When I was in undergrad, I had the opportunity to study abroad. At the time, I was feeling really disconnected from my university, from my friends, and from myself. I was trying to be serious writer and also figure out who I wanted to be in a transsexual sense. So, I decided that I would study abroad to Hull, UKāthe Brits on this app will get itāand I had a seriously bad time.
Hull is quite small but somehow quite hard to get around. Philip Larking was so right when he said āIsolate city spread alongside water, / Posted with white towers, she keeps her face / Half turned toĀ Europe, lonely northern daughter, / Holding through centuries her separate place.ā
Andrew Marvel writing about Hull said āI by the river would complain.ā
Turns out, Iām not somebody who thrives in old and isolated cities. I am somebody who gets lonely and complains. (I also desperately needed to transition. ((Larkin might have been happier if he did too.)) I started drinking way too much, descended into an absolute wreck, spent every dollar I could outside of Hull and never attended class. I didnāt even finish out the year.
All of this is to say that if you know the things that make you happy are inaccessible in Morocco, you should study somewhere else.
Sep 28, 2024
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I worked full time for 2 years before i went to university, when at university i also had a student loan, which i'm paying back now. I saw numerous people who i went to university with drop out or become severely depressed due to financial struggle - DO NOT TAKE IT LIGHTLY, if you cannot afford it, figure it out before you commit to it.
As for where to go, look for places that are the best for your area of study AND for the quality of life in that area. I went to a university which was amazing for my field of study but beyond abysmal for everyday life. It made my 3 years very boring and tedious.
And finally, have fun. It's your first time living, take risks, try new things and talk to new people. It's all scary but then again, what isn't :)
Apr 13, 2025
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Experience new things and build your identity! I went seven hours away and it was great, not too far, but just far enough. New cultures, new people. Everyoneās advice so far is so so good. I just graduated and I wish I had switched schools to better apply to my major and studies. The better programs help a lot with job and internship finding. Overall, go somewhere that fits your vibe, but accentuates your goals annd aspirations!
Oct 31, 2024
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to be honest, I never thought I'd ever EVER go back to university, even for skill-based degrees. But here I am, in a country which speaks a completely different language and I'm still learning! Turns out there's always more. Obvious, but sometimes it takes doing to realise this. It has obviously, completely, joyfully, impacted my life. <3
Jun 20, 2024
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No screen Sundays. If I want to listen to music its CDs or radio. If I want to watch a movie, no I donāt. If I want to see a friend, I will make plans with them on Friday or Saturday to meet up. As a result, I read more, write more, and sit with questions like ādid Citizen Kaneās 50 year winning streak in the Sight and Sound critics choice survey end in 2012 or 2022? When did Stephen Merritt come out? Whats the etymology of Whitsun?ā
This is something that I have practiced off and on for many years but Iāve been doing it every week since December and I love the way that it just allows me one day of true freedom and rest.
Jan 22, 2025
Mar 3, 2025
My calendar this year has 52 of these week at a glance pages but I donāt think that way. So, I've been inspired by Ross Gayās Book of Delighs to start recording the little moments and sensations that bring me joy throughout the day. An analog pi.fyi, if you will.
heres some of what I have so far:
- Waking up to the sound of my upstairs neighborās footstep. It sounded nostalgic. Felt like company.
- Strawberry jam
- feeling tender for strangers: their lips, nail colors, their small wrists. Thinking of all the lives we hold gently.
- A young girl bought an LP at the bookstore just before I left. She stroked its cover with love
- Green tiles āthe mint shade always makes me think of Jancie
- Charlieās little bop and punch dancing to some German language punk
- lunch with Katherine, curry Brussels sprouts
- small talk at the photo studio. The photographer's brother was named after their dad, stole his identity, bought jet skis.
Jan 13, 2025