In Coventry

These are some pictures taken around Coventry, just so I can give you an idea of the sort of places/sceneries that can be seen when walking around this city.

Also, I have decided to add a map of Coventry, to give you an idea of how everything is pretty much placed around here and also a link to guide you in more detail.

http://tomotoole.co.uk/uni/c_map/

Tuesday Morning

7:00 am
     Well, like any busy, hard-working student, when I have a lecture at 9:00 am I prefer waking up at 7:00 am just so that I give myself enough time to get ready. The normal daily morning routine, that I follow every morning, I imagine is pretty usual to everyone so I will not get into detail with that, but I do have to say that sometimes I am a bit naughty and I finish up some homework in the mornings as well.
     Mornings here tend to be very cold, especially because of the weather but also, the central heating in the accommodation where I live, doesn't work properly! That definitely could wake anybody up straight away!
     To warm myself up, I generally make myself a coffee and something quick for breakfast. Sometimes I have milk and cereals, sometimes I have some toast and butter on top.

8:00
    After I finish my breakfast and wake myself up properly, I start to get myself ready for leaving. I dress myself in clothes for going out to University, put make-up on (if I feel like it) and do my hair. I am not very fussed when it comes to make-up or hair, that is why I very rarely do my make-up and when it comes to my hair, I blow dry it when I get out of the shower then I brush it before leaving. I guess I am not a very typical girl!

8:30
     This is the time when I am all sorted, gloves on, scarf on, headphones plugged to my iPod and I leave the accommodation. I leave the accommodation half an hour early because, although it normally takes me 20 minutes to get to University, sometimes I feel like walking slower because I still not feel fully awake in the morning.
     I have quite a while to walk; cross big streets, go through the shopping centre, cross the square and go to the other side of the Hub.

8:55
     Usually, I get to the building where I have my lecture 5 minutes before it starts, which is always good because there are not a lot of students trying to get into the same room in the same time and also, having 5 minutes to spare, I can always have a look over the notes for that lesson.

9:00-12:00
     My Tuesday morning lecture lasts 3 hours. This lecture is for International Relations. A lot of people moan about this lecture being very early and too long, but I think that it is good that it is early because in the morning, our brain absorbs much more information than later on in the day or evening. We always get to have at least a 5 minute break between these 3 hours, which gives us the opportunity to buy a coffee or talk a bit with the lecturer, if we have any questions.
     Now, I've had a few people asking me how are the teachers at University so here is my sincere opinion:

     One could say that the teachers at Coventry University are quite informal with their students and I think that this is mostly because everyone realises that they are treated like adults, not children. They have certain office hours, where they dedicate every little bit of the energy they have, to help solve any problems that a student may encounter, but also, if they can’t help you, they always point you into the right direction. They all come prepared to the lectures; presentations and the ability to answer all questions as well as they can. Personally, I have found myself in the position of meeting very nice lecturers and people in the same time. They try to explain everything in as much detail as they can and make the lessons as interactive as possible, if they are allowed by the subject they teach. There are several lecturers for each course, so there will always be someone you can find and ask a question, if you need help. 

Tuesday Afternoon

12:00 - 13:00
     After we finish the 3 hours long lecture, I get to have an hour's worth of break before my next slot of lessons; 2 hour Spanish seminar. (I forgot to mention that I study Spanish and International Relations, in case you were confused!)
     In this hour I usually don't get much done, besides looking over Spanish homework to remind myself what I did for that seminar and eat my lunch in the Hub. Now, there isn't a certain lunch that I normally have, although I have sandwiches pretty much every Tuesday, they are different all the time. Some people have the very popular jacket potato with cheese and beans, or mashed potato, or anything else that is served at the canteen. At the canteen there tends to be quite a variety of foods, every day, to delight everyone with different gastronomical preferences. The prices are acceptable, because, at the end of the day, we are students and we don't have much money to spend!
     Sometimes, I start to read in my lunch hour, to relax myself and escape my busy day for a bit, although,  having to eat as well, it doesn't give me much time to read.

13:00-15:00
     After my lunch I go to my seminar, usually accompanied by one of my friends which I find in the Hub. The seminars are usually very interactive, but also, based more on the reading and writing skills than the communicating ones. Our teacher speaks to us in Spanish, most of the time, because this first module requires it. My fellow classmates are friendly and open to working in groups or discussing themes together. They are mostly quite shy when it comes to talking in Spanish though, but I find it quite exciting, because I love the Spanish language very much.

15:00-16:00
     Right after the Spanish seminar, I have to run to another building, that tends to be 7 minutes away from the building where I had my Spanish seminar, to get to my International Relations seminar. This seminar only lasts one hour and it is quite fun because it is only me and the teacher in the room. I know it sounds odd and it is even odd for my teachers to just have a seminar with one student, but I was the only one that couldn't go to the other seminar groups, because of my busy timetable on Tuesdays. I guess this will change in the Second semester but I just have to wait and see.
     In this seminar we discuss more the theoretical things related to what we learn in lectures, but in the International Relations lectures, we learn more on how these theories have been and are applied to the Nations before and the Nations nowadays.

Tuesday Evening

16:25-23:00/23:30
     After the International Relations seminar I leave straight away to get home. I normally walk with other 3 classmates, because we all live in the same area. We tend to get there in 25 minutes, sometimes later, if we decide to walk slower and talk more or do some shopping on the way home.
     Once home, I usually sit down for 5 minutes because I get very tired after walking so long, then I get changed in more comfortable clothes (inside clothes) and then I think about preparing something to eat.
     I have a shower, get into warm clothes then go and eat my dinner at around 17:30 because it takes me a while to relax. Sometimes I cook something like pasta or rice or soup, but normally I already have something to eat. Most of the times I eat in my room, because the people that live in my accommodation have different timetables than me so I don;t get to eat with them, but sometimes I eat with one of my friends, that lives on the same floor as me, when I catch her free.
     After I eat I check to see what homework I have to do and do it, if I have any, I read for my course a bit and then I start to relax by watching a movie or talking to my friends.
     Lately I've been having to work on the Mexco project so from about 18:00 until 20:00/21:00 I would work on the project and talk to my parents on Skype after that for an hour and then go to watch a movie until 23:00 or 23:30. I allow myself to go to sleep later, if I manage to stay awake till then, on Tuesdays, because I have Wednesdays free, which means that I can get more sleep!

Christmas in Coventry

Sometimes, in the weekends, some of the students go home to see their families or, if they stay in halls/houses in Coventry, they tend to do work for their course or to go out for shopping or just walking around the centre. Today, 1st of December, I've decided to go around the centre and have a look at the beautiful Christmas decorations they've put up. I have to say that, for the first time in a few weeks of cold weather, I've allowed myself to moan about it being cold because it is WINTER! Yes, officially winter now! But although my hands nearly dropped off because of the terribly cold weather, I was delighted to see so many people around Coventry centre, because it made it seem very alive and busy, and I like that sort of atmosphere. 

Now tell me, what is the weather like in Mexico and what do you want Santa to bring to you this Christmas?

I hope that you will enjoy the pictures!