Midterms – Anxiety Abroad – Fund for Education Abroad

It has been a while since I posted, my studies have kept me quite busy this semester! We just concluded midterms a short time ago, and boy was it a wild ride.

Time management is an ongoing skill that I have to learn and be flexible with. The combination of homework, making my own meals, working my internship, attending classes, and new adventures is a lot to balance, especially in a new country and culture.

This for me comes with a whole bucket of anxiety. How will I get it all done? Is my GPA high enough? Am I getting the most out of being abroad?

The last question hits me the hardest. I strive to do everything, and I mean everything. I want to go on every hike, every movie night, every literary review, every night at the pub. This semester I have strived to find balance between everything I want to do, and everything I need to do. And it wasn’t without hiccups. I had some assignments I had to turn in late, and some hikes I had to miss in order to do homework.

While trying to sort out a more balanced schedule, it’s important to find support. For me, I found support in calling my parents, and in talking with my fellow students abroad. Turns out, everyone experiences similar anxieties about balancing their lives! And they often have the best advice, because they have gone through the same thing.

I have had to come to terms with a tough truth: I actually cannot do everything. As much as I want to, it’s just not possible, nor is it healthy to stretch myself so thin! What I have learned is that I need to be smart and respectful with my own time. I need to choose which activities will bring me the most joy, and balance them with time to get my work done. Even though I will miss some adventures, being fully present without anxiety about looming homework due dates, makes those adventures I do choose to go on, all the more enjoyable.

Pictured are myself and my roommates on a walk to catch the bus in Letterfrack, and the view from one of my hikes along the sea.