Respite

Phew, finally a break!

My school told us that we need to do 40 hours of studying each week. I really hope that it is true because I think we are currently doing more than that. By the way, this is week 1 of the term. Last week was freshers' week but our proper lectures started anyway.Prior to coming, I have been sent a letter and an email instructing me to do some pre-arrival reading. I'd wished then that my school wasn't that serious. Somehow it was serious about it and most of the law students took it seriously too! I ended up coming to school with 4 chapters of readings behind probably a majority of the students. Hence, I have been doing a fair bit of catching up on top of preparing for the seminars that have their own separate readings. It has been quite tiring (haven't been nerding this much for more than two years) and I am so relieved that I have a break tomorrow! I will probably have to catch up on 3-4 chapters of reading that I have been behind for the lectures over the weekend though...plus seminars to prepare too. It's rather daunting because I find myself being weaker than the rest of the students - particularly when it comes to catching the more theoretical and abstract concepts.

Studies aside, a fair bit of life here has to deal with adaptation - adapting to the studying environment; the thought process required in school (putting down the old and putting on the new- learning to look at things from a different perspective and train of thought); the weather; the people e.t.c. It's easy to put a blame on other things for the evident differences:  being schooled in a different way for three years; being in the army for two years (rumour has it that it makes you stupid); being an introvert; difficulty in adjustments to a new environment... Well, there's no excuse for anything and it's imperative to adjust, adapt to the new environment and make the best of it. I'm still in the process of trying to get into a routine of going to school, cooking, studying and doing laundry...perhaps getting to know people more as well. A slow process but I think it's slightly improving as each day passes.

Above all these, the greatest comfort and assurance is that God is in control and I can put my trust in Him no matter what happens; I also know that there are other members of Christ wherever I am. In fact, I just came back from a supposedly bible study. As it was a new start to the group with different students, it was more of an intro where people shared about how they became Christians. I was blessed by those who shared and it really reminded me to always look upon God. Just because I am a student here does not mean that it is about being a student simpliciter; we are ambassadors of Christ wherever we go.

I will upload more pics once I get the chance to go around Bristol pressing the shutter - hopefully tomorrow.