I was excited to welcome 2019 because I knew there are lots of incredible things waiting for me this year.
Despite the exams that haunted us for almost the whole month, I was glad I managed to pass this term. All of our units were assessed by two-hour unseen examinations. Honestly, it was quite stressful for me because I had to prepare for it when I was on holiday (the distractions were real!), but I was really grateful because our beloved university does care about our health!
During the exam period, there were various activities held daily around the campus. In the morning, I usually started my day with a mindfulness session, which was followed by breakfast time! Surprisingly, this 30-minute session made me calmer and relaxed, which in turn enabled me to study more effectively afterwards. When I felt that my brain was cramped and needed to distress myself, I often came to the Main Library in the afternoon because they had a relax and recharge session, where people meditated or even embraced their childhood memories by colouring papers, or playing Lego and playdoh. At the other time, I also joined dance class, which is a part of Sporticipate (another privilege that our university gives us!). By keeping myself balance, I hope I’ll achieve satisfactory marks in my exams.
Since the second semester started right after the exams finished, I refreshed myself by having a short escape. I went to Edinburgh and Glasgow over the weekend. 3 days were really not enough to stroll around this picturesque city! For those of you who love Harry Potter, I would recommend you to join the Harry Potter tour. The guide led us to directly witness the location from which J.K Rowling got the inspiration from when writing the world’s most famous wizards series. Even if you are not the die-hard fans, you would still enjoy the tour because the guide also told us the history of the city as well as interesting trivia. Another highlight of the trip was the Scottish parliament. It seemed like a high-school study tour destination, but somehow it was fun to experience how it feels to be a parliament member for a while and enjoy the architecture of the building (which turns out to have lots of symbols attached in it, and their respective stories). However, it was freezing and windy in Scotland, I guess that if I have another chance to visit it again, I’ll do it in summer. I was even literally blown by the wind when visiting Calton Hill.
Coming back to Manchester, I was ready for the second semester. We are lucky enough to be the first students to enjoy the new Alliance MBS building. It is modern and really spacious. It is really nice to have another option when the Learning Commons is way too packed. Additionally, the new cafes and restaurants in the University Green area are something that makes our student lives way more interesting! No need to get out of Oxford Road to find a cosy place to spend time in, now it is only a step away to casual after-class quality time with friends. Although people said that this semester would be more challenging, I am convinced that it will still be fun, just like the previous one!
