A year in pictures

 I'm having trouble realizing that we're already approaching February, and that I've been blogging for over a year. Right now I'm still in Norway where the roads are covered in snow and it's impossible to walk or drive. So to acknowledge the fact that it's actually 2015 and that I have 1.5 years left at Brookes, I thought I could share some pictures of the past year.

So without further ado, here are some of my highlights from 2014


January 

The John Henry Brookes Building finally opened    

February

A visit from Norway included a tour followed by an happy hour experience at our local pub 

March

You know you live in the UK when it's a highlight that the spring arrived and you got to enjoy a whole day of not only no rain but sun too! 

March was also the month when Brookes hosted an historic event at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. The event marked the start of Brookes' 150th anniversary. My favorite was definitely the talking robot on the left. 


April 

In April, during Easter, I went totally crazy with cultural stuff and visited both the Blenheim Palace and Stratford Upon Avon. 

 Another highlight of April was this afternoon tea. Looks delicious, right?


May

Need I say more? Don't think so. 

June, July, August 

This pretty much sums up my summer.


September 

The transition from being a fresher to a second year student made me crazy. The list on the right just kept on expanding until the very end.  



October

Another visit from Norway and of course a mandatory trip to London, which in this case also included a trip to the Emirates Stadium. 


November

This picture is actually pretty international. Taken in Oxford, by a Norwegian, with a Mexican, and a German dog. 

December 

No caption needed I guess. 



I just want to end this by thanking you for reading my blog. I hope you at least find it somewhat useful. 2014 was definitely a challenging year but I've also experienced so much fun stuff. All in all, a pretty good year!

Let's hope 2015 is even better!

It's that time of year again

It’s that time of year again. You know, when you easily can separate the locals from the rest. And by locals I mean British people, in general. How come, you say? Well, when December comes and it gets colder, an easy way to spot the locals is to watch out for flip-flops, shorts and non-wool sweaters on a windy, cold morning in South Park. When I wake up it’s usually so cold outside that the inside of my flat is like a freezer. So it’s only natural then that I bring my huge, warm winter jacket to Brookes along with winter boots and gloves. My cheeks are so red when I arrive at the lecture that it looks like I’ve been out playing in the snow for hours. And I'm from Norway and probably have viking blood running through my veins. 

The locals, however, don’t seem bothered at all. I have spotted guys wearing flip-flops and shorts on their way to Brookes in the middle of December. I have seen girls walk by in ballerina shoes and v-neck sweaters when it’s raining outside. And I have seen people with huge jackets and  scarfs. And those people with jackets and scarfs are the international ones.

Another thing I’ve noticed since writing my last British vs. Norwegian culture entry on this blog, is that my non-local friends living with the locals freeze their behinds off when their at home. Their British flat mates simply don’t allow these cold poor human beings to turn their heaters on, because god forbid, the electricity bill could get high. Do you know how cheap the British electricity actually is? It’s ridiculously low compared to many other countries! I thought the Norwegians were the stingy ones, but it turns out to be the British. My whole “British people are so much better than Norwegians” thesis should be edited. You cannot be warm hearted people when you must be cold all the time, can you? I don’t know anymore. I do know that I like it nice and hot inside my flat though. And that I still like to be called darling and honey by strangers.

 Speaking of Norwegians. This is probably totally irrelevant to all non-Norwegians, but have you heard of ANSA – Association of Norwegian Students Abroad? They have recently started an Oxford branch! If you’re a Norwegian student studying abroad, being an ANSA member is something you should consider. They can help you with almost anything, from personal issues to discounted flight tickets and insurance. You can find their Facebook page here and their website here. The cost of a year’s membership is £39 and the advantages are too many for me to list them all. Have a look, sign up, and like their Facebook page. ANSA Oxford host regular events for Norwegian students, so keep your eyes open!

Now I'm returning to my revision of political thinkers from the stone age. Yes, it's as boring as it sounds. But when writing this it's exactly 2 days, 13 hours and 28 minutes left until Christmas. Yes, that's how excited I am for this semester to end. 

I wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy new year. Thank you for reading my last blog entry in 2014 - see you next year! 

Brookes 2.0

"If this is what uni is like this will be easy as pie", I remember thinking after my last exam in May. Little did I know what Brookes had in mind for me as a second year student. It's like we've gone from a stroll on a sunny, lazy Sunday to a high speed run on a rainy Monday. No fun, in other words.

My first year timetable was no more than two hours a day with every Friday off. Now it's  9am to 4pm several times a week. To finish on a Friday at 4pm with a heavy lecture on something you can't wrap your head around is challenging, and my brain feels like it's boiled. The modules I do this semester also happen to be exhausting. All of my module leaders are like "this is not an easy module, it will be hard. Be prepared".


I have 9 deadlines this semester and 1 exam, so it's "only" 3 more than last year, but the expectations are so much higher. And if that's not enough it's twice as much to read. I have so much reading to catch up on after writing my last essay where I was forced to just finish the damn thing and skip some of the readings due at the same day as my essay, where I completed the readings several weeks ahead of all my modules last year, I'm now way behind on two out of five modules. The day just doesn't have enough hours for me to finish it all. And with all this I'm really starting to lose motivation. The first semester at Brookes felt like a month or so, but this time it feels like a very, very long year. I have never looked more forward to Christmas.




With all this too-much-to-do-too-little-time thing, my boyfriend suggested online grocery shopping after speaking to a friend of his about it. At first I was skeptical but we gave it a try, and it's truly amazing. I feel ashamed admitting to it though. At least it saves us some money when we shop for the whole week and don't get tempted to buy unnecessary stuff. However, there are disadvantages. When I was doing the online grocery shopping last week my boyfriend wanted some crisps for the weekend. As it was a two for one offer on those particular wanted crisps I bought two. The thing I missed was that it was a 20 pack bag and not a 6 pack bag. So now we have 40 packs of crisps in our relatively small kitchen. I'm wondering what the delivery man thought when he saw that we've ordered 40 packs...

As you probably can tell I'm a bit unmotivated this semester. November has been a very long month. But to end this on a good note, there has been some pretty good things about this semester too! My friends have become even better friends, and the parties have definitely been taken to another level.

I've also attended a British Sign Language class which was really fun. It only lasted for 6 weeks but if I down the line meet a fellow signer I can at least spell the words!

And last, but definitely not least, the weather has been decent. Last year I remember November as an awful rainy month, but this time it has actually been pretty good. You know you live in the UK when three days in a row without rain is something to be happy about.

I guess I just have to pull my self together, find that long lost motivation and keep going - pedal to the metal I guess. At least Christmas is slowly but steadily approaching :)

I run on insulin

Ever since my first entry in January I've felt like there's a specific topic I should write about. I don't know why I haven't done it already or why I'm even writing this one now, but I feel like I should.

I have type 1 diabetes, and have been a diabetic since 2007. Type 1 diabetes is the kind you're born with but no one is entirely sure why for instance I got it but not my sister. Type 2 is the "famous" one often confused with type 1, which often is caused by a combination of lifestyle and genes. Being a type1 diabetic means that my body no longer produces insulin, a hormone helping my body to use the glucose in my blood to give me energy. If you're interested in the details you can read more about it here.

The older generation sometimes say that the youth is a bunch of lazy people whose brain is barely challenged. Well, fortunately for me, that's not the case. My brain is constantly busy with counting carbs for my meal, calculating possibilities of unforeseen events likely to affect my blood sugar and when my next meal will be. It's never a dull moment for my brain I suppose.

 Since 2008 I've used an insulin pump, which is a device which purpose is to copy the human pancreas. I wear it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except from when I'm showering. I also wear a device shaped like a large button monitoring my blood sugar levels every 10 minutes. You just got to love technology! This button and a juice box has saved my life so many times, as I've stopped waking up during sleep when my blood sugar gets too low. Basically, low blood sugar equals death. And high blood sugar (over time) also equals death. 

Having a diagnosis like diabetes has it's pros and cons, mostly cons. The only pros I can think of is that I'm a hell of a multi-tasker, organizer and mental calculation. The cons are an endless list. Like having a low blood sugar needed to be treated immediately during a seminar, or a high blood sugar during a two hour exam causing you to start day dreaming about going to the toilet. 

Wearing an insulin pump also has its pros and cons, and the pump has gotten me into strange situations. Like when people think I in 2014 am wearing a phone in those old fashioned belt purses attached to your pants, or when they think I'm wearing a phone in my bra even though I have clothes with pockets. I have also been forced to explain that no, I don't have three breasts, it's just my insulin pump. And of course the inevitable "no, I'm not touching my breast, I'm touching the buttons of my pump".

Being at uni with diabetes isn't easy, international student or not. It affects your level of performance during exam, your mental presence during seminars or lectures and a whole lot of insecurity. You don't really want to show off your pump or blood sugar device to your new friends right away, but you are at the same time forced to inject insulin if you don't want to run to the toilet 24/7. I have actually just told one of my friends from Brookes that I have diabetes, but I think many of them have figured it out already. When I have to measure my blood glucose level I "hide" the whole process in my purse, but I guess it's pretty obvious what I'm doing in there. And if they haven't figured it out they probably think my phone is attached to my body with a plastic tube and that I wear my phone in my bra.

Alcohol and diabetes isn't the best combination either, most things are in fact not good in combination with diabetes. Except for vegetables and exercise. But you can't stop living either. That's why diabetics do the same as non-diabetics. And yes, we eat candy. And drink soda. And eat cake. But the thing about alcohol is sometimes tricky. The police or your friends might perceive you as wasted, at the same time as you're actually having a low blood sugar. So if you don't want to tell all your friends that you have diabetes, at least tell one of them. Just in case. There are cases every year where diabetics die because of the misperception between being drunk and having a low blood sugar.

And also know that Brookes has an excellent medical team ready to help you if you're having any kind of trouble.

Now I really have to go to the bathroom. Again.


All pictures from pinterest.com 

Round 2

After what feels like the longest summer ever, I'm finally back in Oxford after traveling with too much baggage..again. Every year I tell myself that this time I won't bring too much. And every time I fail, resulting in pain, sweat and almost tears. Not a happy camper trying to make my way from the airport express train. A total of 50 kg baggage just is too much. Crossing my fingers that when I'm leaving for Christmas I'll finally learn how to properly back a bag.

I'm living with my boyfriend in the same flat as last year, with the same loud neighbours. I was praying for them to move out during the summer, but my prayers was absolutely not heard. I was also praying for the bathroom to be finished before I got back as it has been refurnished during the summer. But those prayers obviously got lost on the way too. So now I have tools spread all over the living room, dust all over the place, and a bathroom with a toilet that has not yet been secured. I'm hoping the toilet won't suddenly fall so I end up with a flat full of sewage. That would have been even more disgusting than the fact that bathroom tiles have been cut in the kitchen...IN THE KITCHEN... I even have dust from tile cutting inside every cupboard and the oven. It's crazy.

 I ended my Summer in the mountains on a hunting trip. The hunting was result less and the only thing we saw was some feathers, but it was fun anyway.

If you have followed this blog a while you probably know that I live next to Cowley Road, a road full of restaurants, shops and what nots. So as I sit her on the sofa looking at tools I don't even know the name of, I thought I could share my Cowley favorites. You can find food from every corner of the world on this very road, but some of them are better than others. 

South Park 

Well, this isn't exactly a part of Cowley Road, but it is a park nearby, and it also is one of my favorite parks. It's 5 mins from my flat, and I walk through it along with many others on my way to Brookes. It is a perfect place for a picnic, a walk or even a run. On the weekends the park is frequently used by runners, people attending bootcamp and those trying to recover from yesterday. It's like a miniature version of Central Park in New York. It's also the location of circuses, firework shows and concerts. And the view on a sunny day is unbelievable. You understand why Oxford is called the city of dreaming spires when you're looking towards the city centre from South Park. 

Atomic Pizza

247 Cowley Road 

My second day in Oxford my boyfriend and I went to Atomic Pizza to eat and we kind of ended up there by coincidence. Both the inside and outside is filled with well known comic figures, and they're also showing good old music videos inside. The food is really good, especially the burger with chili con carne, and the prices are reasonable. 

Kadai & Naan 

209 Cowley Road

A little further down Cowley Road is Kadai & Naan, the best Indian restaurant in Oxford in my opinion. What's also great about it is the student discount. Need I say more? 

City Arms

288 Cowley Road 

City Arms is a short walk from both restaurants mentioned above, and is a huge pub. They have multiple TV's for the sports interested, pool, and seating areas both inside and outside. It's definitely a place where you can watch football with the guys or order a huge fishbowl of drinks for a silly low price. 

George & Delila 
104 Cowley Road 
If you've never been to Oxford before you'll soon see a couple of George & Delila cafés, and one of them is located on Cowley Road. It's often used by people to read or work during daytime and in the evening they frequently serve as a live music concert venue. It's intimate but spacey, and a popular café for students.



I hope you've managed to settle in and that you're ready for your first semester at Brookes. I'm more ready than ever, even though I've realized that the two upcoming semesters are going to be hard with a lot of work. But I sure am ready for round 2! 

An end and a new beginning

In a few weeks you will have packed your bags, said your goodbyes to family and friends, and be on your way to your new life as a Brookes student. You will probably have a lot of questions but very few answers, a lot of dreams and expectations but maybe some worries too. I remember my last night in my Norwegian bed at my mum's house and the following morning, thinking "this is it, I'm leaving the country I grew up in, where I've spent 90% of my 21 year old life and moving to a country I've only been a few times before, but never outside of London".

So my question is: are you ready? Are you ready for a whole new life, in an unfamiliar city, and maybe in an unfamiliar country? Are you ready to start your new life as a Brookes student?

If so, be prepared to have a whole lot of fun, but also stressful times before deadlines. Be prepared for nights out with friends, and nights at the library. Be prepared to be part of something so many people want to do - what you have been given the opportunity to be a part of. Don't waste it - make the most of it.

Arriving at Oxford in general and Brookes in particular can be both a dream come true and a slightly chaotic day. Maybe you don't know who you will live with or where you will stay, but just remember that it will all be fine.

If you arrive during arrivals weekend and arrive at Heathrow airport, I recommend using the Meet and Greet Service Brookes is offering. If you arrive outside of the arrivals weekend, as I did last September, my tip is to take the bus to Oxford. If you prefer to take the train I'm not going to stop you, just be aware that you'll need to change at least one time. Coaches are running regularly from both Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted, and stop at Gipsy Lane campus where you'll collect your keys, unless you're renting a private flat.

After you've arrived at Brookes there will be a number of events and meetings to help you settle into life as a Brookes student. You'll get valuable information, such as how to open a bank account, who to contact if you have questions and much more.

You will also take part of a day of enrollment, where you'll officially become a Brookes student. You'll meet your fellow students doing the same course as you, and be given even more information. Maybe more information than your brain can handle. Especially if you're a non-English speaking student. Don't let the English speaking part stress you out, you'll be fluent in English in no time! I remember the enrollment day being the day I was most nervous about. I didn't know anyone when I sat down, and even though I really wanted to speak to the girls around me, but they were all British and I didn't want to embarrass my self with my Norwegian accent. After the meeting a green dressed girl working as Brookes guide showed us around, and I was really pleased when she told me she was from Romania. She told me not to be afraid to speak English with a bad Norwegian accent, unless I wanted to stick to the accent for ever. That would be really awkward if I still sounded like a Norwegian after spending three years in Oxford!

If you get lost, don't understand what the teachers are talking about, and just feel complete and utterly confused - that's where your Academic Adviser comes in. Your AA is your very own adviser, who will be able to help you and give you advice. Make sure to use her/him, they're here to help you improve your stay at Brookes.

If you're an international student as I am, you'll find that opening a bank account really isn't that easy. But my advise is to do it as quickly as possible, because without it you won't be able to get an UK sim-card or set up an internet subscription. So make sure to bring your offer letter, passport and proof of your UK address, such as your flat contract.

After being through it all I can truly say that it's nothing to worry about. If someone told be a year ago that I would achieve better grades than ever before I would've just laughed at them. But I did, and I've been able to achieve nothing but A's and B's during my first year at Brookes. And I was a girl with mediocre English skills. I've learned that nothing is unachievable, you just have to believe. And study. But most importantly - you got to have fun. And with Brookes having so many competent members of staff, I can assure you that you'll have the time of your life.







See you in September!


All pictures from pinterest.com

May the odds be ever in your favour

Have you seen The Hunger Games? If not, go see it. Apart from Harry Potter it's the only sci-fi movie I've actually truly enjoyed. Anyway, if you have seen it you probably remember the line "May the odds be ever in your favour". When all the people are lined up and the crazy lady who turns out to be less crazy than expected reads out the rules and procedures, and everyone's faces are twitching in nervousness. That's the feeling I get before an exam.

Oh yes indeed! 

Envisage a huge room filled with chairs and desks, where the tension is so present you can almost touch it. Now, vision that same room with students at the desks, hands on top, being quiet and concentrating on holding all the knowledge inside the brain for just a couple of more minutes before the exam starts. It's like you go into a state of mind so consuming that your mind can't process any new information. I've experienced several times not being able to remember what I wrote because I just emptied my brain. There's simply nothing left in my brain after an exam. 

When we're sitting like this waiting for the exam to begin and a recorded female voice is being played, I get the feeling of being in a communist state mixed with the scene from The Hunger Games. Don't ask me why, but it's probably because of all the pictures spread via media of vast numbers of people being lined up in North Korea. And when the head of the invigilators starts speaking saying we have 2 hours to complete the exam I imagine him finishing with " and may the odds be ever in your favour"

After completing a total of 4 exams during my first year at Brookes I've realised that exams in Norway and in the UK are absolutely not the same. In Norway you have a right to resit the exam if you failed it on your first attempt. Failed if the second time you say? Don't worry, you can resit the same exam 4 times before having to do the module all over again. At Brookes you're only allowed to resit if you get between 30-39%, and no matter how good a grade you get it will be capped at 40%. I don't know if every UK university does it, but many universities will write a number in the margin on your record of results, indicating the number of times you have completed or should I say attempted to complete a module. In Norway no one will ever know if you have done a resit, let alone how many. If you resit the same exam 4 times and get 4 different grades, the highest grade achieved is the one being shown on your record of results. Unfair? Pretty much, yeah! 

When writing this, this is my view

I'm currently working at the Norwegian State Housing Bank but because of the nice weather I decided to spend the evening with my family at our cabin. I love being here. Just chilling and eating fruit and berries. And play (read: cuddle until he's flat as a pancake) with our new puppy. He's too adorable! 

In a couple of days I'm off to Greece and then to Sweden visiting my boyfriend's family. Pretty sure July is going to be a good one, and I hope yours will be too!