What helps me stay calm

When I’m trying to identify the elements that are helpful to my wellbeing, I think of many different experiences from the last two months: nature walks with my psychology friends, La La Land, tulips from Tesco, weekly Zumba classes, museums and galleries, hot chocolate and a group of Czech friends with whom we cook dinner, play board games and talk about life.

Thanks to these joys, exam stress hasn’t quite got to me yet, even though it’s interspersed with preparation of a research project, the process of choosing next year’s subjects and, to top it all of, the closure of our department (for two years!) due to discovery of asbestos. Life in Oxford is therefore still fast and chaotic, but I’m managing to enjoy it without too much panic.