Well, it's that time of the year, at least at the University of Auckland. While my friends back home are packing their bags to return to college, or embarking on their own studies abroad, here in NZ midterms are underway. MIDterms? What? It's hard to believe the school term is nearly half-way over. I feel like before long I'll be boarding a plane back to New York, but I'm trying to ignore those thoughts for now.
It's honestly a bit unsettling to see all my friend's Facebook statuses talking about how excited everyone is about going back to Mac. Don't get me wrong, I am forever grateful and absolutely thrilled to be studying abroad right now, but it does make me feel like I'm missing out on a chapter of "normal life" back home. I guess that's just part of the abroad experience, though. And really, after thinking about all of the amazing things I've seen and done in NZ so far, how can I complain?
Anyway, back to midterms, unfortunately this week is going to be rather grueling, as I have a major assessment in three of my four classes. Still, my assignments didn't stop me from taking several super exciting trips to the library (pictures of the stunning views of bookshelves and studious students to come). I even got to check out a book to help write my linguistics paper (topic--the cognitive and communicative abilities of elephants, in case you were wondering). It actually felt surprisingly unnerving to enter a foreign study space that wasn't the DeWitt Wallace Library I have come to know so well at Mac. I didn't know where any of the secluded study spots were (they turned out to be pretty much nonexistent), let alone how to check out a book. Still, I made the adjustment, and managed to slowly but surely get my work done. Now just a few more days of grinding the work out and keeping my sanity, and then it's mid-semester break!
