For every student studying at the University of Exeter, travelling can be a blessing that can make you want to cry sometimes but you hold it in because in the end you have to travel anyway. As an international student, I tend to travel a lot and it’s become second nature to me, which is why I thought to impart some of my wise knowledge to you – even if you might already know this.
So here’s some ideas of how to pass your time on the car/bus/train/plane on the way to University or if you’re heading home:
- Make sure all your things are with you! This is a given; my mom messages me all the time before I take a trip somewhere reminding me to look after my stuff and keep everything with me. If you can’t keep everything with you (say when you’re going to the bathroom on the train), make sure you keep everything important on you at all times. So this means your wallet/money, phone, passport, ID card, portable chargers and any valuables you may have and will definitely lose 5 years of your life over if they get lost.
- Go to the bathroom. It sounds weird, but just go to the bathroom before you get onto whatever your mode of transport is. Even if you don’t want to because you don’t feel the need to. Trust me. You’ll never know – there might not be bathrooms available at your beck and call when you most need it and it’s during those times you’ll just feel like lying on the floor face down weeping.
- Aisle seats are cool. I don’t know if this is for everyone but I tend to sit on the aisle seat if I’m on a train or plane because it’s so much easier. I love sitting by the window and pretending I’m in a sad music video or movie but at the same time, I hate disrupting the stranger I’m sat next to when I want to leave my seat for the toilet. Especially if they’re asleep and look as though they would for the next 38 years, and then you just feel dread asking them whether they could move so you can go relieve yourself or freshen up.
- Walk around or move when you can. If you’re sitting for a very long time it’s good to stand up and walk around once in a while to stretch those limbs. If you’re in the car and you can’t really stand or walk, move your legs or stretch them. Or listen to music that has dance moves and dance. Except you’ll probably get weird looks if you’re surrounded by people but still do it anyway; very subtly. Or like nod your head to the music if anything. DO SOMETHING AND MOVE.
- Appreciate the people taking you to your destination!! It doesn’t matter if you’re taking a car, bus, train, plane, boat, bike; be nice and appreciative! They’re the ones who are doing their best to make sure you get where you want to go and also making sure you’re as comfortable as possible for the duration of the journey. When I fly home, it’s least a 12-hour flight and it’s exhausting for the air stewards to keep the professional side of them on because honestly, who wouldn’t want to cry into a bucket trying to stay polite when someone refuses to be quiet at 2AM.
- FOOD. Enough said.
- Enjoy everything. If you’re bored, there’s so much you can do!! You can read (anything from a good book to trashy advertising signs to the nutrition label of the milk carton you’re drinking from), sleep… or stay awake till you feel like you’ve just pulled three all-nighters in a row, eat mediocre food (ignore this if you get A+ quality food), contemplate your life and your entire existence, listen to your music at full volume to completely immerse yourself so it’s almost like the music is your life now or look out the window and watch either the blur of fields/clouds/pitch black darkness/the sea/anything. OR you can just stare at your hands for the entire journey, if you’re dedicated enough. Maybe do some uni work whilst you’re at it too. ENJOY.
– Mikki