Classes!

Got my schedule worked out and I have finally been to all of my classes.  I'll get to the actual schedule in a moment, but first, a look at the differences between Scottish and American education.  There are nuances I won't get into here, such as the focus on a single subject, degree program, etc. because they don't really affect me right now.  What's most important is how the classes are run.

First, it's handy to note that 60 Glasgow credits are roughly equivalent to 15 US credits when converted.  I'm not sure how that translates to the old, "One hour of class time = three hours outside" or whatever that formula is supposed to be, but it gives you a general idea of the workload.  Second, all my courses are equivalent to first-year levels, because I'm lazy and didn't want to write 4,000 word essays when I could be visiting castles.  The way classes work change as you get higher up, but again that's not really relevant.

So I have four classes total, with one being at the School of Art, and another being a sort of Visiting-Students-Acclimation course.  The remaining two are normal classes, structured in a lecture-tutorial format.  This system is pretty unlike the one at Bethany: for the lecture, a professor gets up and talks for an hour and then leaves, usually without discussion or questions.  The lecturer isn't the same every time, and may or may not make an effort to clarify their ideas.  The tutorial, in contrast, is a small group where the entirety of the one-hour session is focused on discussion.  In the one tutorial I've had, the professor was there only to guide the questions, though I suspect that might change later on when we have more background knowledge.

Those of you who're in college might note that on average, time spent in-class is a little bit lower in relation to the equivalent credits.  Whereas normally I'd expect three in-class hours per three credit class, I only have three hours a week for a five credit, and then what works out to be .5 hours a week for a 2.5 credit (photography is weird).  This is because, supposedly, you're expected to do more work outside of class.  No one really seems to do so, but that is the theory.  There's less busy-work overall: fewer tests, no quizzes, no homework.  The majority of my grades rest on essays and the final.

Anyway, enough on that, here is my class schedule:

Monday:
1000 - 1100 Scottish Literature Lecture (20cr)
1200 - 1300 Asian Traditions Lecture (20cr)

Tuesday:
1200 - 1300 Asian Traditions Tutorial
1400 - 1700 Black & White Photography (10cr)

Wednesday:
1000 - 1100 Scottish Literature Lecture
1200 - 1300 Asian Traditions Lecture
1400 - 1600 Exploring Scottish Culture (Every fortnight, 10cr)

Thursday:I 
1200 - 1300 Asian Traditions Lecture

Friday:
1200 - 1300 Scottish Literature Tutorial