So this past week was the start of my classes. Since it’s been four years since I graduated from university, I thought I would share my experience with adjusting again to school life, not to mention adjusting to school life in a different country.

Maybe a bit surprisingly, even though I’m attending school in a different country, it doesn’t feel all that unsimilar. The setup of the course and the workloads seem to be similar to what I am used to from undergrad.

Although as I’m in a publishing course, I’ve noticed that there are well-known children’s books or authors that everyone seems to recognize that I’ve never heard of before. It’s interesting to see the cultural significance some books or authors have that never transferred to the U.S. Whenever we look at data as well, a lot of it is centered around U.K. audiences when obviously I am used to it being U.S. centered instead.

Overall, now that classes have started, I am a bit relieved that it feels comfortable to fit into the role of being a student again. I thought that I would be too far removed from it, but that’s not the case. Since I also took a longer break after undergrad before starting this program, I also thought that I would be the oldest person in the class, but that’s not true either!

And maybe it’s because I really enjoyed being a student before, but I am looking forward to learning more about the publishing industry and having hands-on projects. Since I am still working over 30 hours a week, I am a bit nervous about my time management, but I think I will be able to adjust.

Other than that, I am also adjusting to life outside my classes. I’ve made a few friends and am taking fitness classes at the sports centre on campus. I’ve yet to travel outside the city yet, but hopefully I can do that soon!

Thanks for reading! Stay safe and stay happy!