Half a year

That’s exactly how long I didn’t get to see my friends in Lancaster. I got back here twice during the holidays, but what I saw was unlike anything that I had kept in my memory so carefully. It was calm and peaceful everywhere.

And so I knew that I would have to do well on my transfer placement tests at all costs, to be able to get back to the beautiful city full of life, students, activities and experiences. I made it. And so I decided to enjoy my last year in England as much as I can. It’s been less than a month since I got back, and I feel like I have succeeded.

This year, a few friends and I decided to rent a villa with thirty rooms from the university, to have more freedom than in the dorms. Not only is this accommodation much better – it is also less costly than a standard room in the university dorms (mainly because the demand for dorm accommodation is at least triple the supply, so that the university feels it can charge higher rates). This home allows us to separate our academic lives from our personal lives, and we are not forced to stay within the “campus bubble”.

Even though I have more subjects than other students again this year (nine instead of the usual six), I found some time for leisure activities that approach my field of study. I go to the marketing club and participate in various business competitions with friends. This year, I also enrolled in a club where Erasmus students meet and share experience with their stays abroad. Not only do I get a chance to pass on the experience I have gathered over my first year to freshmen – I can also learn something from those who have been living here for some time.

My other extracurricular activities include the student council, where I am a full-fledged member again this year. For this year, I found a job as an assistant in research focusing on the Czech Republic, so I get to use my knowledge of Czech even in England. Recently, I also started training in volunteering. I will most likely start to help out at the local elementary school In January, assisting pupils with math. Prior to that, I have to take special lessons to know how to respond to various situations that may come about in and outside classrooms.

Last but not least, I decided to do something about my French. The thought of attending a prestigious school in Reims in less than one year and working at a French firm in a year and a half from now scares me, and is slowly turning into a nightmare. So I applied for a spring part-time job at Disneyland. I received confirmation of employment after an interview in London. So I hope that three weeks spent in France with upset French Disneyland customers will suffice for me to stop fearing the beautiful language. For now, I’m going to learn ten new words.