Hello everyone ! Like always, I hope you are doing amazing and will have a good time reading my adventures. For my part, midterms + tiredness have finally reached up to me and I have fallen a bit sick, but nothing a visit to the health center couldn’t fix (don’t worry, I have prescribed medication that will hopefully bring me back on my feet asap).
This strong cold did not arrive at the most opportune time since halloween weekend coincided with my friends visiting me in town !
Since in my home university, doing a year abroad is mandatory, we’re all spread against the world, but some of my closest friends are also in the US, so we take every opportunity to visit one another.
Having them with me was weird ; even though I still feel like I’m foreign to this city, to them, I was a local guiding them around. This dichotomy and double impression might be what I signed up for as an exchange student, and even though I don”t know how to feel about it yet, it has a fun component to it.
In addition to the weird/fun impression, my friends are studying respectively in Atlanta and Miami, way to the south compared to here, which means everything here felt almost like a different country. Seeing what is now my every environment through their eyes was so amusing.
“Philadelphia est tellement une ville d’automne “ (philly is such an fall coded city) – Neva from Miami/Paris
Maybe If you’re going/coming on a study abroad trip, you’ll have people visiting you, so here are my little tips for spending time with your visitors while still studying.
My first tip is for the days you have classes or study sessions planned ; you can actually fill a hole in your time table and a study break with a small visit. A campus tour might be appreciated so your visitors can visualize where you study, or Penn campus is also close and has beautiful historic buildings. I already wrote about my love of the powelton neighborhood//university city and all the houses with their porches, and highly recommend it as a staple of Philly that is often forgotten, and is quick and easily accessible if you’re in terrible need of studying. Especially in the fall, the leaves and trees look beautiful.
Another activity that can optimize your visitor’s experience while not messing up too much with your study schedule is to eat together ; if people often want to try the famous philly cheesecake (I haven’t yet since I’m vegetarian but if anyone knows where I can find a vegan version !), but you could also meet in Chinatown to grab a bite in one of the many delicious restaurants. Since you need to eat anyways (and I sure hope you’re eating even if you have too much studying to get done), you might as well do it in an essential part of Philly ! Another good spot could be the italian market, where I took my friends on saturday night, do not miss Anthony’s Italian Coffee house for delicious chocolate !
Finally, another idea ; go to a museum or a landmark that has a link with your studies ; that means you get to at least have a visit with your visitors while optimizing time since no knowledge is lost ! In French universities, we are always encouraged to explore our academic subjects outside the classrooms since not only we could get to see in action, but a random bit of knowledge could also be a “golden nugget” and make the difference between a good and an amazing paper !
This might be an excuse I used to go to the Independence hall (since you know Political Science) but also the American Jewish History Museum (History major as well !).
Am I actually helping you find excuses to visit instead of studying right now ??
To conclude, I would never tell you to sacrifice your studies or some time outside the library and classroom, a study abroad is a mix of the two, and one aspect should not make the other one disappear. So don’t forget to sometimes enjoy the city and country you’re in, it is such a privilege to be able to be far from home, and try to find a balance !
Talk to you next week !
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