for a semester abroad, especially since I understand the IB majors in the year below are in the midst of deciding which universities they hope to attend.

England made my shortlist for two reasons: language and courses.  It really helps that everyone I have encountered speaks English since my second language is only spoken in Japan.  Warwick Business School also offers classes that count towards both my International Business and Human Resources Management degrees, so I am still on track to graduate college on time.  I know from one of the other IB majors at Warwick that there are many Finance courses USC students can take, as well.

Credits earned at the University of Warwick translate back to USC as pass/fail.  This means that my Carolina GPA is not affected by my term overseas.  However, graduate schools look at all transcripts, so I cannot slack whilst in England.  Students need a minimum of 12 credit hours to maintain full-time student status at USC, which is equivalent to 48 CATS.  Some classes can be worth more CATS depending on how long you are staying at the university.  If you are there for two terms, classes tend to count for more than if you are only there for one.  One of the other USC students chose to attend Warwick for only one term, so while he is already finished with his study abroad experience, except for a handful of papers due in about a month, he took more classes than me during the Spring term to meet the full-time status requirement.  

Classes, as I mentioned in an earlier post, are run differently--they meet once a week and finals can be up to 100% of your grade, so finding a good study spot is a must.  My favorite building at Warwick to do homework is the library because there are quiet study areas on almost every floor.  All of the study areas are above ground, so you can set up shop by a window and bask in the little bits of sunshine that weasel their way through the cloudy English sky.  There is even a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream machine on the ground floor, which makes being at the library even more worth it.  The only downside is that, unlike the Thomas Cooper Library which stays open 24/7, the University of Warwick’s library closes.

If you want a safe campus, Warwick is definitely a school to consider.  Some of the on-campus facilities, such as the library, require Warwick student IDs for entry, which cuts down on theft.  The grounds are very well-lit when dark so late-night study sessions in other buildings on campus are possible.  There are also surveillance cameras everywhere.  This is a norm in the UK, but it still makes me feel a lot more comfortable walking home at night.

There are downsides to Warwick, as well, but I will write about them in the next post.  For now, I need to go to bed early because I start an internship tomorrow.

Remembering 3.11.2011

Today marks the third anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami that took countless lives and completely altered many more.  I was a high school senior in Tokyo and had just been released from my Friday afternoon homeroom class.  Everyone was dressed in costume for our annual themed Bingo Night later that day.  Bingo, of course, was cancelled.  The tremors were by far the worst I have ever felt, despite having lived in Tokyo, where earthquakes are a daily occurrence, for 17 years.  I felt like such a baby when I later learned how much worse things had been in northern Japan.

The media has not covered this tragedy recently as often as it had before, but the victims are still suffering and need help.  Northern Japan is mainly farmland, but many people avoid food from that region because of the possibility of ingesting something radioactive. This makes it very difficult for the locals to get back on their feet.  There are several more heart-breaking stories, like children living nearby the Fukushima power plant being diagnosed with brain cancer, and a horrifyingly large number of lives lost as a result of post-earthquake trauma.

Today I am keeping the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in my thoughts, and I hope to help them one day, somehow.

Countdown To Easter Break

Sometimes not so wonderful things happen. For instance, your laptop charger breaks while you are abroad and working on a research paper that counts for half of your final grade in your International Marketing class. Oops.

This is not the end of the world, though, because the University of Warwick's five-week Easter Break, which separates the Spring and Summer terms, begins on the 15th. I just need to get through this week by camping out in the library where I can borrow computers to complete my assignment.

Other than my charger breaking, and having to write this entry on my phone as a result, things are going well! I bought some English muffins--simply called muffins here--so now the sandwiches I prepare for lunch are extra delicious, I am pretty sure I did well on a group project for my Ethics class, and it is not nearly as rainy in England as it was when I first arrived.

As much as I am really beginning to feel a strong attachment to my new home, I am also looking forward to my break. I plan on visiting my parents whom I have not seen since early August (and will be able to borrow a laptop charger from them so I can write much more in my next blog entry).

It is around 6 pm. I am back at my dorm after spending the day in the library to eat a light dinner and take a little study break. However, I do need to return as soon as possible in order to claim a computer: the library is packed this week with students who, like me, need to borrow the university's technology.

Pancake Day

I am a die-hard Tokyoite.  I have spent over 17 years of my life exploring the concrete jungle.  I cheer on the local baseball team, the Yomiuri Giants, (when they are not playing my father’s team, the Hanshin Tigers), and know the steps to the Tokyo Ondo, the traditional regional dance.

However, my American side is from New Orleans, and Mardi Gras has always been a big deal to my partially Cajun family.  While I have not yet had the opportunity to experience carnival season in The Big Easy, I have always had people nearby who celebrate it in some way, whether it be my mother waving around a handkerchief and second line dancing in the living room, or my USC peers attending Mardi Gras themed parties.

Mardi Gras is not celebrated here--or at least not in Coventry.  Frankly, this just seems wrong to me, so to fill the void caused by the lack festivity, I have been listening to tunes like Iko Iko, Mardi Gras Mambo, and Do Whatcha Wanna Part 3 non-stop for the last few days.  Today I plan on donning my purple woolen sweater and eating all of the chocolate I can get my hands on.

Instead of attending King Cake parties and watching Mardi Gras parades, folks here partake in Shrove Tuesday by flipping pancakes to use up fatty foods, like butter, before the Lenten fasting begins.  I guess it is considered Fat Tuesday here, too.  Pancake Day, as today is also known, is similarly celebrated in France according to my roommate.  Since I am in England, eating chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast seems only appropriate for my chocolate-filled day.

While it is typical for students in England to prepare their own food in the dorm kitchens, there are also a variety of eateries on campus from cafes to pubs.  There is even a convenience store within a three minute walk from my room.  I do not want to buy the perishable ingredients necessary to make my own pancakes, especially since our five-week Easter Break begins soon, so I am hoping to purchase pre-made pancakes somewhere.

Researching online for places that sell pancakes at Warwick led me to an interesting experiment: Dr. Mark Hadley at the University of Warwick found the equation for the perfect pancake toss.  I was 14 years old the last time I sat in a physics class, so I am (obviously) by no means an expert in the field, but Hadley explains his findings in a way that even I can understand.  

Long story short, one should consider a lot of variables when flipping pancakes and none of the eateries here that are open for breakfast serve them.  I might have to venture off campus for my chocolate pancake fix.  Please keep your fingers crossed that I find a way to have them.

Lastly, take a page from THESE NOPD officers and laissez les bon temps roule!

Update: the Warwick Student Union Facebook page just posted information on where to find pancakes today--The Dirty Duck pub and XANANAS restaurant!