04 September, 2007

into the breach once more...

school has started...
and while the program I'm doing here in Amsterdam is exactly what i wanted to study (MSc Artificial Intelligence - Intelligent Systems track) a part of me is terrified. Yesterday was my first day of classes and the course load is insane! The material is challenging and my schedule is soul crushing. regardless, it is all fascinating material and i look forward to my project courses. But party time in Amsterdam is most certainly over. At least until next term once i get into the swing of things. aside from my Monday and Thursday penance the things seem manageable. I must have done something REALLY bad to deserve those solid eight hour chunks of class :(

Living in the dorm on Weesperstraat is good. The dutch girls have been really nice. I'm still getting to know all my new roommates. I'm settled into my room pretty well. The door is almost completely covered with my prints, ill take a picture once it's done. Also, I met a fellow at the orientation for this program, who graduated from ubc in the same department as I did. We never met in Vancouver... heh small world.
And after three months of fighting with the IND (dutch immigration) I still have nothing to show for it, no residence permit, no sofi number, no nothing. well, they DID say from the very begining that it could take anywhere from four weeks to four months, I guess someone has to fill out that third standard deviation :(
cheers to everyone who actually reads this blog... keep in touch.
--m

2 comments:

Chrissy said...

That schedule looks pretty hardcore.

uvastudent said...

Hi! I noticed you used to live in the Weesperstraat dorm.

i just got an email from dekey, that they have a room for me. should i accept?

i don't mind to socialize, but can you comment on the common bath/kitch areas?
how loud are the rooms (noise from street/noise from common areas)?

sadly :), i'll primarily need a place to study and not so much to party...