#lizzystudies

[words-and-ideas]

A few reminders about starting your Degree.

My masters is starting tomorrow - actually, it’s fresher’s week but still - so I wanted to take the time to remind myself (and potentially others as well as many courses are starting around this time) of a couple of things:

It’s okay to feel nervous when starting a new degree, maybe even at a new university. I’m starting my masters so I’m technically “used to it”. But I’m still anxious about a lot of things. 

Related to that: Don’t feel stupid if you’re already worrying about what to wear, how to speak to others and all of that. Prepare as much as you can, there’s no shame in laying out your clothes a couple of days before (or is it just me?) or making a plan of what to do on campus in your free time. You need it - you do it. 

People focus on all sorts of things. What you want to achieve with your degree might be completely different from what somebody else has in mind. I’m really seeing this degree as a way of building a career and advancing in academics but others might see it primarly as an opportunity to network in other fields. Just make sure you know what you want from it.

Similar to that, it’s okay if you don’t know where you’re going with your degree yet. You’re just at the start, and a lot of people will say crazy things like “I’ll work for this internationally recognized company once I’m done here” but they might not end up doing so. Figure it out step by step. Stay on track, stay curious, stay open-minded, you’ll find where you will want to go.

I might think of some other things later but I really need to remind myself of that right now. Can anyone relate? (:

[studiesinpomegranate]

One of the most satisfactory moments： FINALLY used up ur pen lollll

[mymymylovelife]

14. April 2019

New semester started this week

[learn0rleave]

mid-terms start tomorrow. // on my way to breakfast then i’m going to study. // wait for me, bircher muesli from swissbake.

[words-and-ideas]

25/07/2019

how I like to start my mornings // writing time on my (slightly dusty) desk.

[words-and-ideas]

[another really lately posted post]

- - - -

[22.05.2017]

the week before the last. can you guess whose birthday it was?

[words-and-ideas]

Masters Diaries #1

as my masters has just started (it's currently introductory week) I decided to post something about every new day at uni for the next week(s). It's going to help me reflect on my experience and potentially help some of you out there to maybe to put things in perspective.

So - Day 1: I haven't been that nervous in a while. Before the introductory session for all masters students of my course, I literally sat there with shaking hands. The session was great - it reminded me of why I was doing this. Also challenging as there's a lot to organise.

After that session some of the people went to a so-called mentoring session where they would be able to ask questions and also get a campus tour. Did I go? No. Should I have gone? Maybe. But I felt very overwhelmed already - with the commute, the new environment and all the information. And it's okay to not take part in everything. I'll get plenty more chances to meet everyone and find your way around campus. (At least that’s what I’m trying really really hard to remember in order not to feel lost right now.)

[words-and-ideas]

[27.06.2017]

evening study session (sorry for the bad lightening. in reality it actually looked a lot nicer)

I am trying to really start my term paper so I’m reading through A LOT of papers right now. It’s exhausting but I also feel like I eventually get an idea of what I want to write about.

Anyone here that has experiences in comparative politics and especially in parliamentary systems and coalition theories?

[words-and-ideas]

[20.10.17]

evening + very autumnal studies // reading Shakespeare’s history plays.

[words-and-ideas]

[22.05.2017]

doing some readings for my comparative politics seminar on coalitions.

[words-and-ideas]

[13.09.2017]

Lovely autumn colours while reading Shakespeare’s history plays. 

(also, I’m sick which is why I’m drinking loads and loads of tea.)

[words-and-ideas]

[05.05.2017]

Comparative politics // this week: electoral systems.

[words-and-ideas]

Commuting to Uni - TIPS

THE PROBLEM

Commuting typically means you do not live in the city where your university/school/campus is. This means, when others are on campus for 2 hours because they have a 1 1/2 h lecture, you’re there for 3 hours. 

Commuting generally means you are much longer away from home than other people. This also means that you can’t just go home if you need a nap or if you forgot something. You need to be prepared. That means: Organisation is the key. Things other people rarely take with them are your essentials: phone charger/extra battery, hygiene products, things to fill up your (free~) waiting time. Etc.

For me personally, it takes about 50-60 minutes to go from outside my home door to be in the lecture hall. Sometimes less. It might not seem super long but there are also only two trains / hour so I can’t just go spontaneously. It also means I’m usually much earlier for my lectures and have a lot of time left after them. 

Since I am in my forth semester already, I feel like I have gathered a lot of experience so I thought I’d share it with you.

Things to do in the train/bus/tram

Read a book // I personally like to read two books “simultaneously”: One at home (usually a very thick and heavy book) and a “train book” which is usually a smaller one or just one I can’t bring myself to read when I’m at home. In the train, I am typically quite good at ignoring other people’s talking and can read quite concentrated for the 20 minutes.

Listen to an audiobook // this is especially helpful for when you usually are on very noisy and crowed vehicles or just usually have to take the rush hour train. You can relax, don’t have to hear other people and still “read” a book.

Listen to music // quite obvious, probably. Note: I have come to install Spotify Premium eventually because that just made easy access to music a lot more easy for me.

Enjoy the view // This is something I had to learn. But it can be nice sometimes.

Listen to people // It can be quite amusing sometimes.

Do something productive // I personally tend to get very exhausted on the way back from uni but on my way there, I sometimes get productive. However, it depends on whether there is a small “table” on the train, whether there are a lot of people and what have to do. Laptop work always works, reading articles and annotating also works most of the time, but actually writing stuff can obviously get a bit .. shaky:

THINGS TO ALWAYS TAKE WITH YOU

headphones

a book

enough money to pay for an extra coffee or an extra train ticket (I am always afraid of losing mine!)

your keys if you have some with you

some extra work for uni that you can do on the train/in a café

a phone charger or a spare battery for your phone (!!!)

a big bottle of water

an extra snack

a “hyiene/bathroom-bag” with: 

tampons/pads/menstrual cup/panty liners (at least for the female ones here)

concealer

tissues

hand moisturizer

a small hairbrush

chewing gum or something else to fresh your mouth

deodorant (there are also deodorant tissues - very handy!)

band-aids (also there are certain one to cover up blisters (for when you’re wearing new shoes etc.))

disinfection gel (!!)

a small extra bag for when you can leave your backpack in uni in a locker and just make a short trip to a café.

THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE A LONG DAY OF UNI

where do you get your food? Take some with you? Cafeteria? Just make sure you think about it for a minute the evening before so you could prepare something to take with you.

Using a backpack or a handbag? Depends on your personal preference but I find a backpack much more easy and comfortable

Will you have longer breaks? If so, when? And where will you be? Think about it and then plan your break time, so either plan a lunch date with your friends in uni, plan in a library session, or a walk in a park to calm you down before the next lecture(s).

When will you leave? Which train at which time can you take? Plan this out the night before (also for your way back). I have come to always know when my trains leave and when the connection is really bad but I used to rely greatly on apps of public transportation.

How long will you be away and what will the weather be like? It might seem like a minor consideration topic but for commuters I guess it’s best to always have an extra cardigan with them.

OTHER USEFUL COMMUTING TIPS!

https://apenchantforfantasy.tumblr.com/post/147133929844/today-when-i-was-traveling-by-train-this-idea

https://hometownbar.tumblr.com/post/127110242826/backpack-tips

[words-and-ideas]

[13.2.2017]

a couple of weeks back, my planner and bullet journal feat. me in the snow.

Also, the new semester started today! Yayy here I come, fourth semester!

[mymymylovelife]

it’s the end of this semester, i just had an exam

why am i here?

[mymymylovelife]

too much to read