I feel smart.

There are a few differences between the United Kingdom higher education system and that of the United States. The major difference that I've noticed, is that most of the actual learning is done on your own. We got  a three-hundred page reading packet for the next two lectures. I thought they'd cover the reading in the lectures, like most of the classes I've ever had, ever.

So yesterday, I arrived in my lecture, happy and ready to absorb the knowledge that the Cambridge PH.D student was ready to impart on our class.

I literally thought the man was teaching a bio-mechanical engineering class. I don't know if it was the accent, or the complete mono-tone, or my lack-of history knowledge, but I've never felt so stupid in my life. Every once in a while, he’ll throw in a few words I recognize, but it felt like Spanish--without all the surrounding words to give it context they mean next to nothing.

“Growing communist insurgency sldhg was;vhe cmonwh …South Vietnam…a;seh23uwhe aosifu woeyq sdjlkj number of prostitutes…. alse0b e Failed coup in Indonesia asoeh  w0fu4 lkvbm, British.” YES British! I understood that one! “1950…ssfwy lsdkvw US had put a lot of pressure on the dutch...” Why? How?  “...Conflicted policy.. asld uweon xclbw this began to shape the new political systems in independent countries” what did? “he and Eisenhower” who is “he”? “someone tried to poison castro’s shampoo. Obviously that didn’t work.” was he trying to crack a joke?! I can't read British sarcasm... Do we have to know that someone tried to hijack shampoo from castro?  “given what had happened in 1961, neither were willing to compromise” what the heck happened in 1961?! Who’s not willing to compromise??

Someone told me that Albert Einstein had trouble in school... I must just be the next Einstein. 

I gave up trying to follow him, and typed that paragraph.

I did get a little reassurance that i wasn't a COMPLETE idiot, when the girl sitting next to me in class read over my shoulder what i was typing and she said, "brilliant. that is exactly how i feel right now."

dear goodness, wish me luck.