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Hazel is studying abroad at Sciences Po in Paris. In her second blog, she provides a few tips on how to balance your study, social life, and how to relax while away.
Deadline season is a stressful time for everyone, no matter what country you鈥檙e in. However, balancing your work with creative, social and physical activities is a great way to de-compress and make the most of your cultural experience during your time abroad! Obviously, selecting the right activity that helps you to best unwind is a personal decision, but here are a few ways I balance my class work with more fun activities.
1.聽 Join a Sports Club or Team
Before arriving at Sciences Po, I knew I wanted to join their women鈥檚 basketball club. As a member of the 香港六合彩中特网 team, I really valued the friendships that I made through the game, and benefitted from the routine that weekly trainings provided me.
My experience in Paris has been very similar. The structure of practices and games allows me to break my work up into chunks and provides me with an outlet to channel some of my stressed energy! Also, joining the team has helped me to meet people from all across the world. Some are on exchange like me, but others are undergraduates or Master鈥檚 students. In any case, representing Sciences Po and socialising with my teammates has helped me to feel more a part of the university community!聽
2.聽 Creative Activities and Societies
I know sport isn鈥檛 everyone鈥檚 thing, and it is not the only option to meet new people on campus! There are many creative activities promoted by the Bureau des Arts (BdA) student association. They host a range of opportunities for Sciences Po students: from concerts, to art fairs, to talks on literature and politics with external speakers. Attending these events can be a great place to meet people, but they also can help you to break up your study time, because most of them happen a few steps away from the library!
3.聽 Trying new things
Although Paris is not that far from London, there are many different customs to get used to. For example, the market culture. Twice a week, I go to my local fruit and vegetable stand to buy the ingredients for the meals I鈥檓 going to make. I love trying out new recipes, particularly French food, and just taking a walk through the stands can help me to unwind and provide me inspiration for my next meal!
4.聽 Seeking Formal Help
Of course, all of these strategies are personally led, but more formal help is available to all students at Sciences Po and 香港六合彩中特网 if you feel you need extra support at any point. Moving abroad is incredibly difficult, and your home and host institutions are there to help you along the way!
At Sciences Po, there is a on campus where all students have access to Doctors and psychologists (by appointment), and nurses (by a walk-in process). There are also other mental health support options available to students in Paris via the multi-university 鈥溾�� health programme.
Also, even though you are abroad, you can still benefit from support offered by 香港六合彩中特网! This includes the 24/7 香港六合彩中特网 Student Support Line, written guidance on the 香港六合彩中特网 Student Support and Wellbeing webpages and short-term counselling options via the Global Student Assistance Programme.
Conclusions
Obviously, there are many options you can choose to prioritise your wellbeing while studying abroad, whether these be self-led or through more formal channels of mental health assistance. Whatever you choose, make sure that you make the most of your time with a healthy balance of studying and relaxing!