University Update

Hi guys!

It's been a month since I started university. I can say that I am now used to the school rhythm. Even though I still don't like travelling there every day. But I listen to myself and I took a few days off to get my sh*t together, or just do something else. Besides my full planned weeks, during the weekends I was also quite busy. September is the month of birthdays in our family, myself included, so that means I couldn't always spend the weekend doing nothing. But I survived and I am going strong!

Things I've learned so far:
Okay so, any new students reading this, or maybe future students, I already have a few tips for you.
* First off, take deodorant with you! It has happened a few times now that my train was delayed and I had to run (or speedwalk) to class. You don't want to smell bad so take deodorant with you, lifesaver!
* Plan your time wisely! Every day I spend 1,5 to 2 hours in the train. I take this time to read because I do need to read a lot. This way I make use of this time, so I don't have to do everything at home. :)
* Be prepared! Make sure you read everything you need to read ahead of class. When you're prepared you know that the professor is talking about. Aka, you get use out of your lecture/seminar. Besides, it is a nice feeling to have your sh*t together. The professors really don't care what you do, if you read, prepare or make the exercises. It is all your OWN responsibility, don't fool yourself.
* Have fun! Plan time for yourself and friends. Maybe do something outside of your curriculum. I joined the Bachelor's magazine, Phoenix. I will start next month as Social Media Promoter and maybe I will write a piece (or two). I look forward to this as this is something I really like to do and I will meet new people!

What does a seminar look like?
In this first period, I had 2 courses. During a week I have 2 lectures (1 per course) and 4 seminars (2 per course). During a lecture, we talk about a specific subject. For one course we also practice pronunciation. Yes, sometimes I spend almost 2 hours pronouncing words and making weird movements with my mouth, those seminars are the best! xD
In a seminar, I sit together with my classmates on a table. The room isn't that big so it's very cosy to sit together like that. Sometimes we discuss topics we read and wrote about, we discuss poetry, novels and stories. Or, like I said, we make weird mouth movements and sounds. It is very diverse and that makes it fun!

Things I want to improve:
* Now that September is over, I hope to get more use out of my weekends. Planning in advance and doing a lot so I don't have to do much during the week.
* My academic writing skills. Every week I need to hand in a few written pieces about a subject. This needs to be written very formally. It's something that I still need to learn and improve.
* My parttime job. A few weeks ago I quit my job. I haven't found anything else I want to do yet so I'm taking my time. As I still live at my parents' house my monthly expenses aren't that high. I am not sure what I will do these next months. I am thinking of waiting with starting another job just for myself. I don't want to have too much on my plate at once.

Thank you for reading my post! I hope you enjoyed it. Please share tips if you have any!

Love,

Julia