Finals! I'd Forgotten What Those Were Like!

So classes for the first semester here are done. In fact we are in the midst of a study week. And while most of my classes were writing projects, the law class is a killer. Mostly because it's all about the Irish Constitution and a system that treats the press and the broadcasting systems so differently than I'm used to the United States. It's actually fascinating. But when it comes to statues and articles here I easily get lost. All that means is I need to study.

Well the dozens of computers available in the library and in every computer lab I could think of on campus are booked up by 9 in the morning. And they have no sense of sharing here. People claim their spots and then leave stuff and go for lunch and just retain that space. Seems odd to me but it's their system. So I had to find my own way of working around it.

And yesterday after flying passed all the logical places to study I could think of, on a whim, I headed for the Journalism suite here. For the first 8 weeks of the semester they didn't even have computers in there, but they are now outfitted with beautiful new Macs. I wasn't sure my caard would open it after classes ended but it did! What a find. A great room with about 15 computers in it, large tables to spread out on and no one else was there! It actually made me feel stupid for not thinking of it sooner.

Over the last two days I've run in to two other students it occurred to. But that's it! It's like our own little library. Now that's a win-win. Plus both of those other students are from Ireland and know more about the laws here than I do, which helps.

 

Even finals has been a learning experience here.