Day 2 of Orientation & the City of Rochester
I did not take time to edit the photos I'm going to post in these blogs. It just takes a lot of effort to do that, so I apologize that the quality of the photos isn't great this time.
Tuesday, January 21
I attended a two-hour orientation event with the students on campus. It was in a small lecture hall, the audience-style kind. The sessions included an intro to "learning development," the sport complex, a tour company called International Friends, and the teacher for the students' British Studies class.
I have to say... if I was an international student at Canterbury Christ Church University, I would feel like I was on my own. The "learning development" guy told the students that they need to understand what academic writing is and what it means to think critically, otherwise they won't be successful. Yes, of course. These are college things to know. But he said this about three times and with no follow-up explanation. One time he even suggested that they Google what it means. It was very, "You should know this. The end." Not too helpful from a person who is supposed to help students develop their learning. His attitude helped me remember that the international students I work with are coming in very green.
Even the person who coordinates study abroad at this institution seems a bit dismissive of the students. The very first day we met him, he launched directly into rules rather than an introduction to the institution, resources that are available, and a warm welcome. He hardly stopped to explain things on the tour of campus, just walked us around very quickly. It was a big group of students--maybe near 50--so I understand it would've been an effort for everyone to hear. But still. He said something like, "Only contact me to change your classes if you have a real reason. A real reason is not that the class is at 9:00 am. I have to be here at 8:00 am, so you can be here at 9:00 am." Maybe these people are just more blunt than I am used to, though I think myself to be a fairly blunt person. There are just better ways to get information across, in my opinion. Also if I were a student I'd appreciate a little more "Hey, we're happy you're here!"
The sport complex guys had a better demeanor. Students have to pay extra to do activities, classes, or use the gym. It's pretty reasonable in terms of price, but it surprised me that it wasn't included as a student.
The International Friends woman was there to talk about a few different days out that are offered and discounted to students like a weekend in Edinburgh, Paris, and the tour of Harry Potter Studios. I liked her enthusiasm and her push to the students about them not being there long, so take advantage of everything that's around.
The teacher for British Studies went over a few key things related to the students' classes. I liked him a lot and am glad he's their "tutor." He seemed enthusiastic about teaching and like he'd be engaging.
After these activities, I said bye to the students and let them know to find me if they needed me. Thus ended me seeing them. I was on my own the rest of the week, though I did check in with them every other day to see if they were alright and if they needed anything.
The rest of this day on Tuesday I just walked around Canterbury--not really sure what to do. I felt like I had done most of what Canterbury had to offer when I visited in August, so was kind of at a loss for how I should occupy my time. I went to Tiny Tim's Tearoom for lunch and had a coffee and some finger sandwiches. It was tasty!
I'm not sure what I did after this. I might've stopped at my AirBnB to relax for a bit, but then felt guilty about not doing anything so went out to a place called Falstaff for a cream tea. This was a nice hotel with a fairly large bar and restaurant area. Cream tea can take a while since it's a whole pot of tea (three cups) and consuming liquids for me is slow-going. I was probably at this bar for 1.5 hours at least, just enjoying and observing.
It was starting to become late-ish when I was done, so while finishing at the Falstaff, I was researching what I could do that evening in Canterbury. There weren't any events I was interested in, but there was a movie theater nearby that had a showing of 1917 in just a few minutes' time, so I busted my butt the few blocks down the road to get there in time. The theater was super cute and just kind of placed in a residential area. Here's what it looks like on the outside.
I bought my ticket, picked my seat, and ascended to the movie theater (had to go up several sets of stairs--everything is such a puzzle because the spaces are so small). The theater had maybe 6 rows, but was very wide and curved at an angle around the screen. The seats were plush and comfortable. Very different than theaters here.
The movie itself is a must-see for anyone who enjoys history and learning about war. It was a one-shot film, meaning you feel like you are the characters because there aren't any cuts and scene changes. I cried a lot during this movie and was just devastated by the realities of war.
Wednesday, January 22
I went to the city of Rochester to see the castle and the cathedral--two of my favorite things to see anywhere. Rochester was a 50 minute train ride from Canterbury with no changes, so it was easy travel.
The first thing I did in Rochester was go into the Guildhall Museum, which was free. I didn't take any photos in there. What I remember about it is that it was a lot of local history of Rochester, which makes sense since guildhalls were where the guilds met throughout the centuries, making it a building used very much by the locals. It has kind of a pretty entrance and a big, beautiful meeting room in addition to the little exhibits. (I didn't take these photos; found them after a quick search.)
Next up was the Rochester Castle.
It looks so small here but it's impressive in size. The cathedral is in the background in this photo, which I visited next.
I liked Rochester's high street area nearby to the castle and cathedral and had lunch and a coffee at a place called Café Nucleus, which is was yummy and cute. The bathroom in this café was playing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on audio book. At first I was confused to hear a voice over the speaker instead of music, but then I really enjoyed it and wanted to stay in there all day!
Tuesday, January 21
I attended a two-hour orientation event with the students on campus. It was in a small lecture hall, the audience-style kind. The sessions included an intro to "learning development," the sport complex, a tour company called International Friends, and the teacher for the students' British Studies class.
I have to say... if I was an international student at Canterbury Christ Church University, I would feel like I was on my own. The "learning development" guy told the students that they need to understand what academic writing is and what it means to think critically, otherwise they won't be successful. Yes, of course. These are college things to know. But he said this about three times and with no follow-up explanation. One time he even suggested that they Google what it means. It was very, "You should know this. The end." Not too helpful from a person who is supposed to help students develop their learning. His attitude helped me remember that the international students I work with are coming in very green.
Even the person who coordinates study abroad at this institution seems a bit dismissive of the students. The very first day we met him, he launched directly into rules rather than an introduction to the institution, resources that are available, and a warm welcome. He hardly stopped to explain things on the tour of campus, just walked us around very quickly. It was a big group of students--maybe near 50--so I understand it would've been an effort for everyone to hear. But still. He said something like, "Only contact me to change your classes if you have a real reason. A real reason is not that the class is at 9:00 am. I have to be here at 8:00 am, so you can be here at 9:00 am." Maybe these people are just more blunt than I am used to, though I think myself to be a fairly blunt person. There are just better ways to get information across, in my opinion. Also if I were a student I'd appreciate a little more "Hey, we're happy you're here!"
The sport complex guys had a better demeanor. Students have to pay extra to do activities, classes, or use the gym. It's pretty reasonable in terms of price, but it surprised me that it wasn't included as a student.
The International Friends woman was there to talk about a few different days out that are offered and discounted to students like a weekend in Edinburgh, Paris, and the tour of Harry Potter Studios. I liked her enthusiasm and her push to the students about them not being there long, so take advantage of everything that's around.
The teacher for British Studies went over a few key things related to the students' classes. I liked him a lot and am glad he's their "tutor." He seemed enthusiastic about teaching and like he'd be engaging.
After these activities, I said bye to the students and let them know to find me if they needed me. Thus ended me seeing them. I was on my own the rest of the week, though I did check in with them every other day to see if they were alright and if they needed anything.
The rest of this day on Tuesday I just walked around Canterbury--not really sure what to do. I felt like I had done most of what Canterbury had to offer when I visited in August, so was kind of at a loss for how I should occupy my time. I went to Tiny Tim's Tearoom for lunch and had a coffee and some finger sandwiches. It was tasty!
The coffees are so pretty. I guess I just don't get coffees in the States at actual cafes--almost always on the go.
I'm not sure what I did after this. I might've stopped at my AirBnB to relax for a bit, but then felt guilty about not doing anything so went out to a place called Falstaff for a cream tea. This was a nice hotel with a fairly large bar and restaurant area. Cream tea can take a while since it's a whole pot of tea (three cups) and consuming liquids for me is slow-going. I was probably at this bar for 1.5 hours at least, just enjoying and observing.
It was starting to become late-ish when I was done, so while finishing at the Falstaff, I was researching what I could do that evening in Canterbury. There weren't any events I was interested in, but there was a movie theater nearby that had a showing of 1917 in just a few minutes' time, so I busted my butt the few blocks down the road to get there in time. The theater was super cute and just kind of placed in a residential area. Here's what it looks like on the outside.
I bought my ticket, picked my seat, and ascended to the movie theater (had to go up several sets of stairs--everything is such a puzzle because the spaces are so small). The theater had maybe 6 rows, but was very wide and curved at an angle around the screen. The seats were plush and comfortable. Very different than theaters here.
Wednesday, January 22
I went to the city of Rochester to see the castle and the cathedral--two of my favorite things to see anywhere. Rochester was a 50 minute train ride from Canterbury with no changes, so it was easy travel.
The first thing I did in Rochester was go into the Guildhall Museum, which was free. I didn't take any photos in there. What I remember about it is that it was a lot of local history of Rochester, which makes sense since guildhalls were where the guilds met throughout the centuries, making it a building used very much by the locals. It has kind of a pretty entrance and a big, beautiful meeting room in addition to the little exhibits. (I didn't take these photos; found them after a quick search.)
I do love a ruined castle. I had the place to myself on this dreary day, which was kind of eerie to be honest. You can ascend to roof-level (with stops on each level on the way up) via spiral staircases in the corners of the castle. On the roof there is a sign saying it's a 100 foot drop if you fall. Eek.
The castle is 12th-century. I love thinking of all the people who came in and out of places like this. It's so incredible how old these things are.
This cathedral was nice, but not as impressive as others I've visited. (I think Durham Cathedral will always be one of my favorites.) The ceiling wasn't nearly as high as some I've seen, but I was essentially alone in here too and it was free, which are both nice things. The tile was nice in the choir area and Rochester Cathedral has one of the oldest original medieval wall paintings (below).
I liked Rochester's high street area nearby to the castle and cathedral and had lunch and a coffee at a place called Café Nucleus, which is was yummy and cute. The bathroom in this café was playing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on audio book. At first I was confused to hear a voice over the speaker instead of music, but then I really enjoyed it and wanted to stay in there all day!
I believe I had a pretty early return to Canterbury since it didn't take long to get through the castle and cathedral. Rochester didn't offer much else to do and the weather hindered me from wanting to be outside wandering for too long.