So. I have no excuses. I have lots of posts. They’re just…really late. So within the next few days I will be posting extremely overdue posts which I have been stockpiling, starting with my post about Christmas in London and ending with my impromptu trip to Rome (and with lots of photos in between!).

But first: a brief post about Willamette University V. LSE lifestyles. I have noticed, first and foremost that London is a city. Yes, that sounds super stupid. Obviously London is  a city. However, this is the first time I’ve ever *lived* in a city, so adjusting to the lifestyle, I have come to realize, is no simple feat. Balancing a social life with school work and maintaining a healthy lifestyle on a budget is NOT easy. It’s not easy back home, either, but here it’s damn near impossible. I am blessed with a good work ethic. I don’t really allow myself to slip behind because I don’t like feeling lost or inundated. I have, however, come drastically close to the point of procrastination that is near impossible to return from. Where the work is piling up just as fast as you’re falling behind and your workload increases exponentially and the pressure makes you want to procrastinate more because you can’t face your work load. I didn’t quite get there. Thankfully. I think some of LSE’s downsides (at least for me) are that 1) lectures are not mandatory and so there is very little incentive to show up and 2) formative coursework is unevaluated. The second point is particularly difficult, especially for General Course students. We strive to do well because our formative coursework *is* evaluated. However, in group projects, we are frequently grouped with regular students who have no investment in producing quality work during formative assignments.

I do like the LSE, but I think I would like it better if GC students were held to the same standards as the rest of the undergraduates (or vice versa). I have barely slept in weeks because the course load (designed for the regular undergrads) is much more intense for General Course students. I could carry groceries in the bags under my eyes. But that would be gross. So instead I’ll just drown them in Vitamin E lotion…

Within the next couple of days, I will continue posting what I have written over the last few months 🙂

Stay snazzy!