My Confusion and I

As I've mentioned earlier in this blog I am born and raised in Sweden but spent a year in Israel on a program and now live in England. This means that I have been lucky to have friends spread out all over the world, literally. I've ended up with friends in Australia, Mexico, Sweden, Israel etc. I do find it difficult sometimes when I don't have all my friends in the same place and often have to make the decision to which country I should go to be able to see my friends. I mostly end up going to Israel where me and many of my friends meet up. It has even started to become a place for me to meet up with my Swedish friends, and hopefully my English friends during the summer. It is difficult to keep in touch with everyone when you can't see them that often which has lead to me losing touch with some people. I hear from them now and then and if I see them I will stop and talk to them but it made me feel like I don't have the need to talk to them. I always have facebook...

My lecturer had today a bit of a rant about Gap years where tired teenagers decide to go to Thailand or some other excotic place to have fun for a while. This inspired me to write about my gap year which was exotic in one way but not always about having fun. I can't deny that I went on a gap year because I was tired of school. I also can't deny that my gap year was fun. It was one of the best decisions I've made so far. So to start from the beginning, my Gap year was a year in Israel with a jewish youth organisation called Bnei Akiva. It involved different parts like 2 months of leadership training, 2 months of volonteering on a kibbutz, a month of volonteering in schools, 2 months of intense studies about judaism, a month of hikng and fun activities and 2 months of volonteering in ambulance. As you might have understood already my gap year was filled with volonteering and did therefore not involve having fun all the time. I, however, did enjoy the volonteering. Helping...

As a first year student there are times when I feel like I am struggling and won't be able to get all my work done. It is not easy to write your first essay in university or prepare for seminars if you are not used to it. I had never written an essay where I needed to reference properly or had work to prepare for every single seminar and I never had a seminar where I wouldn't be able to participate if I hadn't done my work. In school you don't have that responsibilty but we are suppose to when we go to univerisity. I have so far written 6 essays and working on my 7th one and I still find it difficult. I need to sit down, look for sources, take notes, organise the notes and then write it all down again with my own words and analyse it. The problem isn't that I can't do it because I've proved myself wrong many times and written essays that I consider quite successful. The problem is to actually take the time and do it. Even when you're tired and feel l...

I wouldn't call myself patriotic when it comes to Sweden since I've never really felt like I fit in. I know I am born and raised in Sweden which probably affected me more than I want it to. Feeling like I don't fit in where I come from and constantly trying to make sure that people do not think of me as swedish suddenly changed when I actually moved from Sweden. I did quickly realise that it was something that created questions and interest amongst people. I wasn't just a student, I was an international student which got people to offer their support. Even though I want to be independent and grown up we all need support sometimes. Me being from Sweden has also led to a lot of comments an jokes. I am that kind of person used to making fun of myself and I do enjoy the jokes since it at least shows that the people around me have a clue of where I come from. But there are times when they can't understand the culture I grew up with. Even though I live with jews and w...

Going to university is important for many different reasons. We all need to get educated to be able to get a job and we all can't learn by doing the job. Personally I think university is more than that. It is a place when you have the chance to find yourself, figure out what you want from life and take the step out to the adult world. Many students choose to spend their student loan on alcohol and going out to clubs at least once  a week. As much fun as it seems I have never been interested in the whole partying every weekend lifestyle. Instead I've chosen to be involved in a student society. Jewish as I am gives me the possibility to be involved in the jewish student society (Jsoc). I am today starting my position as co-chair which is going to be exciting. To take a responsibility like that as a student will hopefully teach me many things. I believe that getting involved in something else than partying will teach me how it is to be a working adult. It doesn't make me a...