The End of a Long Road (Almost)

In two weeks I will be in transit, most likely flying somewhere over the pole preparing to see the United States for the first time in four and a half months.  It is hard to believe I have been gone so long, yet at times it feels like I have been in Botswana forever.  Some people have already packed their bags in preparation to go but I am not ready for that yet, I still have too many finals to study for and I don’t want to be stuck in an empty room for a week.  This last week has been nice in many ways, namely it has rained almost every day and we often have impressive thunder storms in the evening.  While at times the loud crashes and bright lights make me feel as if I have developed a sleep disorder because I have discovered I cannot sleep with such noise, the rain is comforting and reminds me of what I have to look forward to at home.  J

The University of Botswana has no system when it comes to scheduling final examinations.  After a preliminary examination schedule came out every single one of my finals changed its time, data, and/or location due to timetable clashes of other students.  My take on how they make their schedule is that each class is attached to a dart and then professors through the dart at a large calendar broken up by days and time slots.  Whatever time slot is hit is when the original exam is scheduled for, and then if problems exist they are to be taken care of at a later date.  After two weeks of trying to reschedule exams and figure out when/where they are taking place I feel like I could tell the university a much more efficient way of scheduling exams.  They make it seem like it is so challenging when in the end it is not what so ever if you know anything about organization and macro management.  However in seven days I will be done with my last exam and on a plane to Maun and will never have to deal with the idiosyncrasies /idiotic nature of this “academic” institution.

Speaking of academics it has come to my attention that while at the UB I have learned practically nothing academic, as in classroom material.  Everything I have learned is in relation to culture and humanity.  Learning Setswana has only helped me understand my peers and the environment in which I live.  Also from observing, living in, and experiencing a culture so vastly different than my own I have been able to gain appreciation and understanding for my own culture and that of Batswana.  I had few preconceptions when I stepped of the plan at Sir Seretse Khama Airport, but after my time here I have distinct opinions and feelings in regards to the Setswana culture and Batswana people.  Also I have seen the beauty, downfalls, struggles, development, and unity of Southern Africa and its people.  Everyone I have met black and white, young and old has had a unique story to tell.  What I have learned is nothing you can apply a grade.  It has had no curriculum as it is been person development working only on my timeline.  I still have three finals left; the first two were easy as I knew the answers to everything that was presented to me.  I am glad I studied and focused as much as I did on Setswana as the final examination was a breeze in comparison to the first quiz I took way back in August.  As for Geology it was another test over material I learned about first in middle school.  After the low grade he gave me on the test I have gone out of my way to give him no reason to not give me an A, going at great lengths to memorize his plagiarized notes so that he cannot even say that my answers were not what he was trying to convey, as he prefers rote memorization to original thought.  On my second test and now this final I know if I was in the states I would receive 100% on each, I am just curious to see my final grade as I will never know how I did on either assignment. 

I will try and do one more blog post before I leave for Maun on the 28^th.  Nothing too exciting should be happening other than more studying and more finals.  For those of you have been reading this over the last few months, thank you, I hope you enjoyed my stories, and if you ever ask me I have many more to tell.  Go siame le boroko gape ditsala tsone sala sentle.  Ke bona lona le e pula.  Lorato,

Celene