Hausaufgabe = Homework

The Wintersemester (auf Deutsch, one word and pronounced like a 'v' of course) started on Monday. I'm not particularly confident about my class choices—decisions are hard, especially without tangible goals like careers or fulfilling a major with picky requirements—but I'm interested in the topics of all of my classes. Or at least am convinced of their usefulness (learning how to write German academicky things with proper grammar is practical, if boring). Mostly I'm with other AYF kids, which sounds extremely lame and is the main reason I'm indecisive about my schedule. No offense to them, but studying at a German university implies studying in German university classes with German students. Someone tell me I'm not lame, please! I'm learning how to succeed in a German university! Next semester I'll take so many real uni classes!

German students are terrifying. They have clear visions of what they want out of a class and are glad to tell the teacher that the syllabus is stupid and should instead cover this, this, this, and this. They protest when the teacher says the class is too big and some students have to leave. They take a vote, and the students win. They also make jokes about faculty members or other stuff I can't understand because they have all sorts of accents and speak so quickly. They make jokes and laugh loudly until the teacher has to shout above them. And they all already know each other.

I spent the day in my room. I ate, I bought groceries, I ate, I cooked, I ate, I read about the founding of the German empire under the leadership of Prussia. So far, two pages. My coursepack is labelled a 'course reader.' Where is the German??? It's also missing the third page, which has really held me up. How can I go on when I don't know the end of the sentence?!

In German, the Crimean War is der Krimkrieg [cream-kreeg]. I think it sounds cute. I barely even know what the Crimean War was.