BYU

So I'm getting to know Provo a little better. Of course it is much smaller than Cape Town (it has a population of about 115,000), but not having a car and being on foot makes it feel VERY large. :) Fortunately it is only a short walk (15 mins) to the Mckay building where all my classes are held.

To me, it is funny how everyone talks about the Utah Valley (in which Provo is situated), but it is a very wide valley and so doesn't seem like a valley to me...Hout Bay is more like a valley in my mind. The mountains on the east (I've learnt to describe everything in terms of north/south/east/west because that is what Americans do) are called the Wasatch Front....certainly not as pretty as Cape Town's mountains, but I'm glad I at least have mountains close enough that I can look at everyday.

BYU has a pretty campus...I love the VERY green grass and the flowers everywhere. I'm beginning to think that the campus is about the same size as UCT or a bit smaller. I'm not entirely sure. But, most days I'm just in the Mckay building. Anyway, I guess within a few months it will be covered in snow for several months.

The work load is INTENSE. The amount of reading we have to do daily is incredible. I'm a bit behind, but I don't think it is a major problem - I'm not too worried about it. We also have loads of small papers to write, almost daily, which have to be submitted as soon after the class as possible. We also have a number of very large assignments due sometime in the next 2 months...right now I'm not sure when I'm going to get the time to do them because of the work I have to do daily. I'm also working two 10-hour jobs (to cover my living expenses and saving) and so that takes 20 hours out of the week when I could be studying. but, I'm coping. I need to actually try get to bed earlier and I think I will have more energy. I just end up trying to work till I have finished most of what I'm meant to do for the next day. Most graduate students work between 20 and 30 hours a week, so that is really common. They all talk about the difficulty of keeping up with the work, so at least my experience is not unique.