Second semester is almost over

It’s true that the older you get, the faster time flies. Before I knew it, the end of my second semester at Warwick was almost there. The second semester meant much more work than the first one. I remember all the professors telling us not to get stressed out, and that there was enough time for everything, at the beginning of the year. The gentle approach is still in place, but the onslaught of essays and team projects is massive. But I am happy to observe that my essay writing has improved a great deal.

Even though I am in the library from dawn to dusk, I find time to decompress. For instance, I had my first meditation lesson today, and it was totally great! I guess most people imagine meditation as a bunch of people sitting in a circle and making sounds, but that wasn’t the case. This meditation lesson was focused on concentration and stress. We did many exercises, and the one that I found most interesting was walking meditation. We just walked outdoors and were asked to notice the way we walked, how we placed our feet, and the earth’s surface. It’s really interesting to observe common things that people will not normally notice in depth.

I also participated in Boot Camp this semester; this is a very intense 45-minute workout where you run and exercise. There is huge motivation for performance, because everything is done in a group of people, and there are many various types of exercises each with a defined period of time. I am very happy to have taken this program, because it allowed me to get back in shape so now I can just zip on my sneakers without hesitating for too long and run in the park or forest. Last time, I realized how great a place the university is in. It’s a real advantage in that it’s just the campus, outside all city action, because you’re really close to nature.

One World Week, a big international festival, was held on the campus in late January and I was a member of the organizing team, preparing the program for the European Day. It meant figuring out what would be attractive for the audience, contacting societies and asking if they want to be involved, putting together the program, and providing technical background. The festival took a full week, and every day was focused on a different continent. One part of the festival was cultural with dance and music performances, movie showings, food tasting and language mini-courses. The other part was expert lectures on topics such as globalization, the future of energy, and the situation in the Near East.

My plans for the future, aside from successfully writing the remaining essays, include deeper involvement in the Politics Society. Every society (there are more than 200 of them here) has a managing board, which manages it, and the board elections are currently in progress. I will run for the secretary position, which entails communication with the general public, making advertizing leaflets for events, distributing e-mail and assisting the society president. Gaining this type of experience in a society is very important for two (and perhaps more) reasons. It’s a big plus when applying for a job, as your future employer can see that you were active at university, and you gain many skills in organization, communication and leadership.

I am looking forward to when all my essays are handed in and we go on a trip with the Politics Society. It will be open to just fifteen students, who will go to Brussels to see the seat of the European Parliament, other EU institutions, and the Belgian parliament. And then it’s off to Bohemia! In conclusion, I would like to thank the Foundation for enabling me to study in the UK, where I have been gaining a wealth of experience.