Time flies so quick

It’s unbelievable how quickly time flies. I feel quite worried when I realise that soon one-quarter of my time at UCL will be gone - after all, I just arrived here. However, this feeling is nothing compared to the dread and hopelessness associated with the third term, de facto an exam period, which is quickly approaching. The examination timetable was published last week, and I and my course-mates were literally terrified when we saw it. All of the five final exams will happen in eight days and what’s more four of them are within the first four days. No need to say that it will undoubtedly be challenging eight days which will require a lot of chocolate.

In the last few days, Britain is about nothing else but Brexit, which is, as everything else, mercilessly approaching. Everything is just a big pell-mell. Uncertainty and confusion have been here for quite some time, but the last month add another dimension to everything, as any consensus in the parliament is nowhere near, and there are less than 30 days until the date when Great Britain should leave the European Union. The Prime minister is relentlessly trying to put through her deal and avert the by-all-dreaded no-deal Brexit, but the deal is full of virtually unacceptable compromises and if, in the next few days, something doesn’t drastically change the no-deal Brexit is almost inevitable. The opposition is trying to delay the Brexit date and arrange the second referendum where the people would vote if they are really sure that they want to leave the EU. However, this would significantly damage the robust democratic tradition which is present here in the UK, so a substantial number of MPs do strongly oppose such an idea.

Everything is changing very quickly, and only the 29th of March will show how this whole story ends. Nevertheless, regardless of how it will really end everyone here is trying to prepare for the worst-case scenario – no-deal Brexit. The EU-citizens are trying to get the official things done, as they could become awfully complicated after the Brexit – after all, until then the British authorities have to treat us like Brits. The government did pledge that nothing will change for us who lived here even before the Brexit, but still, better be safe than sorry. Those who haven’t done so already are registering at GPs, or we are applying for national social insurance numbers to be able to work here (or even vote in some British elections). I got, for example, UK SIM and mobile number. Until now I was pretty fine with my Czech one because the prices are the same in the whole EU, but when the UK leaves the rates will grow pretty high. It a big mess – we’ll see how will it end.

All the Brexit helplessness and confusion is at least partially balanced by really unusual weather – in the last few weeks it de facto late spring or early summer here. Temperatures are record high, it’s sunny and ~ 20°C. It’s bizarre to walk around in short sleeve t-shirt at the end of February. The levels of vitamin D are rising –it’s quite lovely living here after all. The worries about Brexit, exams and life, in general, seem to be somewhat smaller. But, the question is if this weather is only an irregularity or we are witnesses of a terrifying consequence of global warming.