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Study Abroad Diaries: Second Half of the Semester Begins

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at NYU chapter.

It is a well-accepted fact that the second half of the semester is bound to be more hectic than the first, no matter where you study. In each semester you have your bad months, filled with midterms, papers, and finals, and ā€˜easierā€™ months. In the fall, September and November are relatively calmer than October and December. Similarly in the spring, February and April are manageable while March and May are crazy. Right now we are in April, the ā€˜calm-before-the-stormā€™ month. Looking at my schedule in May, I realize I better enjoy and take advantage of this ā€˜calmerā€™ month before I become chained to my desk.

So, London, these next three weeks are probably going to be the best ones we ever spend together.

With that being said, this past week has been great! NYU in London gives their students two weeks for break which, of course, means more time to relax and get school work done. The first week I spent with my parents traveling around London andĀ Dublin. This week, however, I returned to London and spent the last week exploring the city by myself. Sure it sounds depressing, but in reality, being alone was actually very relaxing and calming. I was able to get some school work done as well as get lost on three hour walking adventures by myself enjoying the warmer weather. I walked up my street far enough to realize there is a Chipotle fifteen minutes away. Naturally, I had to go in and try a chicken burrito–yes it was good and yes they serve margaritas. The next day I took a different route, exploring St. Pancras Kings Cross station and found the really cool chain restaurant ITSU, which serves delicious healthy vegetable dumplings, sushi, and noodle bowls.

The weather has been so unpredictable here. On Monday it was fifty degrees and sunshine–the sunshine, of course, being very rare. Tuesday it was cloudy, thirty degrees, and snowing. Iā€™m a bit worried, since I switched out some of my winter clothes for spring and summer dresses when my parents were here. Iā€™m really hoping it becomes consistently warmer soon otherwise I will be trudging in the rain and snow in my flip flops.

Towards the end of the week, I was getting a bit lonely, which is why I am so excited to have my friends back in town to party and go out with. A bunch of my friends jetted off in different directions–Italy, Hungary, Spain, Greece, and France were among the most common vacation spots. I canā€™t wait to hear about their adventures and see pictures!

It is getting harder to remain focused on school when all I want to do is travel and explore the city. A part of me wants to return to the old school and work routine. I am now realizing that sadly I have only seven weeks left in this beautiful place.

My main goal: enjoy every moment of this incredible city and experience. Ā 

Kayla is an NYU senior majoring in journalism and history. She joined the Her Campus NYU (HCNYU) team in 2013 as a study abroad blogger and is now the site's Love and Relationships Editor. Along with being an editor for HCNYU, Kayla is a web editorial intern for Redbook magazine. She has contributed to and interned in the past with Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, Square Meal, Washington Square News, and Sumo Skinny. When Kayla isn't writing for HCNYU, she is working on her blog or drooling over her wall of Harry Styles pictures. Follow Kayla on Twitter: @ksk316 Read Kayla's blog: http://lovewriteeat.blogspot.com/
Stephanie is in the class of 2014 at New York University studying Journalism and Dramatic Writing. She is currently a production intern at NBC News, after previously interning at ABC News. In addition to being the Campus Correspondent for Her Campus NYU, she is also an entertainment and lifestyle blogger for Seventeen Magazine and a contributing writer for USA TODAY and The Huffington Post, as well as a member of the MTV Insights team. Stephanie loves Broadway and performing in musical theatre, as well as shopping, singing, and playing the piano. Follow her NYC adventures on Twitter at @StephanieJBeach.