First term is over, and it’s definitely not been what I expected. It’s been a lot more tiring, stressful and trying than I’d thought. Living away from home and my family has been difficult, I’m not going to lie and say it’s been easy. The work has really piled on and it’s definitely not going to lighten up any time soon. All that being said, this term has also probably been the most interesting and exciting few weeks of my life. My comfort zone has been tested almost daily, and I’ve never experienced so many new things in such rapid succession.
From nights out in a city with more clubs than you could ever count, to meeting people from literally every corner of the world, you could never have had an experience like this anywhere else. Everything in London is like normal life but with the volume turned way up. Yes, sometimes it’ll give you a headache and you’ll need to shut yourself in your room for a while, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not worth doing. As a geography student, the culture and people in London have widened my outlook in a way that I’d never expected. So far, London is the best and the worst place to be a student, and I’d choose to study here every time.
LSE at Christmas
London at Christmas time is well known for many things, namely its extravagant decorations and ruthless shoppers, all trying to fit in that last minute haul. After December 1st, I made it a general rule not to venture far into the tourist areas of central London, for fear of being swept up in the hoards of bedraggled shoppers.
I didn’t spend the holiday at Bankside, but the build up to the holiday alone was enough to make me feel incredibly excited for, and at the same time very tired of Christmas. London in full festive swing was all a little overwhelming; you may remember that I’m from a small village, and the extra waves of people crowding the streets made December all round stressful.
Despite this, I did manage to see some of the amazing Christmas sights before heading home for the big day. The tree being lit in Trafalgar Square while carols were sung got things off to a traditional start, and although Boris didn’t make an appearance (gutted), it was rousing to see so many people gather for the event. I also visited Covent Garden and Regents Street, both of which put my attempts at decorating to shame. Festivities also spread all around campus, with carols, free mince pies and a ‘Winter Wonderland’ night at Saucy. Bankside decked the halls, and served up a festive, albeit unconventional, Christmas banquet.
Looking Forward
The new term is bound to bring all kinds of new challenges. It’s going to be even more full on, as LSE 100 lectures kick in and final deadlines start approaching. In spite of this, I have a lot to look forward to this term; I have gig tickets and theatre trips, as well as hopefully a trip to Paris on the horizon, all of which I’m sure I’ll post about throughout the next few months.
