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By maxikaplan

As I’m about half way through my second semester here at LSE, I’m surprisingly still not running out of things to do, which makes me think that this would not be such a terrible city to live in. This past weekend, while I should have been writing essays before I take off for Prague next week, I took my second visit to Borough Market, one of London’s most famous. What makes Borough market incredible isn’t just its size, but it’s variety—after a two hour trip there I came home with cheeses from France and Parma, and two burgers for dinner: one from a camel, one from a zebra. In between my walking around I took a shot of wheat grass, which is essentially juice made from grass, and incidentally one of the worst tasting drinks known to man. The best part of this Saturday excursion was that I came back to the north side of the Thames not to finish schoolwork, but to stay out with a mix of friends from home and abroad at different pubs. It often feels like after having been here for five months that I am nearly living in a dream.

One of the advantages to being at LSE for the year is being able to really understand how the flow of schoolwork here functions. Taking this understanding to then take a week off from class to travel to Budapest and Prague is probably one of the better strategies of tackling work that I’ve used. Although this sounds like I am missing out on the academic experience at LSE, all classes are fortunately recorded online and I will not miss a thing while I am gone. To any sophomores who might be reading this blog thinking of applying to LSE, I could not recommend it more. This Friday I will be going to the Royal Opera House to see a world famous opera production, and tomorrow night I am going to a public lecture by one of my own class teachers about the merits of Bitcoin. This is truly a unique experience that is both academically stimulating and, not to sound cliché, but fun.

This fun is intermitted by periods of very high levels of work unfortunately, and it is time that I go to finish that work before my week off. GW is sponsoring the trip that I and the other students will be taking on Friday to the opera, and I owe them a big thanks for that, since I am especially excited for it. I will check in next week right before I take off for my travels. Talk to you soon!

By maxikaplan

I must admit that I did not think there would be anywhere close to enough variability in my life here in London that would keep my blog interesting for 9 months. Fortunately, it turns out that there’s a lot to do and a lot left to be done after my first 5, but studying at LSE makes it all a bit more challenging. With exams around the corner—by which I mean in four months—most students begin studying at the end of March for their exams in June considering the amount of material we absorb during the year. I think the intensity of the schoolwork here is fairly different from the typical study abroad experience, and I’m conflicted in how I feel about this. I do know that the more I dwell on it, the worse I’ll actually perceive it to be, so for now I am trying to maximize work time with everything else there is to be doing, and it’s turning out to be quite an experiment.

In this past week alone I went to see Henry V with Jude Law (Thanks, GW), help move in my friends to London who are just beginning their semester here, attempt to bungee jump, all while trying to finish my pile of readings for my classes as well. The best part? Seeing Henry V, not only for the incredible performance by Jude Law, but also because it was great to see the 30 or so GW students who came in addition to my friends from GW at LSE. It is an unusual feeling to see people’s faces in a theater in London who you are used to seeing only around campus in DC, but it’s oddly comforting too to know that you aren’t really alone wherever you are. It was like an unexpected mini-reunion. The worst part of the week? Bungee jumping. Unfortunately, the rain and wind in London doesn’t exactly make for ideal bungee jumping conditions, so what I paid 50 pounds for was promptly cancelled and rescheduled. On the bright side, we went an hour and a half outside of London and into the countryside, and ended up exploring the city of Maidenhead. If you ever get the chance to come to London, don’t go to Maidenhead. People are always saying places that you must go to when you travel, but luckily Maidenhead is just not one of those places, and likely never will be. But if you do find yourself stuck in Maidenhead, there are plenty of dilapidated pubs that my friends and I went to where you can ease the pain a bit.

If I can remember as far back as a week ago, I mentioned that the structure of my blogs would change a bit from last term. I hope I’m achieving something similar to that idea here by chronicling my experiences a bit more. I will check in next week to see what this beautiful week 3 of Lent Term at LSE has to bring me.

By maxikaplan

Around this time four months ago I began writing my first blog post for GW, and this semester I’m lucky enough to get to do it again. For those who didn’t read my previous postings, I’m studying at the London School of Economics for my junior year, which means I get the pleasure of staying in this great city for approximately nine months. My previous blog, embarrassingly enough, read as more of a diary than a list of new experiences or places I’ve visited, and I do hope to make this one slightly more contextual. With that in mind, I thought it would be best to kick off my first post by talking a bit about the traveling I did throughout my 4 weeks winter break.

Since I wouldn’t be starting my traveling until the second week of my vacation, I spent the first mostly catching up on work I needed to do. At LSE, the incentives for getting work done during the year are close to none: your only grade throughout the entire year comes down to one final exam. After getting done what needed to be done, I took off for Paris with two of my good friends at school, both of whom find great pleasure in ridiculing me for the contents of this blog. This was, by far, my favorite vacation I had ever taken, because our plan was to have no plan, and it couldn’t have worked out better. When you don’t plan things like this, anything can happen, and our adventure included five cities: Paris, Brussels, Brugge, Berlin, and Dublin.

Although Paris was by far my favorite city, we got locked inside of a government building in Brussels, nearly hit by fireworks on New Years in Berlin, and ate some of the best chocolate of our lives in Brugge. This vacation did, unfortunately, hit pretty steeply into my wallet, but I don’t think I will ever in my life regret enjoying those three weeks to the fullest, because it is truly a once in a lifetime experience. Without going into every detail of the trip, it was, in short, a fantastic time. But what I look forward to even more is the next trip I’ll be taking in March through LSE: hitchhiking from London to Croatia. Totaling one week, with three days to get there and another three in Zagreb, this “vacation” is actually a charity event, where teams of three raise money and compete to see who can arrive in Zagreb first.

This semester is going to be a great one, especially since many of my close friends from GW will be joining me to study in London for their study abroad. This week, however, is shaping up to be one of a lot of reading and finance problem sets. Once I finish all of those, and bungee jump on Saturday, I will get back to you this time next week.

By maxikaplan

I cannot complain: Friday was the last week of class for my first term (what LSE calls Michaelmas term) and, as luck would have it, I have four weeks of vacation.  I should say that this isn’t a complete vacation since LSE does expect students to study and review throughout the break, but it is as much of a vacation as I could ask for.  If going to Paris, Berlin, Brussels and Dublin isn’t a vacation, I don’t know what is.

Within the last week or two I have seen a few friends I made in London actually leave to go home because their study abroad was for only one semester.  This made me realize two things.  First was that I have only been in London for two and a half months, which means I have much more to experience here than what I have seen thus far.  Second, I could not believe how fast time had gone by, and how lucky I am to have the opportunity to stay in London all the way until June.  In just a few months this city does feel somewhat like a new home to me, and leaving here will be just as hard as it was to leave GW and my family in New Jersey.  But I have been reminded lately that senior year is closer than it seems as I start to find places for my friends and I to live when I am back.  With all this talk of the future, let’s talk about what’s going on now.

I will not be leaving for Paris—the first leg of my trip—until a week from today, which means that I have a week to myself in London to read up on class material while exploring parts of London I have yet to see.  Thankfully, this came on Saturday in the form of what is called Santacon, a worldwide event where thousands of people in different cities dress as Santa Claus and essentially have one big party in the city center.  Unfortunately, this week will actually be a bit quieter since some of my friends have headed home for their vacation, but nonetheless I will take some time to go to museums I haven’t been to and finally see Les Miserables, which my uncle bought me a ticket to.  I’ve taken this weekend to digest my school work—that is, not do any at all—and reflect on my time here in London so far, and I’ve really come to see how much I have to stop and appreciate what is going on since it is all happening so fast.  Everybody I speak to always tells me to enjoy my time abroad because it will not be here forever, and there is no truer a statement.

My next blog post will be written for the first time ever outside of London!  It will be my last post and I think that is a great way to end what has been a great experience in writing down my time here.

By maxikaplan

There is good news and there is bad news. I'll start with the bad: this is my last blog post. But, the good news is that I will be writing a second blog through GW for my next semester at LSE as well. I am thankful that I don't have to say goodbye to you all yet, and that as I write this from Paris that I can continue to give my readers the inside scoop of study abroad. This isn't a post about how fabulous study abroad is and how it has changed my life, but since I have the chance to I thought I would say a few words about the small things I've learned over the past few months.

First, and probably most important to me, is the idea of getting out of your comfort zone. Whether in class, in school, or at an internship, getting uncomfortable provides opportunities for me that l would have never known existed. Coming to LSE for a year was something I knew would put me out of my comfort zone, and so far so good. No harm done.

Second, I don't know where I would be in my study abroad experience and life in general if I hadn't learned to accept and always meet new people. I generally find two types of people when it comes to this though; there are those who willingly put themselves out there to seek new friends, and those who stay on the sidelines and make excuses not to go out, talk to the student next to you, etc. I personally have seen both sides of this coin myself, and I can tell you that being the former person and not the latter will help you in ways you can't imagine.

My time in Paris thus far might be what has me worked up about all of this, but since I am on vacation I think these ideas are really just beginning to hit me. I hope they one day hit you too. For now, that is all, readers, and I will get back to you in January when I start writing again. Happy New Year!

By maxikaplan

A funny thing happened this week when I made a presentation in my Economic History of Britain class.  My topic would not have been quite as intimidating were it not for the fact that I was speaking to a class of students primarily from Britain about why their motor industry had failed.  To make matters worse, the state of the motor industry in the U.S. was needed as a comparison.  And if that was not enough to make me watch my words, the president of the Economic History society at London School of Economics was in my class as well, ready to pick apart any flaw in my argument.

I was not too worried, however, about the reasoning behind my presentation because I thought that it was sound, and if I could back it up with facts then I knew it could not turn out too bad.  What struck me as difficult was trying to maintain my audience’s trust without being too partial towards the success of the US and the failure of Britain’s industries.  That is when I realized that the challenge of walking such a fine line is never an easy task but that it comes up incredibly often in life, and that LSE was, at least, preparing me for these situations that I’ll have to face at some point in the future.  I’m thankful towards LSE for moments like this, even if it causes me quite a bit of stress.

After the week kicked off on that unusual note, I made a point to do more of what I have been guilty of not doing lately: seeing London.  This is an especially busy time of year at school, and with a few interviews coming up I looked towards these excuses as a way to justify my lack of travel, but in the end we never really are satisfied with excuses.  So I made my way with a friend to the northern part of London, which didn’t require much planning considering it was only a 20 minute bus ride away.  But London can certainly amaze by how different sections of its city are that are so close-by to each other.  With work building up it is always hard to remember to appreciate the city and my experience here in general, and each time I go for these mini-excursions I realize how much there is to appreciate.  Our trip turned out to be an interesting night, culminating somehow at a jazz club that was incredible.

Thanksgiving is coming up, which means my next two weeks, and therefore my next two blog posts, should be particularly interesting.  My brother is coming to visit me who studies in Austria, so I will have much to report.  For now, it is back to work.

By maxikaplan

With my family visiting this weekend for what was dubbed “Thanksgivvukah,” I had no choice but to explore London, despite my workload.  And, frankly, I am happy that I put off some work this weekend to spend time with my family and with London, because it had been too long since I adventured around.  One of the perks of family visits is, of course, the meals you get to eat, and I was lucky enough to get a taste of some of London’s best food and museums this weekend.  The combination of my family and my friends visiting from home shaped this weekend quite perfectly.

If I can think back as far as last Sunday, I probably wrote in my blog about worrying how I would manage my time between preparing for this interview I have next Friday, my school work, and my family visiting.  What I learned is, in short: don’t waste time.  The little amount of time that I had to myself this weekend I spent studying and preparing for my interview, and although I would have preferred to spend it at a pub or with my friends, it was worth it.  I was able to get just enough work done to keep my stress level down and enjoy the events my family was taking me to.  I suppose things like this happen quite often in every day life, but for some reason this time was particularly eye opening.  It might have been because this interview is so important to me, but either way I definitely learnt what it means to use your time wisely.

With all my complaining out of the way, I should probably mention the museum’s I visited and places I ate.  First off, ox cheek is apparently something that can be eaten and digested, and it is incredible.  Secondly, apparently espresso can go on top of vanilla ice cream, which can definitely be digested, and which tastes amazing.  These foods I discovered in neighborhoods in London that I didn’t know existed until my family took me there—yet again one of the perks of family visits.  As far as museum’s go, we took a trip to the National Portrait Gallery to see an exhibit of artists that painted in Vienna around 1900.  This worked out well for my family, since my brother currently lives in Vienna and I visited there this time last year.  All in all, a great experience.

Next weekend I am in New York, but do not fret, reader--I will write as usual.

By maxikaplan

One 45-minute drive to the Heathrow airport, two cups of coffee, and 8 hours flying gone by, I arrive in Newark, New Jersey on Wednesday morning for an interview I have on Friday.  I could be wrong, but this isn’t what I had in mind when I pictured studying “abroad.”  Two days later, on Friday night, I forget about the schoolwork I should be doing as I receive an offer for the internship I had interviewed for.  With that, my stress level plummets, and I am now free to enjoy the next 6 months of my study abroad experience to the fullest.

This is all well and good, except it is now December 9th, and I can’t seem to remember where the last 2 and a half months have gone.  With the amount of time I spent preparing for this interview and stressing about it as well, I was really taking away from the time I should have been spending enjoying London.  But I cannot change the past—at least not yet—and I have only one goal for the rest of my time abroad now: enjoy it as much as possible.  Luckily, I’ll have the chance to do this when I travel in two weeks time to Paris, Belgium, Berlin, and Dublin, where I will be sure to make up for lost fun over the past couple months.   I suppose the main takeaway from this whole experience is that hard work does payoff, but that you cannot forget to enjoy the journey along the way.  If that sounds cliché, it’s because my jetlag has me awake for the past 30 hours, but I digress.

If I have my timing right, I believe I have only another two blog posts left, which means that my next two posts will be extra interesting.  The general theme throughout my blogs has been more of a take-it-as-it-comes approach as opposed to an overview of my travel experiences, or lack thereof, so I am shooting to make my next two posts more holistic in nature.  It will be interesting to compile all of the things that I have learnt thus far into two concise posts.  And, in addition, I will be able to write about what life in London is like without the added weight that my interview stress had put on me.  I am truly looking forward to that.  For now, this abbreviated post is all that my tired brain can write, but I hope it captured for you how study abroad can take random twists and turns that you do not ever expect before traveling—which in my case meant less  “abroad” and more home than I expected.

By maxikaplan

Sometime studying abroad can feel like you are in your own world with all those new experiences thrown at you.  But not going to the gym for two weeks, or not maintaining your daily routines and rituals as you would at home, will quickly bring you back to reality.  I had the unfortunate experience of knowing how this feels, but the pendulum has swung the other way now, and I am have luckily gotten back on track.  I wouldn't be surprised if there is another post similar to this about how to keep your routines in check while traveling, but I would like to share my own philosophies on this topic nonetheless.

Rule #1: Do what you would do with (most) of your daily routine as you would at home.  If you are a runner, don’t be afraid to run in your city, just be careful when you do since the streets here can be a little messy, especially when, you know, they drive on the other side of the road.  I didn’t get around to putting my running shoes on and touring the city until my second week here, and I wish I had done it sooner because it gives you an entirely fresh perspective on the layout of your city, and what the different neighborhood are like.  The only reason I say “most” of your daily routines is just to be aware to not do anything “culturally unacceptable” as you might back home.

Rule #2: Sleep.  I don’t need to elaborate on this too much, since it’s relatively similar to how you would do it at home, but I see a lot of students here who still try to operate on 5 hours a night.  Traveling can take a lot out of you—get those ~8 hours.

Rule #3: Eat out.  I find myself trying to save too much of my own money by not eating, when in reality it is most definitely worth the time to treat yourself right and take friends with you to eat at a new restaurant.  This is your new home, and you should be trying out new restaurants the same way you would as if you were living here for the next few years.

Rule #4: This is more of a personal routine, but put your camera down occasionally.  I promise that you will remember the sights you see for the rest of your life if they are truly worth remembering.  Sometimes a phone camera in front of your face can take away from the true value of what you’re seeing.

These tips might sound a bit abrasive, but they have done me so much good for me here thus far.  Joining the gym has begun to take the place of running for me as it begins to get colder out, but maintaining mental and physical health is just as important abroad as it is at home.  Take care of yourself.

By maxikaplan

This week is hitting like a ton of bricks.  Unfortunately, there is no thanksgiving break in London (surprise), which means that on top of my family coming to visit I have a regular week of reading and schoolwork.  As an added bonus, I will also be traveling to the good ol’ US of A in a week and a half for an interview that I have in New York.  If there were ever a question of how well I can prioritize my time, this week will certainly answer that for me.  Nonetheless, I am very excited for the coming weeks.

My brother, who is studying for his PhD in Vienna, Austria, will be coming to stay with me this week, and my aunt and uncle are arriving a day afterwards to spend the weekend with us.  Although my parents weren’t able to make it for thanksgiving this year, I really could not have asked for a better group of people to spend my time with.  And since they all are arriving the day after thanksgiving, a friend of mine from GW is taking me to thanksgiving dinner with her family—definitely something to be thankful for.  Ten years from now, when I think about all my thanksgiving dinners that I’ve been to over the years, I suspect this year will rank quite highly on my list.

In light of all of this, my stress level is not down, but up, mostly due to me wondering how my time with my family and friends will be balanced between my schoolwork and interview preparation.  I’ve come to realize that the more I stress myself out about these things, the less I get done and the more things I get done incorrectly.  I know that it may sound counterintuitive, but taking the time off to look at your work and your daily routine objectively, is, for me at least, one of the best ways to actually get work done, especially while studying abroad.  The more time I spend with my friends talking about things other than school, the better I focus.  And the more time I spend thinking about things other than my interview, the harder I study for it after I finish relaxing.  Since I’ve come to London I’ve learned that not letting stress overwhelm you is critical to succeeding in anything.  I wrote a previous post titled ‘Stepping Up to the Plate’, and that one reinforces this theme quite well.

With all of that being said, it’s not a question of whether or not I will make it through the next few weeks; it is really only a question of how.  Everything else is, as they say, rubbish.  I would expect an interesting post for next week, and I look forward to writing that one.  Happy Turkey Day ya’ll.