Mea culpa

Two exams down, four to go.  While I am certain that I will not fail this semester, I'm not at all confident that my grades will be as good as last.  We're all praying for favor and grace, but while I understand everything, I seem to have misplaced my brain capacity.  First exam wasn't too bad.  Second was.  Not anticipating enjoying the third this afternoon (African Church History).  After this, it eases considerably, but we'll still be going at a good clip until Wednesday.

Logistics of exams

While I'm trying to memorize the potential bias in information collection, I remembered something about exams I forgot to mention:

Today on the way to church, we walked by some classrooms, and they were being prepped for exams.  How?  The desks are actually in neat columns and rows.  Exams are the only time this happens; the rooms are usually a mishmash of desks, and it's fairly difficult to navigate past the first three rows.  

The only things we're allowed to take into the exam room is our pens, registration card, and keys.  No phones, no paper.  None of the lecturers need us to bring our Bibles.  I've had my registration card out for two days so that I won't forget it.

Church today was confirmation and communion and only took two and a half hours; we had 10 students and one staff confirmed, which is pretty cool.  Bishop Zack, the assistant bishop of Kampala, was here.  Wow.  What a dynamic preacher.  He apparently likes to really go off the cuff:  he had the children come up on stage to sing a song for us before they were dismissed for Sunday School, then asked the parents to stand up.  He then told them that he wanted each of them to take a turn helping in Sunday School, and that he was going to see if that really happens.  Later, he told the chaplain to not disseminate confirmation certificates unless each person confirmed had planted a tree on campus to take care of the environment.  That last one really surprised me and felt very Episcopalian (which isn't a knock on anyone, but reminded me of home).  I mean - who's going to coordinate that effort?  Eleven people are supposed to 1. obtain trees (which presumably cost money) and 2. plant them randomly?

"Relax!"

This morning, one of the girls walked down the hall, admonishing us: "you people, relax! Exams have always come and gone." I laughed.

Then someone calls out, "Tell that to Jessica!" 

Indeed.

Tonight in chapel, the text read was Matthew 6:25-34, do not worry.  The preacher (also a lecturer), naturally talked about how we should not worry about our exams, that we have been revising all semester.  As I was pondering whether that was really true, he said that we should not worry if we have not read enough for an exam, then followed that with, "like for my exam, Jessica."  After chapel, I pointed out that I hadn't read enough for his exam, which is tomorrow afternoon.  He laughed.  I was actually serious.

In other news, one of the lecturers, Dr. Opol, invited me to go to a wedding with him and his wife this weekend.  Dr. Opol is a friend of a few All Saints' parishioners, so we've had a good time reminiscing about people and Virginia (and I've really enjoyed his class).  The challenge is that the wedding is in Soroti, about a five hour drive away.  This means leaving Friday night and returning Sunday.  Dr. Opol is the one giving me the take-home exam, and I was going to finish that this weekend.  He snuck up behind me in the DH tonight (which really startled me, because lecturers don't eat there.  Hey - how did he get past the guy checking meal cards?) to ask if I was coming.  I tried to equivocate out of it, and he was really disappointed.

This is my quandary - I'd really like to go.  I really need to study.  I really need to sleep, do laundry, and enjoy my friends who are leaving this semester.  Gads.  I don't know what to do.  I also need to get permission to leave campus, which wouldn't be a big deal except that the first person who needs to sign for me is rarely around.  If anyone has any thoughts on this one, I'd love to hear them.

Back to reading Research Methods for tomorrow afternoon.

Clinic reflections

Mom - I'm FINE. It's just a sinus infection.

Having said that, I was in much better shape today at the clinic than I was a couple weeks ago.  Then, when the dizziness hit I could barely remain vertical.  This time, I was able to actually mark the differences between the clinic here and being in the US, and had the brainpower to reflect on them.

When you check in, the clerk gives you your medical file (which he actually couldn't find for me, so he just made a new visit sheet).  Then he directs you to the doctor, who takes the sheet, and asks your symptoms.  I realized that she was first screening for malaria, though my complaints were totally upper respiratory (except for the fever and upset stomach).  So she sent me down the hall to the nice technician who poked my finger again for the malaria test.  But I noticed that while the doctor asked if I had a fever, she didn't take my temperature, or other vital signs.

The malaria test came back negative (praise God!), and the doctor then gave me an antibiotic, painkillers, and something for my stomach.  Got the meds filled, then went to finish my proposal.  That's another story, but it's DONE.

And we get these services for $19 a semester.  Amazing, isn't it?  

35 angry international students

Have you ever stopped to think about how tuition hikes are calculated?  I didn’t.  That is, I didn’t until the fee increase for international students was astronomical.

I started hearing rumblings a couple weeks ago that the fees for international students increased by 35% for next year (which begins with the May semester).  This is not good, but in the grand scheme of things, we’re trying to get the new library built, and we have the sea cable (internet access at somewhat reasonable speeds!)… point being that while the international student fees are always a bit higher (for reasons unknown), I honestly didn’t see this as huge. I’m still paying less for the semester than I would for a class in the US, and that includes tuition, room, and board.  I do appreciate that it’s a burden for many of my African friends, and that does concern me.   

Turns out that this monster fee increase came about because of the exchange rate fluctuations.  All international students pay fees in US Dollars, and apparently the current rate has caused havoc on our fees.

All this background is leading to the fact that we had a meeting today with the administration to address the issue.  That was rather interesting.  Let's leave it at that.  They came to discuss, not to propose solutions.  *sigh*

Please pray for provision for my African brothers and sisters.  My fees increased about $400; I don't know that the bachelor's fees increased that much, but it's still a tremendous burden for them.

Ugandan Easter

Alleluia, He is Risen!

Today, God was good and had the colossal rain stop before it was time for church.  We had a lovely service, and I think the sermon was excellent.  I'm hesitant because I spent a lot of the sermon holding/playing with my friend Esther, six months.  She's the daughter of Xavier Grace, one of my classmates, and was the first of three babies born to our class over the long holiday.  Since it's Easter, we also had communion, and the chaplain gave us directions for an orderly procession in the hall, which was nice (it's usually quite chaotic).  This was only nominally chaotic (no ushers going by row - you just get in line when you're ready).

The USP girls made Easter dinner tonight, and it was delicious!  Chicken, rice, macaroni and cheese (white Cheddar), mashed potatoes (which the Ugandans call 'smashed'), green beans, roasted veggies with the chicken, pineapple, chipati (a delicious flat bread), and guacamole (which I don't like in the US, but don't mind here).  I wish they had told us there was dessert when we got dinner:  chocolate chip pan cookies with ice cream.  And Peeps!

Now the question is whether I can productively read on African Church History, or whether the food coma will kick in.  I'm voting for the latter.

Unfortunately, it's my turn to revenge on (pay back) Joan:  now she has malaria, but seems to be faring better than I was.  Please pray that she is healed quickly and can study well for exams.

Exam schedule

It's been quite rainy of late (and therefore muddy).  I have no issues with rain, but have a bone to pick with the mud.  And I need a sunny day so I can wash my towel (because it takes longer to dry) and sheets.

Regardless of whether the cause is weather, or students staying up too late on laptops, the power, and the internet, have been more flaky than usual lately.  This is causing some small angst as I try to finish my proposal, but all in all, I think we're in the home stretch on that one.  I have to be:  it's revision week, and I have to memorize the semester.

We're pretty pleased with the exam schedule, though we don't love taking an exam Monday afternoon then turning around and taking on the next morning.  The Tuesday morning has quite a large scope of material, too.  Here's the breakdown:

Monday 12 Apr: Research Methods 2-5
Tuesday 13 Apr: Introduction to the New Testament 9-12
Wednesday 14 Apr: African Church History 2-5
Friday 16 Apr: Worship II and Spirituality 9-12
Tuesday 20 Apr: African Chrisitian Theological Methods 2-5
Wednesday 21 Apr: Pentateuch 9-12
Thursday 22 Apr: Go to the Muhimas for the short holiday!

The toughest exams are front-loaded, which I reckon is a good thing.  I'm actually not taking the African Christian Theological Methods exam; I'm doing a take-home instead.  The school has a provision whereby a student can request to write a paper rather than take an exam.  I've thoroughly enjoyed this class, but there's a LOT of background that I simply don't have, and think it would hurt me on the exam.  Fortuntately, the lecturer is fabulous, and has studied in the US: he said there were professors that he wouldn't take (even though he wanted to) because they tested by essay exams, rather than writing papers.  He's been wonderfully supportive.  

I've not yet told my class about this, and am really not looking forward to that conversation. But the semester is almost finished! Praise God!