Justine goes to Scotland!

Yesterday I took my last final exam. It has been six weeks since the end of classes and I was just waiting to take my exams. I was ready to take them the week after classes ended. So since there was such a long wait I had to study more because I forgot some of the information I learned in class. I think the final exam process is more stressful here compared to Mary Washington because all of the exams are cumulative (tested on the material for the whole semester) and most exams are usually 50% or more of the final grade. My flatmate, Sarah, has two exams both worth 100% of the grade!! But for 1st and 2nd years, the grade does not count and everyone just has to pass the class. For me, I just have to pass the classes too since I am studying abroad.

 The exams are taken in huge rooms and we have to place our bags and backpacks at one end of the room and only bring a pencil and student card to the desk. (This gives me flashbacks of AP testing in High School.)For my exams I had two hours to complete them. My Archaeology exam was difficult because we have a choice of 6 essays and we have to do only two essays. That was worth 60 percent of the grade. I thought that my Celtic Civilization exam was going to be difficult because there is so much information (and I didn’t really like the class), so I studied extra for this exam. Luckily, it was not too difficult. The amazing thing is where I took this exam. It is called McEwan hall and it was built in 1874…it was so beautiful that I didn’t want to take the test, I just wanted to look around.

My last exam was my Architectural History exam. I was excited to take this because I loved the class. One of the essay questions was the exact same question I had on my Art History exam at Mary Washington! Compare and contrast the Guaranty building and the Seagram building. I was soooo happy when that question showed up on the exam. Another question on the exam was about Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan and I had to discuss why and how they wanted to create a uniquely American style. Since my art classes in Elementary School people have been talking so much about Frank Lloyd Wright (a little too much.) So I was glad to have that quesiton on the exam too.

Now I am done and have three weeks until I move out. Before my exams, I had a lot of free time, but I felt guilty when I was not studying. Now it is officially summer and it feels great! I have a few ideas of what to do the next three weeks. We are going to have a flat dinner (with 12 people) to celebrate the end of the semester. So we will make a big dinner in the flat when everyone is here. They had a big Christmas dinner in the flat before I came here.I am also definitely going to read a lot. I just started “Eat, Pray, Love” and it is really good so far. In June I am going to the south of France and northern Italy for two weeks with my family, so I will be planning things to do on those trips.