Maastricht University - Leading in learning ... & mental breakdowns...

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Today I decided that I'd look through the course manuals that I received at Orientation to see how my courses are going to be structured. Essentially, I had gathered that I would meet twice a week per class - once as a "tutorial" session and once as a "lecture" session. Since I have 2 classes beginning on Monday, I figured I'd better get a jump start on the reading for this week. What I didn't realize was that as soon as I took a look at the syllabus I would immediately begin to hyperventilate!

I have a "tutorial" in European Criminal Law on Monday at 11:00. The reading assignment for that class period alone is over 120 pages long. That, in & of itself, is considerably more than any other reading assignment I've ever been given for such a short period of time. Combine that with the 50+ pages that I have to read for my second class on Monday, European/International Environmental Law, & you've got the perfect recipe for a mental breakdown. I would like the record to show that I will NEVER complain about reading assignments at home EVER AGAIN. I didn't realize how good I had it! haha. I suppose though that it will all even out because ordinarily I'll have more time to complete the assignments from week to week, but since I didn't even get my books until yesterday, it makes for some pretty serious freaking out & hustling to get it all done (& attempt to understand it in the process!).

Claudia, a girl who did an exchange from here to the UP campus last semester, is in my criminal law class. She said she also didn't get her book until yesterday, & she guarantees that some people in the class won't have their books at all until the second week. She also tried to set my mind at ease that being prepared for school here isn't the same as being prepared for school in the US. She said the US is much more stressful, so since I'm used to that, I should just calm down because I'll be fine. Plus, I guess she said that a lot of the students in the class will be Dutch or exchanges from other places so I have the fact that I'm a native English speaker in my favor.

But, as is my nature, I'm making mountains out of molehills & unnecessarily freaking out. You'd think after all these years of school I'd learn to not "sweat the small stuff," but I just HATE not knowing what to expect. I mean, not everyone can be perfect, right? Just count my anxiety issue as one of the very few character flaws that I do have. (Please read that last sentence with sarcasm. I'm not that into myself like some other people I know, ah hem Matthew ah hem). 😊

The other thing that has me worried is the fact that both course manuals contained the following language:

"It is assumed that every student who wishes to participate has knowledge of European law on the bachelor-level. Students who feel that they cannot meet this standard, but still want to participate, should be prepared to invest extra (private) study time."

Looks like I should be getting acquainted with the school library sooner rather than later.

Can this be chalked up as character building?!

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Photos

My course materials
i.e. a mental breakdown in the works....