over the pond.

On my first day of secondary school, someone, probably my mother, took a picture of me as I left our house, my smile and jumper big, my bag shiny and new, and I stuck it in the front of my leaving book. I don't remember it being taken, but I love how it captures eleven year old Sarah perfectly. So, on my first day of class at Lehigh, I thought I should take a commemorative photo as well. Of course I waited until my roommate wasn't in in case she thought I was narcissistic or just plain weird.

Whilst I was incredibly excited to start my classes, it was also terrifying to go into a junior (third year) level class and be the only person who has never studied in the country before. I feel like a naive first year, asking how to access the reading and what it means when it says an essay should be four pages. But if I have learnt anything from today it is this; just ask. In this settling in period, there are a whole bunch of things that I don't know but need to know and there is no point sitting in silence and hoping someone tells me.

I didn't know what to expect from my classes, but they were set out in a very similar way to the seminars at Kent; around fifteen to twenty people sat in a circle discussing texts and theory. My first class was on the American novel and it made me realise exactly how little I know about colonial history, and the other was on Biblical women. The former was not a class that I wanted to take as such, but I felt that I should at least take one module on American literature! My religion class was really good, it's taught simultaneously by two professors who come from different perspectives (one teaches religion and the other teaches English and gender studies) and we got straight into discussion, looking at the presentation of Eve in biblical translations and in Medieval texts- never thought I'd voluntarily read Middle English again! I have always wanted to look at the bible in greater depth, and I even briefly considered doing a theology degree in my gap year, so I think this is going to be a great class.

The required reading is much more intense than Kent, with ongoing testing to make sure that it is completed. I already have nineteen chapters of an eighteenth century novel, a Middle English account of the story of Adam and Eve plus another text to read for Wednesday. This is not going to be an easy year. But I think that is good thing. I always say how much I hate the lack of contact hours at Kent and how I would prefer a steady level of work instead of having very little and then a huge essay. Also, my final year is really important to my degree classification, I want to bring my grade up to a first after averaging at 69 the last two years, so if I had a really relaxed year it would be impossible to get back into the swing of things in time for writing my dissertation.

It's been a busy day, after my classes I went to the club fair, sprawling handmade stalls as far as the eye could see which looked like something out of an American movie, complete with Pitch Perfect-style accapella groups and lots of free food. On one of my first nights here I ended up playing volleyball with some of the older students and it made me remember how much I love competitive sport, so I tried to find a team that I could join. I couldn't find the volleyball or girls football stand which had been my first thought, but I did sign up for ultimate frisbee, basketball and running as I hope to get involved with at least one sports club, and I wanted to sign up for teams that seemed relaxed about skill level. The ultimate frisbee group are having a party tomorrow as well which I am pretty excited about as I haven't had a chance to properly go out in the evening yet.

After the club fair, I went and explored the gym, though I only ran about 2 miles on the treadmill before it shut. I didn't bring any sports kit suitable for this heat, so I bought a garish pair of purple running shorts and some cheap trainers from walmart. So many people on campus wear running shorts and baggy tshirts, I really felt the part! I want to make the most of the free facilities here, so it was good to learn my way around, even if I didn't stay very long. It was so hot and I really wanted to go swimming but the pool was being used for varsity try outs and training, so I'll have to save that for another day.

I'm sure that this post is only interesting to my mother, but I thought today should be documented. My first successful day at "college". I am exhausted and not particularly thrilled to start reading eighteenth century literature, but I think it's going to be a good semester.