The first week of university is over

Hey guys,

the first week of university is over... it's a huge change for me. I really have to change my study habits. My schedule looks pretty relaxed actually:

Monday:

16:00-17:00 Investments

18:00-20:30 Human Resource Management

Tuesday:

08:00-09:15 Urban Economics

13:00-14:15 Essentials of Supply Chain Management

Wednesday:

16:00-17:00 Investments

Thursday:

08:00-09:15 Urban Economics

13:00-14:15 Essentials of Supply Chain Management

I have Fridays off. Pretty relaxed, right? Until you get your hands on the syllabus. What is that? A syllabus is a summary of the course contents, a timetable for when each chapter will be covered, and includes all information about grading. There are courses like Urban Economics, where you have to write 4 exams throughout the semester. That's it! And then there are courses like Supply Chain Management: You have to submit a homework assignment every Thursday, there are short tests (quizzes), and a total of 4 exams. The special thing here: Our lecturer teaches in 4-5 locations at the same time and can only be seen on the screen. Nevertheless, the classes take place in the lecture hall.

Oh, there are even courses where attendance is graded. 5 points will be deducted for each absence. Currently, I have at least 2 courses where I should read the chapters in the book every week. It's going well so far, but you never know.

What else is going on here? The entire university is looking forward to the first Rebels game of the season. Last Saturday, there was a picnic for all new students, where the cheerleaders and the marching band were also present. They gave away (once again) t-shirts (I already have 4-5). Wow, the event really gave goosebumps. Everyone here can't wait anymore. Not even a week left! People here learn the Ole Miss chant really quickly. I'll try to capture that on video. ARE YOU READY?

However, I won't have to go without watching sports completely. Yesterday, some Americans invited me to watch the McGregor/Mayweather fight. Who of you watched it? The football and volleyball seasons are already underway here. If you ever have the opportunity, check it out! We're talking about college sports! On the one hand, the quality is really good. But what's even more impressive are the facilities, the surroundings, and the camera presence. The volleyball arena is amazing! It's really cool! Every game is broadcast on the SEC Network, so there are cameras everywhere, replays, and in volleyball, even the decisions are challenged. And what about the surroundings? Videos are played during every little break. From flexcam (show off your muscles) to short interviews with the players, everything is included. And of course, everything is professionally presented. Compared to that, everything in Germany pales in comparison :)

As announced in the last post, Wiz Khalifa was here last Friday. Admission was free for students. The basketball arena was crowded. The concert itself was really awesome! After his "opening act" finished, the atmosphere was low. The 4 guys were really bad rappers. But when Wiz himself took the stage, the mood was great! He played all of his hits, of course. The whole event was funded by the university, from then on his videos on the stage screen were just crazy: Weed being turned into cupcakes, towers & hills made of grass, joints in all colors and shapes.

Finally, a short review of Rebtel. Some time ago, I told you that with this app, you can make cheap international calls. So far, I can only confirm and recommend it. The call quality is sometimes better than with my German number in Germany. And for $4, you can't really complain for a month. There's also a prepaid version, depending on how often you call people in Germany.

I'm going back to my studies now.

Best regards from the USA

Your Franz