Ely, Wicken Fen, and A Bit of Schoolwork

View from the Cathedral

Last Saturday, my Dickinson class took a field trip to Ely and Wicken Fen. We were reading the novel Waterland which takes place in that general area, so we went to visit it to see the location up close and personal. In Ely, our class split into two groups and each got to tour a different Cathedral. Each group climbed all the way to the top of the Cathedral and got to look into the distance and see Wicken Fen from afar. After visiting Ely, we went onward to Wicken Fen, only to find it was exactly as the novel described, except a little more dry. Wicken Fen was full of marshlands and had a tiny stream going through it. It was muddy and the only animals seen were two bulls, some chickens, and an ugly duckling that was in the process of turning into a swan. It was really awesome seeing the location the book was talking about, as it allowed me to have a more clear and accurate image of the area the author was describing.

Aside from this field trip, I recently handed in my first two assignments for my UEA classes. It was the most horrifying experience I have ever encountered, as in each class, unlike Dickinson, we only have two assignments for the entire semester, meaning that if I did poorly on one assignment, there would be no way for me to succeed at my normal level. SO MUCH PRESSURE! Almost too much. It was also scary as my professors reiterated to us that it is very rare for any student to receive marks in the top tier of the grading system here. At Dickinson, because we have so many assignments, doing poorly on one does not necessarily mean one will do poorly in the class. Dickinson professors also grade on attendance and participation which could potentially help boost one's grade, whereas the professors at UEA do not. Another interesting aspect about the UEA grading system is that all papers are submitted anonymously, only have one's student number as their identifier, and are submitted to an information desk in the building of the class. This is good in the sense that the professor won't have any bias when grading.

My class at Wicken Fen

On a lighter note, in two days I will be celebrating Turkey Day here at my professor's house! I am SUPER excited. Everyone in the class is bringing either a dish or drink to share and my professor's wife will be cooking for us as well. It will surely be delicious and I am mentally preparing to be full for days!