Dearest readers,
Now is the time of the year when we can have a fresh start, and most of us usually like to write down a list of new year’s resolutions. I have written one for you, but this won’t be the kind of list that you generally see (e.g. stop smoking, lose 5 kilos, be more kind, etc.). I’m actually making a list of what LSE students should do before and during Lent Term.
Before (for those of you who are coming back this week)
- Go back to work Yes, you heard me, the LSE library has been open since the 2nd of January, and you have no more excuses not to go back to work. I’m not saying you should work the entire day, but at least come by and stay for four hours. If you have essays due for the first weeks of Lent Term, this is the time to start working on them if you haven’t done so before. If not, you should still come to the library to re-adapt to the study rhythm you had during Michealmas Term and not feel completely overwhelmed with the amount of work you will have starting week 1.
During
- Exercise regularly The new student center (the Saw Swee Hock building) is now open. This means there is a new LSE gym available for you to go to now. Do not wait until you start gaining weight or feeling ill because you have been eating too many unhealthy foods, or because you start stressing out. Going to the gym on a regular basis (three times per week) is a way of preventing any psychological and physical catastrophes that may arise during Lent Term. Also, don’t tell yourself that you don’t have time to go to the gym: you know it’s not true. 1 hour workout = 1 hour on Facebook, except you’ll be more productive with your studying after exercising. Find a workout buddy: it’s always good to go to the gym with someone else, and it’s more motivating.
- Join the societies If you haven’t done so, you should join the “careers” societies. Not only will you meet other students that have the same career interests, but you will be able to attend interesting workshops that will prepare you to your new job and hopefully build your professional network.
- Work regularly I know, everyone hates the W-word now. Nevertheless, the library is open 24/7 this term, and that’s for a good reason. With essays coming up, exams and dissertations, our term is going to be packed with a large workload. As I said before, if you start working regularly and ahead of time, you’ll be able to manage your time and panic less. If the library is too packed don’t forget that you also have study rooms in your own departments, and WC2 as well as Covent Garden are wonderful places to go if you like studying in quiet coffee shops.
- Eat healthy food This one is hard, especially if you spend your whole day on campus. “How am I going to find the time to cook food?” you say. Well, here is my tip: you can either cook large amounts of food and then store it in your fridge/freezer and bring it onto campus later (there are microwaves!), you can eat on campus but try to avoid buying sandwiches, you can eat elsewhere (Fleet River Bakery is a good place to eat fresh and healthy food for instance), or remember that you can also order food.
- Chill out Yeah you heard me, chill out a bit! As we say “work hard, party hard”. We are human beings not robots, we need to have fun sometimes, and to think of something else than what is going on at LSE. The new student center will be hosting DJ’s every single Friday, what more can we ask for, right? It’s on campus! If you don’t like to go clubbing though, you can still go to a restaurant with some buddies or cook dinner at your place. Chilling out can also involve visiting art exhibitions, going to movie theatres, watching a musical, or exploring London for a couple of hours. You can also listen to the midday concerts in the Shaw Library if you are too lazy to go anywhere (and it’s free). Just remember: don’t forget not to talk about school during those precious moments.
Yours sincerely,
Marina x
