Dear Reader,

As I write this, it is the end of my first term in my Master of Public Administration programme at the London School of Economics and Political Science. While the term has not been particularly easy, it was not quite as difficult as I expected going in (though I did end up making it more difficult for myself, as discussed more below). Here are 5 lessons learned from my first term at LSE.

1. Ground oneself

Something I wasn’t quite expecting when I left is how often I felt the urge to call friends from home. Even though I was (and still am) making loads of new friends, the moving across an ocean/going back to school combination hit me harder than I thought, and sometimes I just needed to talk to people who had been my friends since I was 6. This helped me ground myself back to earth (aka be reminded of all the times in the past I swore I failed an assignment and then didn’t).

2. Reach out to others

Seriously, if you are having problems, talk to someone. A friend, family member, even a professor. Professors cannot help you if you do not let them know, and in my experience they are very understanding of health issues.

3. Know when to stop working

I am really good at making myself crazy with work, often to the point where I end up doing more harm than good. As a result, I’ve almost burned myself out this semester (it is one thing to know one just needs to pass, it is another to internalise it). I am slowly learning how to let go and say I am done, this assignment is enough (even if there is still time left in the deadline).

4. Give yourself time to relax

Whether it’s completely vegging out, exploring a new part of the UK, or just going to dinner or for drinks with friends, time away from my laptop has been one of the most important parts of my time at LSE. Next term, I am definitely making more time to go exploring.

5. Explore London more

As mentioned above, I love finding new places, and trying new things has been one of my favourite things to do this term. Give yourself time to explore all the city has to offer! I have quite the list of places I want to get to, and  am definitely making a dent in that list over winter break and next term.