As I sit in the library attempting to write the longest essay I\u2019ve ever written \u2013 5000 words, pray for me \u2013 I decide I need a *debatably* well-earned break! Some may call this procrastination, I call it an \u2018active study break\u2019. <\/p>\n
I\u2019m sure many people, myself definitely included, struggle to separate the two halves of a year abroad: the one that feels like you\u2019re on a yearlong holiday, and the one that reminds you you are actually still studying as part of your degree. Everyone tells us to immerse ourselves in the culture and that the language learning will come with this. However, I need a gentle reminder now and then that I am not<\/em> on a gap year and that this year will in fact make up 10% of my degree. Okay, it\u2019s not a lot, but it all adds up. And since all my friends back in Cardiff are constantly reminding me how hard final year is, I think I\u2019d go into it more comfortably knowing I did alright on my year abroad. <\/p>\n Exam layout here is SO<\/strong> different to what I am used to back in Cardiff. For one, we have to sign up for our exams online roughly two weeks before we are due to sit the exam, even though we are enrolled on the module. Weird I know. What\u2019s even weirder is that we have no idea when our January exams will be, which makes signing up for them two weeks in advance very hard to do. It\u2019s a stressful waiting game. <\/p>\n One good thing about the exams here is that for Erasmus students there is the opportunity to do the exam orally instead of written. This means that the exam will be considerably shorter, led primarily by us, obviously with questions from the examiner too, and with less focus on complicated sentence structure that would be expected from a written exam. This is also another way to increase my confidence in speaking Italian. <\/p>\n So, I have grown to accept that the next few months won\u2019t be as exciting as the previous have been. Less weekend trips to Lake Garda and more weekend trips to the library. It feels like being back in the Diff, the only thing missing is my Tesco meal deal\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As I sit in the library attempting to write the longest essay I\u2019ve ever written \u2013 5000 words, pray for me \u2013 I decide I need a *debatably* well-earned break! […]","protected":false},"author":1632,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[268],"tags":[42,367,48,366,90],"class_list":["post-3525","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-europe","tag-erasmus","tag-essay","tag-exams","tag-library","tag-studying"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4QQbz-UR","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3572,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/settling-back-in\/","url_meta":{"origin":3525,"position":0},"title":"Settling (back) in","author":"Phoebe Grinter","date":"January 29, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Coming back to Verona after four weeks at home for Christmas to be greeted by exams is not fun. After all the comforts of home, the excitement of Christmas and all my friends being home for a few weeks, I have to say settling back in to life in Verona\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "European Placements"","block_context":{"text":"European Placements","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/europe\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3911,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/philosophy-assignments-cardiff-vs-oslo\/","url_meta":{"origin":3525,"position":1},"title":"Philosophy assignments: Cardiff vs. Oslo","author":"Tammy-Louise Wilkins","date":"September 16, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"As I write this, I have just submitted my first of seven assignments to one of the three modules I am taking at the University of Oslo. It is incredibly strange to realise that, at this point last year, the autumn semester at Cardiff had yet to begin and here\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "European Placements"","block_context":{"text":"European Placements","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/europe\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2019\/08\/13.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2019\/08\/13.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2019\/08\/13.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2019\/08\/13.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1452,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/reality-finally-hits\/","url_meta":{"origin":3525,"position":2},"title":"reality finally hits.","author":"Izzie","date":"November 21, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"So i'm sat in the library surrounded by various pieces of work, but gazing (as usual) out the window at anything and everything in a desperate attempt to escape the reality of the impending exams, I see a low flying plane go past. This, if I'm completely honest offended me\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "European Placements"","block_context":{"text":"European Placements","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/europe\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Processed with VSCO with c1 preset","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2016\/11\/IMG_2091-450x450.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4077,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/the-differences-between-studying-in-america-vs-studying-in-the-uk\/","url_meta":{"origin":3525,"position":3},"title":"The differences between studying in America vs. studying in the UK","author":"Katie Hawkins","date":"October 3, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"I've completed six weeks at LMU now and it's fair to say that studying in America is far different from studying at home in Cardiff (first off Cardiff students are only just completing their first week of lectures for the year!). In my post today I'm going to chat all\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "International Placements"","block_context":{"text":"International Placements","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/international-exchange\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2019\/10\/Studying-UK-vs.-USA.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2019\/10\/Studying-UK-vs.-USA.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2019\/10\/Studying-UK-vs.-USA.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":497,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/some-advice-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":3525,"position":4},"title":"Some advice.","author":"Sara Rahman","date":"February 21, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"After 4 months of studying abroad, 5 and a half weeks of backpacking, and 4 weeks of settling back into Welsh living, I\u2019m back in Cardiff to tell you about my experience away. I still remember it like it was yesterday, walking through the different coloured zones in City University\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "International Placements"","block_context":{"text":"International Placements","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/international-exchange\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2016\/02\/IMG_7960.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2016\/02\/IMG_7960.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2016\/02\/IMG_7960.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2016\/02\/IMG_7960.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2016\/02\/IMG_7960.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2016\/02\/IMG_7960.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1416,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/seattle\/","url_meta":{"origin":3525,"position":5},"title":"Seattle","author":"Lorna Hayne","date":"November 16, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I\u2019ve only got 2 and a half weeks of school left before finals start- where has the time gone?! In Canada, you get a day off for Remembrance Weekend, so we bussed to Seattle for the weekend- we stayed in City Hostel- which was in an amazing location. We went\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "International Placements"","block_context":{"text":"International Placements","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/international-exchange\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Seattle at dusk ","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2016\/11\/15064017_1456117984415603_826402847_o-254x450.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"meta_box":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3525","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1632"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3525"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3525\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3547,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3525\/revisions\/3547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3525"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3525"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3525"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}