Work Hard, Play Hard

Epidemiological statistics is kicking my ass.

It's been a while since I've had any kind of math class - so learning statistics for 8 hours each day, then working on case studies at night is a lot to handle.  But I knew this master's programme would be intense, since it's only one year.

I changed my mind about which optional modules I'm going to take: instead of courses focused on health policy design, I'll be taking Communicable Diseases, Non-Communicable Diseases, Sexual and Reproductive Health, and Monitoring and Evaluating Health Programmes.  I think it's more important to get a background in diseases and health topics, since international policies will be covered in those modules anyway.  I've also submitted my proposal for a dissertation topic about food security and malnutrition in Sub-Saharan Africa and am waiting approval.  In the meantime, I can start researching the background information.

As for my class assignments, I've completed a critical analysis of a study on mental health in four African countries and I wrote a 20-page project proposal for diabetes intervention.  My next assignment is to prioritise health services (specific to STIs, pregnancy and sexual violence) in a refugee camp.

I'm in class from 9:30am-5:00pm, Monday through Friday until next semester - but I still try to make time for fun.  :)

 

International Potluck Dinner at the Health Sciences Centre

 

Visit to Leeds Medical Museum

        

Day trip to Warwick Castle and Oxford

Out to dinner at Thai Edge with my classmates

Now that it's getting colder, there are fewer opportunities for excursions.  When spring comes around, you can expect more travel blog posts.  ;)

Darkness Has Fallen

For the past two years, I lived in Uganda just near the equator.  That means there was virtually no change of seasons (except for rainy or dry) and no change in daylight hours.  Every day was always 12 hours of sunlight (sunrise at 7:00am and sunset at 7:00pm).  The seasons were in limbo and time stood still for two years - May and November felt exactly the same.

Now I'm living in Leeds, United Kingdom which is located at +52 degrees latitude.  It's farther north than Calgary, Canada.  Being that it was just daylight savings a few weeks ago (it's different dates than the US), I'm now thrust into darkness for the majority of my day.  And it's going to get worse until we reach December 21st.  I am told that on the shortest days of the year the sun will rise at 8:30am and set at 3:30pm.  Yikes.

And come June, I will experience the other extreme - sunrise at 4:30am and sunset at 9:30pm.  Yikes again.

I will cope with the time changes (and take some vitamin D supplements this month) because I realized that I'm much happier having four seasons in the year.  Fall has always been my favorite time of year and it just doesn't feel like Christmas without winter.  :)

(Only 6 more weeks until I'm back in Chicago for the holidays!!!)