WEEK 1: EXPLORING THE CITY AND LIVING ON MY OWN

Although it hasn't been a week since I've arrived here (on Monday it's the official “birthday”), I was feeling like writing one post, so here I am, listening to German music on the background and more than ready to spend a few hours writing (these posts take ages to write, because I always end up writing too much and I need to choose what to leave and what to delete).

I've studied abroad before, but this is different. The experience I had four years ago when I went to Ireland was all about living with a family, going to school, getting home and doing my homework, going swimming after class... Now I live in a shared flat and I'm the only one who takes care of myself. It's cooler than I thought because I get along with my flatmates and we're like a little family. My main worries this past week have been buying towels, dusting clothes and a sponge for the shower. I don’t have much experience when it comes to living alone, because it has only been a week, however, I’ve realised that there are a lot of things that my mum used to do back home that now I need to do myself.

Since I haven't started going to university yet, I've had a lot of time for myself. I'm trying to stick to the German timetable, which means having lunch at 12 and dinner at 18 (the latest). I’'s a bit hard because I’m hungry all the time and it hasn’t been as easy as I thought, but I’m sure that once I get into my routine the transition will be smoother. I think I’ve managed to do a lot of things these days, such as visiting the city centre, discover some supermarkets, reading, drinking a lot of tea... Recently I have also started listening to some German music my flatmate recommended me and I love all the artists she listens to, therefore most of the time we have the doors of our rooms opened, this way we can all hear the music. I appreciate that there is such a good relationship between us. I’ve said that already, right?

I love Germany so far, there are a lot of fun facts I would like to share, but I forgot most of them. Something I've noticed (and I really appreciate it) is that there is a huge variety of vegan and vegetarian food in the supermarket. Lately I’ve been trying to follow a vegetarian diet and this has helped a lot, plus I also enjoy vegan food, so that’s a win win. I’m surprised because at first, I thought the prices would be a lot higher than in Spain, but it turns out they aren’t. Even though I haven’t been shopping enough to confirm it a hundred percent, I think they are quite the same as back home which is good! My flatmates told me that the prices are way higher in the south of Germany, but since we’re living in the north, that doesn’t apply to us.

I’ve gone out of the flat and walked somewhere every day since I've arrived. I still don’t have the transport card that my university provides me to freely access all the public transport, so for the moment I had to rely on my legs. My sense of direction is a mess and I get lost very easily, although I must say I’m extremely proud of myself because I’ve learned how to go from my home to the main square without getting lost and I also know the way to my university. I got a map of the city that I haven’t used that much because I decided to stick it onto my wall for decoration purposes, so Google Maps has been my saviour.

This morning I went out and took some proper pictures with my camera. It was a bit cloudy in the morning, but around midday the sun showed up and it really put me in a great mood. Sometimes I forget how nice it is to see the sun shine, I guess it’s because I’m lucky enough to come from a country where we have sunny days almost all year around. Tomorrow I’m starting the introductory days and I couldn’t be more excited! I can’t wait to meet the other Erasmus students and start making some friends.

I'VE MADE IT TO GERMANY: THIS IS WHAT I THINK SO FAR

This post was written on the 3rd October

Photo by Sirotorn Sumpunkulpak on Unsplash

I'm currently laying on my bed, realising this has been my second night here. I've already eaten something, although I've doubted a lot before going out of my room and heading to the kitchen because all the flat is so quiet and I didn't want to make any noise that would wake my flatmates up. Now I've had breakfast and I'm ready for the day (although I'm still wearing my pyjamas). Since I don't have anything to do these days, I thought I would tell you what I've been up to so far. The welcoming days for the Erasmus students don't start until next week, so for now I'm on my own and I guess I'll also meet someday with my contact person, who happens to be a really nice girl.

Packing was the hardest thing to do. It was difficult to picture what I would need for six months and put it inside a suitcase considering it could only weight 23 kg. I started packing two days before coming, then I forgot about it and I didn't finish until the night before my flight. I think I've brought the essentials and the most important documents I'll need, I left some stuff at home such as shampoo and gel, but these items can be bought here anyway, so that's fine. I've made sure to bring with me my stuffed sheep that I've had since I was a kid and another toy that my group of friends from university gave me before I left so I would remember them.

I've been in Hildesheim for about two days and I really like it so far. A part from feeling a bit lonely, I think I've been lucky with the room I have and the people I'm sharing the flat with. We don't know each other a lot yet, but they seem to be nice and for the moment we haven't had any problem. The first thing that shocked me when I arrived at Hannover's Airport is that everything was in German. I know, it's obvious because if you are in Germany, people speak German and all the signs are in German. Well, every time I go to another country that doesn't speak English or Spanish I find it weird to see everything in another language. A part from that, the funny thing is that German people actually understand everything that surrounds them and they understand each other when they speak German. Mind-blowing, right? I know, it's so unbelievable.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

When I got to my flat, the guy with whom I'll be sharing the flat with came downstairs to help me carry my suitcase all the way up the stairs. After that he showed me my room and I had some time to unpack. I have a massive room all to myself, with two big windows and a double bed. The girl who's renting it decorated it with a lot of candles, pictures and tiny objects. Although I really like how it all looks together, I've decided to move some candle holders and other small items to the window sill, so I have more space on my night stand or on the desk that I'm planning to do all my homework in. A part from that, something I've found very strange is the way people make their bed in here. Back home I used to cover the mattress with the duvet, however, here they fold the duvet in half and place it in one side of the mattress. Even though I have a double bed, my duvet is the size of a single bed, so I guess depending on the people who sleep on the bed, they have one or two duvets, does that make sense? They don't share the duvet, they only share the mattress. Maybe I've got the wrong interpretation, if any German is reading this, let me know how it works in the comments below :)

Yesterday afternoon I was writing on my diary my first impressions of this place and its people, but I kept getting distracted with my phone. That's why I decided to get dressed and then I got out of the apartment to explore the city. I looked up how to go to the cathedral in Hildesheim and I walked for about 30 minutes before getting there. It was pretty late when I made the choice of going out, and you could barely see anyone walking on the streets, plus it was Unification day here in Germany and everything was closed. I was very proud of myself when I got to the Dom because I didn't get lost. Since it was starting to get dark, I decided to go home and relax. This was my first time walking thought the city and it's very nice to see the typical buildings. Once I arrived home, I met my other flat mate (she wasn't there the first day when I arrived). She came out of her room to say "hello" and she seems very nice as well.

I haven't started speaking German yet, I admit it, I'm shy and I'm afraid I'll make mistakes. I know that learning is all about making mistakes, but I still don't feel comfortable enough. I really want to start practising asap, but I'm also scared that I won't understand what people say to me or whatever. It may sound childish and I know I shouldn't be ashamed of my level, but it's harder than it seems. For the moment, I'll get dressed and go out to visit the city centre. Hopefully today I'll find more people around town :)

GOING ON AN ERASMUS

Photo by Ugur Akdemir on Unsplash

It feels strange to sit down in front of the screen and start writing a post. I've missed it a lot. Right now I'm in the middle of doing my German homework and somehow I got distracted... What a surprise, right? Then I remembered I have a blog, and I was like: "Hey, let's write something". So here I am.

Long story short: your girl is leaving for an Erasmus! I can't wait to document this experience and share it here. I'll be studying in Germany for five months and I still can't believe how lucky I am. My plan is to keep a kind of diary here on the blog: share pictures, write posts about my stay and how I'm getting on... I like to document important parts of my life (as well as my daily and boring life) because I think it's very fun to look back into those memories. I keep a journal since I was very young and I've grown up being used to having a notebook to write down my thoughts, trips and everything that is going on in my mind. 

I guess I now definitely announce that I'm back, and I'm going to stay :) 

3 LESSONS FROM UNIVERSITY - WHAT I HAVE LEARNED SO FAR

I started the second semester a few weeks ago, and now I'm all busy again with assignments and other homework. Since this was my first year as a university student, I wanted to sit down and evaluate my experience so far. These are some of the lessons I have learned so far (which aren't school related):

Ewan Robertson

1. YOU WON'T BE THE BEST STUDENT IN CLASS ANYMORE

In secondary school I would be the best in my English class. I remember that everyone knew that English was my thing, and I would usually stand out in that subject. Since I have always loved languages and it's something I was comfortable with, I decided to enrol a language degree. Now my English class is filled with many people with an excellent level, who also adore languages. Those students are the ones who were the best in their high school class, and now we're all together in university, therefore, some of them are better than me. This isn't a negative aspect, I see it as a challenge. It was shocking at first, because I was used to another class environment, but now I got used to it, and it's more than fine. You learn to compete with yourself instead of your classmates, and the good part about being surrounded with such good students is that you can always ask for help!

Alexis Brown

2. YOU WON'T GET ALONG WITH EVERYONE, BUT YOU MAY FIND AMAZING FRIENDS

The good thing about university is that you go there once you have reached a certain age, which means you have created an opinion about the world and you know what you're looking for in a friend. In secondary school we are still growing as people, which means we go through a lot of different friendships while we figure out what we are and who we want to be (at least that's what happened to me). Although we are a work in progress, when you go to university you have already developed your approach to the world and you have your own ideas and thoughts and a unique voice to stand up for what you want. That's why you're very likely to become close to people who have similar ideas as you and don't bother to meet other classmates that you know straight away that don't share anything with you. The difference with high school is that, back then, you would have several friends until you found "the right one", and now, there is a high possibility that you find them sooner than you think. It's okay not to be friends with every person in your class, of course you have to be nice to them, but that has nothing to do with building a friendship.

Olu Eletu

3. YOU DECIDE THE HOMEWORK (TEACHERS WON'T DO SO)

The less hours you have of class, the more hours you'll need to study at home. It's tricky because you think that there's only a small amount of content, but in reality, you need to spend time on your own working and doing research in your house/library/ wherever you choose. This means that you must dig deeper, investigate, be curious, don't go for the first thing you find, look up as many pages as you can, combine information, take the best from each source you check... The sooner you start getting used to this, the easier it will be to keep up with.  You should also keep your notes up to date and always ask the teacher if you have any doubts, because, unlike secondary school, the teacher won't come after you. Just keep in mind that all the effort you put now, will be worth it when you have your degree!
As a university student you should also read the newspaper and stay informed about what is going on. This is something I'm still working on, but it's important you have a general idea of the current situation.

TOP 5 TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

I could 100% say that travelling is my favourite thing to do. I envy those people who get to travel the world thanks to their job, although sometimes I think it can be a bit of a pain to never “settle down”. However, I would like to have enough time (and money) to explore and discover new places as often as possible. I’m still quite young yet, but I have had the chance to do some amazing trips so far and I’ve enjoyed every single one of them. Today I’ll be sharing with you some of my best tips for travelling and making the most out of it. I’m sure you’ll find something helpful!

Ian Shneider

- Bring spare underwear in your carry-on bag, just in case you lose your luggage. If you are doing long flights and must change planes, there is a slight possibility of your big suitcase getting lost between the connection flights. I recommend to always have something to wear on the carry-on, so it doesn’t catch you unprepared.

- Have chewing-gum with if you are taking a plane. With the change of pressure, I always get a terrible earache. By chewing some gum, you keep yourself busy and it makes it easier to adapt to the “new pressure” (if that makes sense), especially during the taking off and the landing.

- Book your hotel and tickets in advanced (as soon as you know when you’ll be going). I feel really safe when I know where I’m staying, how many nights I will be there… So, whenever you know that you’re definitely going to do that trip, book your flights and hotel at the same time. Many web pages, like Tripping, can help you find the best deal, so make sure you do your research before you buy anything. There are plenty of places you can choose from!

Tomo Nogi

- Put on the heaviest clothes while you’re travelling. This is very useful if you are staying somewhere for a long time and you need bring lots of clothes. If you must bring a coat or a heavy pair of shoes, I recommend you to wear them on the day of your trip, therefore, they won’t take up too much space in your suitcase and you will be able to fill it with other useful stuff.

- Use a belt pouch to keep all your documentation and tickets. Although I wouldn’t bring it with you at all times if you’re going to be doing tourism around any city, it’s very handy when you’re travelling. Having a place to put all the important documents (passport, ID card, health insurance) will save you a lot of time during the check in or when you’re looking for your tickets to board the plane/ train/ whatever you’re taking.

Richard Tilney-Bassett

Have you got any travel essentials you would like to share? Do so in the comments!! See you soon :)

7 STEPS TO STUDYING OVERSEAS

Hello lovely readers, today Steph will share some useful information for those who are interested in studying abroad. She also has a blog where you can discover more things about her, so make sure to head over there as soon as you finish reading this post and send her some love!

Studying abroad can be a very long (but very fun) process. I’ve recently embarked on this journey and figured out the ins and outs of where and how to start this exciting undertaking. I currently live in South Africa, but will start an undergraduate degree at a university, in Europe, in September 2017. Whether you’re going abroad for one year or three, these tips are bound to get you boarding a plane and discovering a new city.

There are several reasons why someone would want to study overseas, and for each person the answer will be different. Some will cross oceans for the fun and the adventure and others for a better-quality education that cannot be matched from their current city. I personally fall into the latter category.

If you think that you’re someone who would like to study in another country but is unsure of what this enlivening new adventure will take, then finish up here and head on over to my blog to read my blogging buddy, Cecile’s post called ‘'5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Studying Abroad'’.

I found the process to be enjoyable, sometimes nerve-wrecking and at times stressful but when that acceptance letter slides through your mailbox or into your inbox with the assurance of a brand-new adventure and chapter of your life, it’s worth it.

#1 Pick a City

Studying abroad implies moving to a new city. If you’re more the ‘happy go lucky type’, throw pins randomly at a map on the wall, or more rationally, choose a city based on its community, safety, lifestyle and quality of education. A lot of thought (and conversation) should go into the making of your choice as this city will be your new home. Confide and ask for guidance from a parent, sibling or friend whom you trust will offer you golden nuggets of guidance. Can you see yourself strutting down Regent street or 5^th Avenue? If the answer is no, then keep looking!

#2 Find a Degree

Before considering what university or college to attend, you first need to know what course you want to give your brain capacity and storage over to for the next year or possibly the span of your life. One university could be esteemed for engineering, science and mathematics, but if you want to study drama, then despite its top-10 global ranking, the university probably isn’t for you. You need to choose a top-quality university that offers the best quality in your specific degree. I mean, you’re not flying over oceans for a mediocre quality of education, are you? When researching degrees, you should consider lifestyle, salary, working hours and stress-levels (amongst other aspects). A helpful question to ask yourself at this stage is “could I see myself doing this for the next 50 years?”. If the answer is no, keep looking.

#3 Scour for a Uni

Now that you’ve found your subject of study, it’s time to place yourself in an environment that will get your neurons buzzing and your heart fluttering. You need to find a uni that offers you the professional facilities and expert educators, however, beyond the classroom and hitting the books, you need an environment that offers you the choice to join societies and sports clubs because, whilst you’re flying over horizons, you need to be venturing into new ones.

#4 Finances + Costs

Although it’s hunky dory to up and leave from home and venture into a new city, with new friends and new foods, you need to assess your financial standings and gage what you, your family or guardian can afford. You should consider that you’ll have to possibly be in residence, pay for transportation, food, university tuition and then still need money to enjoy the ‘needs’ we all really know to be ‘wants’- like the clubbing and fancier dining-- as you should.

Don’t let several digit numbers and massive exchange rate differences put you off your path of studying abroad. All universities offer scholarships, bursaries and help/advice on student loans. Contact student funding after receiving an acceptance and work out what plan best suits you.

If you think finances will hold you back from a specific university, you should maybe consider a school in the same country, possibly the same city and or even just down the road. The second best could be an option now, but, remember to save the best for last. You can always go to ‘the best’ for postgraduate studies.

#5 Entry Requirements

Different countries have different requirements to start studying. You need to ensure that your high school or university qualification meets the requirements of the university. Failing this, you will need to subject yourself to a different examination, required by the university, which could potentially involve a different curriculum from the one you are learning or have learnt. From my own experience, I also found that if you are from a country that is not recognized as being an English-speaking majority, upon the request of the university, you will write an IELTs exams to prove your English proficiency. 

Some good advice would be to familiarize yourself with the requirements early in the process so that you know what grades you need to achieve or any extra lessons/subjects that you need to take.

#6 Personal statement

If you’re writing a personal statement, it means you’re applying-yipee! Congrats on taking a leap of faith! Your statement is important for your educators to get a good sense about who you are as a person- show off your skills and personality but not your inflated ego. There are some great websites and Youtube videos which give you great direction with writing these statements, from people whose job it is to read these.

As an international student, you should take care to note why you want to study in another country and what you offer the university as an international student.

#7 Visit the uni

You’ve scoured the web, dusted off the cobwebs in your brain; It’s now time to knock on the door, ring the doorbell and pop-in for a visit. Chances are you’ve applied to more than one university (just for insurance). Hop into a plane, a bus or a train and go visit your potential new home. You’ve probably travelled far for this, so make it a holiday - gracing all the museums and architectural wonders with your presence while you’re there. Take note of the type of students at the university and the university’s surrounding environment. The best advice I can give you here is this: If you know, you know.

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If you think that you’re up for the challenge and studying in a new country could be for you, then head on over to my blog to read Cecile’s post.

It’s been lovely taking up space on Cecile’s blog. If you’d like to see more of me, you can follow me on my blog or on Instagram. Do pop in and say ‘hi’. However, from me, for now, Bye!

Steph

WHY YOUR BLOG DOESN'T NEED A NICHE

I am tired of reading "find your niche", or, "your blog needs a niche"... blah, blah, blah. I don't think that your blog needs a niche. The word "niche" stands for a "a distinct segment of a market", therefore, if your niche is photography, all your posts will be dedicated to this topic. That's great if you treat your blog as a business or if you have very few interests. However, what can people do if they have lots of hobbies/are interested in many things and they can't choose which one to focus their blog on? Well, they can come to the dark side and don't have a niche. Just like my blog!

I love plenty of things. I enjoy home decoration, photography, reading good books, travelling, sharing personal experiences, sitting down and writing about whatever is going through my mind ... Some people would put my blog into the personal/lifestyle category of blogs, but it isn't. As humans we tend to label everything and we need to learn that somethings aren't labeable (I've invented this adverb, I know, I'm a genius!). A blog with a niche will have specific readers interested in that topic, which is great, but there are some blogs which are meant to not have a niche. These kind of blogs are messy, random, with a very irregular posting schedule. The authors behind the posts are crazy and simply want a place to share their thoughts. Its readers end up there God knows why, and sometimes, they decide to stay, because they fancy having a wide variety of content, the same way the author enjoys writing about everything they want.

Nowadays, the blogging industry has grown tremendously and many people make a living by writing a blog. I understand the reason why lots of bloggers out there see it as a business, but we shouldn't forget about the original blog.  Yes, I'm talking about these individuals who are just trying to blog the old-fashioned way, as a hobby, as a way to reach out to the lovely and engaged audience they have. I defend blogs without a niche because I believe in "less rigid" blogging rules, because I think that we need to go back to basics when everyone is blogging about "what they are supposed to blog" or they are busy finding a niche that their blog doesn't need in the first place. Don't let niches reduce the creativity of your blog and the content you put into it. If people want to read your blog, they will do it regardless of your  "niche". The ones who read niche-less blogs enjoy the way the authors write, it also helps if they say wise things and stuff, but they like their personality and their view of the world. As simple as that.

If you're still reading, thank you :) Have a nice week everybody!