The first term came to an end and it was the best time of the year, the holiday season! As the Christmas break started, like everyone, I was eager to visit home. Most of my friends had already left; some went home while others went for vacation. I had made my plans to travel after a week to experience the holidays here. Going back home and meeting my parents after 3 months was amazing but the thought of final exams right after reopening of school kept bugging me. I had prepared a strict schedule allocating sufficient time to study but also be able to enjoy at the same time. That never happened! I couldn’t actually study as much as I had planned – but it was worth it!

I went to Tucson, Arizona to visit my parents. Tucson is a beautiful city with unique weather. The combination of two completely different climate makes you fall in love with the place. Arizona is known for being a desert and for many different types of Cacti it has. An interesting fact that I recently learnt about a Cactus is that it grows its first arm after 75-100 years. So next time you see a cactus with 4 arms, you know it’s almost 400 years old!

This photograph below is what I captured during this trip, mountains covered in snow, the desert with cacti all around; mesmerizing scene!

All the fun aside, I knew it would be tough when I returned to Surrey as I only had one week to prepare for four modules. Challenging, yet exciting!

So I took on the challenge and that’s when I realised how valuable our library is. Spending 17 hours a day here weren’t easy, but the resources available here to help you prepare kept me going.  My routine was such that I would get home really late, or early, whatever you think 4 am is and it would be impossible to prepare food at that hour. This is where the Surrey Shop was a blessing. Always had fresh salads and delicious sandwiches which would be a good reason to step away from the books for a quick break.

I spent a lot of time in the individual study and group discussion areas. Booking a group room was literally one click away and me and my group made the most of it.

And then came the exams…umm, let’s just skip that part!!

Term 2 is about to begin, which means I’m half way through already! Time really did fly. I remember the orientation week as if it was just yesterday. Surely a great experience so far and am excited to see what the coming months have to offer! If you are looking to start your bachelors/masters degree this September and still unsure, University of Surrey has to be it!

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