City University London
Student Blogs

Tag Archive: London

1. 2012/13: A very brief retrospective.

   21/06/2013 11:37 am Leave a Comment

   Some girls like shoes and handbags.  Some girls like diamonds.  I like stationery.  I’m very excited at the moment because I’m about to purchase a new academic year diary.  This does beg the question, however, of what has happened to 2012/13.   I’m pretty sure it’s only been a week or two since I got to City.  On the other hand, Christmas must have been about fifty years ago.

   In a bit to preserve whatever sense of time I have left, here are my top five best and worst bits about the year:

   Worst:
   Money (lack of).  The time I had a cold but couldn’t afford to buy Lemsip – that was a bad day.
   Time (lack of).  Babies have been born, lives have been changed, the average day remains fixed at 24 hours.  To compensate, I’ve been filling myself with coffee and eyedrops at my desk for several months.
   Weather (excess of).  When my grandchildren complain about the cold, I will say “ah, now 2012/13 was a winter.  Not like these winters you get now.”  They will roll their eyes and groan, but we know the truth…
   Public sector cuts.  I’d like to work in a hospital when I qualify, but at this rate there’ll be none left.  The whole thing is really sad and also quite scary.
   The tube.  Self-explanatory.

   Best:
   Geekery.  Now that I’m about thirty, I don’t have to act embarrassed about how I find learning really exciting.  Which is nice.
   People.  I hadn’t expected to make friends while studying, but actually I’ve met some excellent people and I feel very fortunate to know them.  I don’t think I could do this without social support, especially the kind that happens at…
   Happy hour in Saddlers.  I would also like to give a shout out to the microwave there.  It made the winter more bearable.
   London.  It’s got everything.  I do like living in a holiday destination.  And actually you can do quite a lot for cheap or free, if you hunt around a bit.
   Clinical Placement.  This is basically Applied Geekery.  It’s the hardest thing I have ever done in my whole life and I love it.

   Just think, all I have to do is do this all again, and then I’ll be qualified!

2. Roman Holiday

   09/04/2013 10:09 am Leave a Comment

   Hi everyone! Long time no talk, huh? What have you all been up to? I haven’t been doing much, but here’s a little update….

   My first year at City is soon coming to a close (once all my coursework is handed in next week, I’ll be finished apart from my French exam in May) and even though I’m excited to cross the Atlantic, sleep in my own bed, and see my friends, I know as soon as I land I’ll be itching to come back to London. I’ve learned so much already and the more time I spend here, the more I see that the somewhat “drastic” decision to move here alone was definitely the right one (that sentence has awful grammar and for this I apologize). I’ve done so much here that I wouldn’t have been able to do at an American university, and not just in the classroom! A few weeks ago, I went to Rome for the weekend and I can truly say it’s one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever seen. The best part was that because my flatmate/BFF (HI FLAMINIA!!!) is from Rome, I got to see the city not as a tourist, but as a local. I did of course visit countless museums, but the most eye-opening parts were when I was walking around the nooks and crannies of Rome, seeing what my life would be like if I actually lived there. I guess that’s been one of the best bits about my life in London this year; I haven’t been on the London Eye or taken a photo next to Big Ben, but I have gained a deeper understanding of the city. I guess I can’t call myself a Londoner yet, but surely I must be on my way…. 🙂

   As for the summer…. what are your plans?! PS- If anyone knows of any internships in New York this summer, HOLLA AT YO GURL. I will be eternally grateful.

   Veronika x