So. I'm supposed to write about this program, which has both started and not started at the same time. I'm sitting in an airport, cross-legged on the floor of some dusty terminal in London Gatwick, fighting with strangers for a WiFi signal and trying to finish my homework before landing at a questionable hostel in Barcelona. It's my fault, really. I've had a week to complete everything, watch the videos online, answer the quiz questions (they're not that hard, but you do have to watch the lecture to get through them), read the chapters. Thing is, I technically graduated three weeks ago, and the Monday after my graduation ceremony I had my first day at my dream job. Holy 401k, Batman! So, I couldn't attend the lectures that took place at 9 am in the Anderson building at UCLA's campus, because I was commuting to my office. Every day after I got off, I told myself I'd go home and watch the makeup videos at home, but instead I'd turn on Netflix while eating a frozen burrito in bed and wake up the next morning just in time to throw on some work pants and (maybe) brush my hair. Welcome to the adult world, kiddies.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. This program is unique, I think, in that it is the only one that has a digital component: one week in LA, either on campus or virtually, and then the next three in Paris. Professor Gonzalo explained (through my laptop computer's screen) that the reason for this was to save us money and time, which, to be honest, I was grateful for. So we had three options for the "first week":
Nothing too vexing, really. It made sense. Just, between moving out of my 2-bedrooms-stuffed-with-6-coeds college apartment into one of by very own(!), starting a new job that was incredibly demanding albeit equally exciting, figuring out money and scrupulously budgeting, packing, unpacking, finishing school stuff, settling things with my large and dysfunctional family, paying bills, getting checks, saying my goodbyes, etc. etc..... let's just say I was a little too lax with my schoolwork. Like I said, it was my fault.
So, here I am, on the floor with my back pressed against my suitcase, scrambling to remember ancient unused emails to submit to this WiFi portal to get another free 45 mins of internet. I did read the chapters I was meant to in my textbook, basic intro stuff about different kinds of law, international bodies like the UN or EU (basically teaching me how to become an encyclopedia of acronyms). I'm a complete novice at tax stuff, having never taken a tax class before in my life, but the lectures are surprisingly understandable. The textbook is another story altogether... thank god for Gonzalo.
Anyways, in the interest of conserving my precious minutes of internet connection, I will leave you here. You'll next be hearing from me in Barcelona!
But I'm getting ahead of myself. This program is unique, I think, in that it is the only one that has a digital component: one week in LA, either on campus or virtually, and then the next three in Paris. Professor Gonzalo explained (through my laptop computer's screen) that the reason for this was to save us money and time, which, to be honest, I was grateful for. So we had three options for the "first week":
- Attend classes on campus, in person on Tuesday and Thursday at 9 am, or:
- Attend the very same classes, virtually, by remoting in (in case you were already traveling) at the same time, or:
- Watch the recordings of said lectures later and do a writing assignment (the short quiz) to prove your participation.
Nothing too vexing, really. It made sense. Just, between moving out of my 2-bedrooms-stuffed-with-6-coeds college apartment into one of by very own(!), starting a new job that was incredibly demanding albeit equally exciting, figuring out money and scrupulously budgeting, packing, unpacking, finishing school stuff, settling things with my large and dysfunctional family, paying bills, getting checks, saying my goodbyes, etc. etc..... let's just say I was a little too lax with my schoolwork. Like I said, it was my fault.
So, here I am, on the floor with my back pressed against my suitcase, scrambling to remember ancient unused emails to submit to this WiFi portal to get another free 45 mins of internet. I did read the chapters I was meant to in my textbook, basic intro stuff about different kinds of law, international bodies like the UN or EU (basically teaching me how to become an encyclopedia of acronyms). I'm a complete novice at tax stuff, having never taken a tax class before in my life, but the lectures are surprisingly understandable. The textbook is another story altogether... thank god for Gonzalo.
Anyways, in the interest of conserving my precious minutes of internet connection, I will leave you here. You'll next be hearing from me in Barcelona!