Top 6 Tips for Finding Balance While Studying Abroad 

在我的第一天 studying abroad in 格拉纳达, after arriving at the residencia, 所有已经到达的学生都出去吃午饭了. 我记得我对我的一个新同学说:“我们来这里的目的还没有达到。 西班牙留学... It just feels like vacation!" 

This is, of course, one of the best parts of studying abroad with 东航卡帕 学习新的东西会让人兴奋和有动力. 我们真的把世界当成了我们的教室，有几天在西班牙标志性的地方上课. But it is also one of the challenges. With so many brand-new things to see and experience, how can you justify sitting at your desk doing homework, even if it’s just for an hour or two? 

I felt really worried about finding balance while abroad. I wanted to make the most of my 西班牙留学 experience, but also needed to do well in my classes, and didn't want to lose progress on my personal goals, 比如提高我的 心理健康 and 幸福.  

Now that I have returned home and had some time to reflect as a 东航卡帕 校友大使, I've adjusted to my new, study-abroad-informed lifestyle. Within finding this new perspective, 我想分享一些我在留学之前和留学期间所做的事情，这些事情让我在留学期间取得了平衡. 

之前 

1. 回顾一下你的习惯，并决定哪些是你计划在国外优先考虑的. 

把你经常做的事情列个清单，作为你日常生活的一部分. 对于每个习惯, consider how much time they take out of your daily life, how much planning they would require abroad, and how important they are to your mental or physical 幸福. Based on this information, 你可以决定哪些对你来说是超级重要的, 这些都可以暂时搁置一下.  

对我来说, 在国外的时候，我决定把重点放在我写日记的日常习惯上，因为它占用了一天中最少的时间, it was easy to write while out and about, and was also salient to my 心理健康. +, 我仍然时不时地找到机会来完成我的其他习惯, 比如在Monachil(格拉纳达外的一个小山城)徒步旅行时的锻炼。. 

2. Get ahead on your assignments as much as possible before leaving. 

我把 literature courses while abroad, which meant I had lots of reading to do. A few weeks before departure, 我的教授发了一份教学大纲，里面有我们所有的课程材料和截止日期, which I used to start working on everything ahead of time. 几乎每天出发前，我都会挤出至少30分钟到一个小时的时间来阅读. Definitely make sure you still do other things, like relaxing and recharging, spending time with friends and family, 和包装. 另外, you may not be able to start everything in advance, 因为某些作业甚至课程并不总是有利于提前学习. But a head start will make your experience much less stressful! And don't forget about your travel time! 如果你已经要在飞机上呆上8个小时无事可做, 你不妨至少花几个小时做点功课. 

在 

1. Make going out to study an event! 

Grab some classmates and go explore local coffee shops, 库, 或者在工作场所一边做作业，一边享受当地的咖啡, 茶, 和零食. 我们经常去参观图书馆Pública de 格拉纳达和一家名为La Qarmita的阿根廷咖啡馆. 

2. Do a little bit of work every single day. 

在国外的时候，把学校当作次要的事情是很有诱惑力的. 在我意识到之前, my homework caught up to me, 我发现自己希望在最初的几周多花一点时间来保持我的领先优势. 第三周的时候, 我进入了一个良好的流程，每天花一点时间在我的工作上取得进展, even if there wasn't necessarily anything "due" for a while. By taking this little bit of time, I made it much less stressful in the long run, 避免因为第二天早上还有40页要读而不得不拒绝晚上外出. 

3. Lean into your destination's culture. 

西班牙文化真正帮助我找到平衡的一个方面是午睡. 在夏天, where the afternoons can get up to 42℃, 午睡指的是在下午1点到6点之间的一段时间，通常是2到3个小时.m. 很多企业, 办公室, 甚至临近的商店和餐馆也会给员工午餐时间(这是一天中最长、最大的一顿饭)。, 为了避暑, and to prepare for the evening. 我们用午休来做作业，保持个人习惯，或者休息. This time ended up being crucial for my positive experience. I definitely encourage students who are about to 宝博体育 找到利用当地文化的方法，帮助他们在自己的经历中找到平衡. 

4. 不要害怕休息. 

宝博体育的挑战之一是感觉有很多东西要看，要做, and so little time to do it all! 我给自己施加了很大的压力，要充分利用我的时间，尽可能多地看. 这不是一个坏的目标，但记住它同样重要 live your healthiest life while abroad as it is when you’re at home. I often found myself feeling guilty for resting, or saying no to going out, 但当我第二天可以花时间去探险时，我感觉好多了. 如果你在家里经常进行自我护理, don’t be afraid to do them while abroad. This could be anything from a nature walk, to getting your nails done, to just staying in and watching a movie. Make sure you don’t burn yourself out! 

Reflecting on My Time in 格拉纳达 

最后，在留学期间找到平衡并不像我想象的那么艰巨. 我发现，在西班牙，我很容易成功地为自己创造了一种生活方式，让我体验到我想要的一切和任何地方，同时保持良好的成绩和积极的心理健康. I got to travel on weekend trips to Córdoba, 塞维利亚，以及Málaga! Even as I look ahead to the upcoming school year, 我希望将西班牙生活方式的许多方面融入到我在格拉纳达留学后的日常生活中. 不幸的是，我不能午睡，也拒绝在2:30到下午6点之间做任何事情.m., but I can make an effort to give myself more time to rest. Finding balance while abroad will look different for everyone, 但这对于一个积极的全面体验来说绝对是至关重要的.