A Week in Their Shoes: An Enderun Student Studying Abroad Edition

by Webmaster · November 3, 2021

Graphics by Jennylyn Wu

Hello everyone! I am Chloe De La Gente, a sophomore student studying BSBA Operations Management, and I have been studying abroad since my freshman year. Due to the pandemic, I have not been able to fly back to the Philippines, and I have to do my online classes in another country. This basically means I have to adjust my entire life to not fall behind on my classes, miss any requirements, and be able to attend my organization meetings – thanks to the time zone!

The one word I can use to describe how studying abroad is like is that it is exhausting. It is both mentally and physically exhausting. I have to wake up at 2:00 am because I need to get ready for my 3:00 am classes as that is 8:00 am in the Philippines. Personally, I love waking up early, and I am a self-proclaimed early bird person, but not this early – the sun won’t be up for hours, and I am already up and about, doing work. As you can probably tell, the time zone is quite brutal for me, and it really took a toll on me during my first semester in Enderun. But life isn’t always going to be easy. Most of the time, you just have to bite your tongue and adjust to the circumstances that you are in.

My everyday life includes waking up before the sun rises, usually at 2:00 am as I have classes at 3:00 am from Monday to Friday. I wake up an hour before my classes start so I can make my breakfast (don’t skip breakfast, it’s essential!), and it usually consists of something quick and easy to make, such as a healthy sandwich and a smoothie bowl or just a regular smoothie. A big chunk of my time is used up for my classes and work-related things as I am also an Enderun scholar. After my classes, I usually have requirements to do, and obviously, I have to study for upcoming quizzes or exams. After classes, depending on the day, I either attend my organization meetings or entirely focus on my academics. Once I complete all my tasks for the day, I like to have some me-time, including mindlessly scrolling through Twitter, watching YouTube, or reading books.

Moreover, I like to work out every other day as there are many benefits of keeping your body moving and not just sitting down all day. Even just doing light stretching or light jogging around your house will help your body. When the weekends arrive, I like to have a virtual catch-up session with my friends back in the Philippines or see my friends here in person. There are no lockdowns where I live so that I can go out, but we still follow all the protocols, i.e., wearing masks and keeping our distance. Sundays are reserved as my reset day. I like to thoroughly clean my room, update my planner, check NEO for future readings I need to do, and roughly plan the upcoming week.

To be completely transparent, I do not always follow this typical week as it is not always sunshine and rainbows. As much as I would love to say that I have entirely adjusted as I have been studying abroad for more than a year now, sometimes I still lack self-discipline and mess up my schedules. Some days I don’t get enough sleep, and it affects my entire week terribly. One of the most significant ways I cope with college, given the time zone difference, is learning how to prioritize. This means that I had to accept that I would have to miss out on going out with family or friends because I need to get my 7-8 hours of sleep as I have an extremely early class on the next day. Furthermore, I think that having a wind-up day is a must. Thinking daily about college is simply tiring; you have to find a balance where you are doing things you love and working hard for your future at the same time.

Here are a few tips and tricks that have helped me and are still helping me survive studying abroad. I have been using these for over a year now, so I know it really works!

Once you get your timetable, use Google Calendar (or other similar apps) to plot them in your time zone, not the Philippines time! It really makes a difference because it’s so easy to get confused about what time you actually have your classes, meetings, etc.
Have a planner. Whether it’s a virtual one like Notion or an actual physical planner. It really helps keep track of everything going on with your life, and for me, this is a must. For more must-have apps for college, check out this article!
Sleep early! If you can, try to sleep as if you are living in the Philippines. This means if it hits midnight in the Philippines, you should be asleep too. Don’t rely on drinking 5 cups of coffee a day because that is highly unhealthy and is dangerous.
Take time for yourself. Put yourself first, and if you need rest, perhaps it’s better to back out of plans with your friends and take your well-deserved sleep. Make sure you’re taking care of yourself mentally and physically.
Keeping in touch with your friends is also an essential part of college life and just because you’re not in the same country doesn’t mean you can’t do that! Get your group friends, pick a time that is suitable for everyone and have fun. Whether that’s watching a movie on Netflix together, playing video games, or even just having a chika (gossip) session. Don’t let time zones keep you apart!
Don’t just focus on your academics; try to join organizations that you are interested in! Perhaps you like writing or editing, then maybe you’ll be a perfect fit for INK Enderun (join the INK fam, it’s a blast here!). There are a ton of organizations in Enderun to choose from and you should totally check out this article if you want to know more about RSOs! I have met many amazing people through them, and you should definitely give it a try.

To my fellow Titans who are also in the same boat as me, I wish you all the best. Don’t forget that there are a lot of students just like us struggling with classes and time zones; you are not alone! I really hope that my tips have helped some of you. Hopefully, we can go back to the Philippines soon and meet our family, friends, professors, and everyone else. Stay safe, everyone.