Archives for July 2016

As I am in the midst in adjusting to my module here, I am beginning to see how different the grading system is in the UK as compared to in the USA. First of all, a student who receives a 70% or better as a final grade in a class in England is equivalent to a student at a university in the states earning an A (right?!). However, it is just as difficult to earn a 70% at a university in the UK as it is to earn an A in a class in the US. This is something very new for me, because I am accustomed to perceiving anything below an 80% as unsatisfactory. But I have been told to not be alarmed if I receive a grade of 60, as this is actually a pretty good mark.

Also different between universities in the UK and USA are how much weight each assignment receives. As a science major, I expect examinations and quizzes to count from anywhere between 60% and 100% of my final grade. Here, my grade consists of three items. My final essay counts as 70% of my grade, with a journal counting as 20% and class participation at 10%. Although it might not sound like much, it is somewhat daunting knowing that a single essay will have such a huge impact on my final grade. On top of this, most work outside of class is spent on reading articles, many of which are very dense. I am more accustomed to reading a textbook and doing practice problems.

What I find most interesting about this module is the informality of the class sessions. Most of the time is spent on discussions, which is something rarely found in a course I would take at home. The professor even takes notes on what students say! That blew me away, but it made me realize that we are educated students, and we are capable of presenting points that a professor may not think of themselves. Overall, this module is very challenging because of the many readings we have to do and class discussions we partake in, but it has given me another perspective about learning as compared to education in America.

Let me speak freely, if I may, about a conversation I have been watching. Approaching from above, there is nothing like the landscape from Rio de Janeiro. The earth is so expressive. The city has no choice but to respond to it.

And this city does respond to its land. The infrastructure stays in the valleys, like water pouring through open passages. The dynamics of the land are so extreme that people seem to accept it as they build, working with it. Except for tunnels under the big mounds, everyone goes where they more easily belong and stay away from much of the higher natural land. This effect seems to be what’s responsible for Rio creating, or really allowing for, the biggest urban forest in the world. Tijuca Forest makes up 7% of the city, an amount very great compared to other urban forces.

The landscape of the city resisted civilization for a long time. The portuguese settlers were not fond of Rio de Janeiro, which they stumbled upon on January of 1502, earning it its name. It was too hilly and too difficult of land to conquer. Not only that, the natives that took ownership of that land were also very difficult to conquer, making their primary goal to spread the religion very tough. So they let it be. Eventually a French refugee group took shelter in Rio with the natives and intermarried, and were later conquered in battle by major settlers.

The say of the land still remains in the hills, but takes exception to the shores, where the infrastructure pushes the land right to its limit with buildings all the way to the edge.
The human interest in the shore looks to be what saves the edge from being fully conquered, with a thin strip of land remaining around the city. The beaches were even improved upon after the 1930s, with additional sand to manicure the line of the shore, and a lot of public design to address the public there.

The other exception is the people who are willing to take further challenge from the earth, who might find that easier than taking a place in the open passages. Those are the people who live in the less invested areas of the favelas, taking place on the sides of the hills, and housing people with very little economic means. The infrastructure of those communities is not entirely well-aligned, and not all that sound, but there it remains. The instance of low economic means happens so greatly for the citizens of Rio that favelas house over 20% of its population, for those who can manage to build a home there. The name favela came about with the interesting habit of a flower, Cnidoscolus quercifolius, which grows on a hill. So in many ways, those communities take after a beauty that endures a difficult environment. That difficulty can appear very harsh, but it does create an environment where people amaze you.

 

Yesterday, I was able to visit the famous city of London for the day. The University of Sussex set up a field trip to the city, and many of the people in my program came along with me. For 45 pounds (about 60 USD), I was provided with a train ride to and from London (about an hour-long journey each way). Also included in this price was a boat ride on the River Thames (pronounced “temz”) as well as unlimited rides on the Tube, or as we call in the States, Subway.

Our first stop in London was at Buckingham Palace, where Queen Elizabeth resides. Our group made it just in time to witness the changing of the guards, which happens once a day. In this process, the guards walk in a formation, holding flags and replacing the other guards who have just completed their shift. Simultaneously, a large group of officers on horses comes up along the main road and circles around the front palace, finally exiting the way they came. The process was very extravagant, including many guards, horses, and other police officers. Imagine Times Square being completely blocked off for about thirty minutes. I was so ecstatic to be able to see this, and I even felt royal myself just being able to be a bystander it. (Buckingham Palace pictured below)

I was most excited to see Big Ben, which is actually just the name of the Bell inside the tower. The Elizabeth Tower is the proper name of the building. I actually thought it was red, and was a bit surprised to see it was a gold building. However, it looked even more historic and classy than I imagined. (“Big Ben” pictured below)

I was also able to see many other sites in London, as well experience the typical English weather. The beginning of the day was beautiful, sunny, and warm. Midday consisted of a chilly and cloudy overcast with intermittent drizzling, and we ended our journey in London with sunny and cool weather. It was interesting to me, but from what I’ve heard it is pretty typical for a forecast here.

Overall, it was an honor to be able to see all the sites in person that I heard about and saw in movies and on television. As compared to a city like New York City, London had so many more historic sites and buildings, and the layout of the city just seemed so much more old-fashioned. It is more of “homey” city, and I highly recommend visiting if you ever get the chance.