The Marathon Begins

Week 1 has come to a close, but my mind has already been opened beyond measure. As I tried to mentally prepare myself, I found myself trying to be aware of things I had no idea about. I did research on the tutorial system, looked at videos of others' experiences, and spent my last few weeks at home spending tons of time doing the things I miss the most right now, but nothing I did could've truly prepared me for the transformation I am going through.

First, the curriculum here is fascinating... but suffocating. ONLY because I have so much going on outside of this. My primary subject is Labor Economics & Industrial Relations, and my secondary subject is Classical Greek and Roman Theatre.  At my home institution, I double major in Economics and Political Science, so I am "wired" to rely heavily on the social/conversational aspects of my studies. However, my econ course here at Oxford demands me to embrace the more mathematical/strictly economic concepts. It seems like that would be self explanatory, but it's difficult to rewire your mind and (at least temporarily) stray a bit from what you're used to. For my theatre course, I am consistently getting good feedback on my writings, but again, I am used to embracing my more creative and poetic side. I have to eliminate what's considered "fluff" to others, but art to me.

I've also been shaken up by homesickness. I was so sure that I wasn't going to experience such an awful feeling, but I've been taken by surprise. Yes, my home institution is in a completely different part of America and I can't just go home every weekend, but that's completely different from being in a completely different part of the world. Day by day, my homesickness gets more crushing, but I think this distance is what I needed for this experience. If I could just easily take some time off on the weekend or tap out from the pressure, I wouldn't be building the strength I need to hold the trophies of my accomplishments.

In no way is this a bashing session or pity party. This is simply documentation of my journey here at Oxford. What many people may not understand is that God will very well bless you with things you ask for, but He never said that it'll be easy to live through or maintain them. With great blessings comes great responsibility, and perseverance is one of the key virtues of fulfilling my purpose.