What I learned from getting sick while studying abroad in London

Getting sick while studying abroad can happen to anyone. One of our student bloggers, Carly Neduscin, shares what she learned from getting sick while studying abroad in London:

“It happened to me. I got sick studying abroad in London. Take it from a girl who was bed-ridden for a week, being sick on your study abroad programme is not fun. However, the experience taught me a lot about how to deal with being sick when your far away from home.

Time flies by – make the most of it!

If I learned one thing from my short illness it would be that the semester flies by. I’d spent a week in bed and suddenly I was a week nearer to going home. Being sick made me realise that I needed to make the most of the time I had left. For example, I took a day trip to the Tower of London as soon as I was feeling better. Getting outside in the sun was a welcome sight after spending a week being trapped in my room. I was so happy to be making the most of my time again. I tried some new street food and listened to beautiful street music. Sat by the Thames with my two friends laughing, dancing and breathing in the world around me I realised that this was the happiest I had been in a week and I was so happy to be making the most of my time on the program.

Stay ahead of school work

One of the biggest things that being sick while studying abroad has taught me is that you need to stay ahead – or at least on top of – your school work. Before I could make up for all the time I had lost to explore London, I had to catch up on all the school work that I had missed. We had midterms and it took me another week to catch up with the rest of my classmates. I highly recommend getting a little ahead of homework earlier on into the program, to allow for hiccups – like getting sick – that you might have in the later months. Even though I had promised myself that I would do this early on, I got too distracted.

Staying ahead can also be beneficial if you are going to go on trips; you are not going to write a paper about the Russian Revolution when you have a trip to Barcelona that same weekend. No one wants to do all their homework during their last week. You should be making lasting memories. Trust me, get it done!

Get the balance right

Everyone knows the famous saying ‘sleep when you’re dead.’ The same goes for studying abroad – sleep when you’re home! However, it is important to get the balance right. To avoid being sick, you should make sure you are actually sleeping. But, you should not be spending your weekend sleeping in until noon and just going out at night. To stop getting sick – and to recover quickly if you are sick – make sure that you get a healthy amount of sleep that your body deserves.

Overall, being sick when you’re abroad isn’t fun. Not only do you feel like you are missing out on countless adventures but you also can feel alone and far away from home. Just remember, that you will feel better. Before you know it, you will be out exploring London and taking everything in once again. After I was sick, I was even more engaged in my city. Even the smallest things, like a flower budding in a neighbour’s pot brought a large smile to my face!”

This content was contributed by Carly Neduscin one of our student bloggers. She is studying abroad this Spring on an AIFS Customized Faculty-Led program in London, England through Temple University.