by Kerrianne Little ’18
I arrived on January 5, and it was a cloudy and drizzly day. The weather has remained much the same for the last three weeks, with a few beautifully sunny days and a snowfall sprinkled throughout. The temperature has remained for the most part a tad too warm for my winter coats, at about 40 degrees Fahrenheit, which is pleasant, even when it is rainy. The inch of snow that fell only lasted about a day and a half before completely melting away.
I am living in the Student Apartments, which is back to back with the Fraser Building, the equivalent to the Davis Center at UVM. The bookstore, Residential Services, and a cafeteria are in the Fraser building, as well as Student Services. I am within a five minute walk of all my classes, as well as a main shopping street, Buyers Road.
The campus is small and diffuse, and the main building is a gorgeous castle-looking building that is very photogenic. For the first week, I had almost no classes and even less schoolwork. I have had no problem understanding professors or students, but I have trouble when I am at the small grocery store on Buyers Road and the cashiers ask me if I want a bag in their thick accent. Also, you have to pay a few extra pence for a plastic bag whenever you purchase anything, so it is handy to bring some reusable tote bags for grocery shopping.
This weekend, we walked over to the botanical gardens, which was about a ten minute walk from our flat. At this time of the year, the outdoor gardens are pretty sparse, although the grass is surprisingly green and lush everywhere. There are extensive glass houses full of blooming flowers and trees and vines from all over the world. It is refreshingly warm and pleasant smelling within the beautiful glass walls, even at this time of the year. I am excited to revisit later in the spring, I expect it will be lovely. We also got tiny little delicious mochas at a coffee shop called Paper cup on the way back, along with a tasty chocolate lime macaroon.
Next weekend, we are planning on going on a tour with “Student Tours Scotland” to see the Falkirk Wheel and the Kelpies monuments. Looking forward to more adventures!