Travelling Europe while living in Lincoln

A few months ago, I travelled to Dublin with my flatmate for a long weekend adventure. Ireland has been a bucket list destination for me for years and I was so excited to finally experience it.

We visited Kilmainham Gaol, sipped tea at the cutest café I’ve ever seen, explored the Guinness Storehouse, and so much more. We even got to take a day trip across Ireland, braved the cold and the rain to see the Cliffs of Moher, and afterwards, warmed up with a bowl of Irish stew.

These kinds of weekends are exactly what I imagined when I was considering coming to the University of Lincoln to study. There is so much to explore in Lincoln and around the UK (check out this post about a weekend trip to Leeds and Sheffield!), but being so close to the famous and historic cities of Europe means that I also want to take advantage of the opportunity to travel to them while I am here. However, I ultimately came to Lincoln to further my education and I am now a full time MSc student.

So, how do you balance school while also exploring Europe?

When planning a trip to Europe during term time, it is so important to plan ahead and be realistic about what you can accomplish, especially because this will likely be a longer trip.

It may be tempting to plan a trip and promise yourself that you’ll just stay up all night to finish that paper before you go, but it’s probably not the best plan of action.

Instead, get to know yourself and your study habits so that you can realistically plan how much time you’ll need to finish that paper and give yourself that time to work hard and get ahead.

This may sound daunting but stay motivated! Working ahead can be hard, but there’s no motivation quite like looking forward to experiencing a new place and culture.

You may have to give up that tempting Netflix binge, but you’ll thank yourself when you’re wandering the streets of Italy or Spain or wherever you find yourself.
Finally, have fun!

This is a once in a lifetime experience and after working hard and getting ahead on your studying, you deserve some fun! Take it all in and make memories that will stay with you forever.

After an exciting weekend of European travel, I always love coming home to the familiar sights and sounds of Lincoln, the city that has truly become home to me in just a few short months.

By Katie Terry, MSc Forensic Science student from the USA

Please note: This content was created prior to Coronavirus, and some things might be different due to current laws and restrictions. Please refer to Government advice and the University of Lincoln for the latest information.

Please note: This content was created prior to the Coronavirus pandemic, and some information might differ due to current laws and restrictions. Please refer to Government advice and the University of Lincoln for the latest information.