Registration

In a university with some 30,000 students, you would think there would be a more efficient way to register for classes than having to run around to each individual school and then wait in line for 2 hours for a professor to initial a blue sheet of paper, which takes about 2 minutes. One would think, with the wonders of the internet, that such a process could be streamlined. They didn't get the memo in Britain. Yesterday I waited in line for an hour and a half to register for one religion class. And today, I waited for 2 hours to register for history. First I had to listen to this professor tell me how unless I was registered with the School of History, I won't get into anything until after all the history students. Being a study abroad student, we're not really registered with any particular school. Education in Britain is a lot different than the United States, in that it is incredibly more specialized. In their equivalent of high school, most British students are only taking 3 or 4 subjects. And at university (not college), you basically only study one subject. Obviously a far cry from the liberal arts Luther education. So, we get a lot of strange looks, registering for religion, history, American studies, music, etc, etc, etc. Anyways, after the little lecture, I got in line. I was in the front third of the line (queue), about 15 feet from the professor's door. And it took 2 hours. Thankfully, it seemed that I was indeed registered with the history department, as my registration went smoothly. So, my class load is as such

Fall-
1 - American History I: 1607-1900
2- The Islamic Tradition
3- The Rise of the West: European Society 1500-1789

Spring
1 - American History II: The United States in the Twentieth Century
2- Introduction to Early Music
3- War and the Clash of Ideologies: 1919-1945 (possibly)

We are only alotted 30 credits per semester with the Luther program, so, given that American History II is a 20 credit class, I don't know if I'll be able to do the other history class. Or if the music class doesn't transfer, I'll do history instead. Anyways, other than history and religion, registration has gone smoothly. I just walked in to register for American Studies, and didn't wait in any line at all. The music lady was very friendly, for you Luther folk, she was like a British version of Kathy Reed-Maxfield. "Oh, you're from America, that class will be fine." I signed up for a number of clubs and such the other day. I joined the jazz club, where people get together and listen to jazz. I also signed up for ballroom/latin dance lessons. And as anticipated, the softball team. There actually is a new baseball team this year, but they practiced much more often, and the softball people seemed like more fun. On the music scene, I joined both the general music society and the more specialized wind instrument society. I fear I won't get my 5 pounds worth from the wind society, as I can't do concert band because of the Luther Paideia II class, and can't do brass band because of my history class. I did sign up to audition for jazz, but determined it might be too much, especially with all the independent study. I do have an audition for orchestra this Friday, and got an indication that good trombone players are hard to come by here. So, I'm going to play the first movement of the Larsson Concertino, and hopefully get in. There are two orchestras, and I'm gunning for the top one. Doing a lot of practicing. I also got in touch with the private teacher that the university school of music uses for trombone lessons, and we're going to set up a weekly time later this week. So, things are going well. I still have to register for a history seminar tomorrow though. The sign said, "Expect delays."