The Final Post About My Year On Exchange

It’s all over now. My year on exchange in Canada has reached its conclusion and I am now back in England. This is (probably) my final post about my year on exchange.

Going to Canada for a full academic year was initially fairly daunting but I am really glad that I did it. There were some really good moments both semesters and overall it was a fantastic experience. The experience I had living and learning in Canada was definitely different from what I am used to in the UK. I did have to confront unfamiliar situations but to be honest I never got really homesick and never experienced culture shock. If anyone reading my blog is considering doing a year abroad I would wholeheartedly recommend that you do one.

Whilst I liked the university where I studied in Ontario, I am looking forward to returning to university back in England this September. I think the place that I miss the most is Toronto. I just had a wonderful time every single time that I went to Toronto. In my mind I am going to go back to Toronto at some point.

So what’s next for me? Well I have a long summer break ahead of me. I already have some plans to keep myself busy, I’m sure I will end up writing multiple blog posts about what I do over this summer holiday.

One Year of My Blog!

Well today it is exactly one year since I wrote ‘Finally Starting A Blog’ and begun Doing It On My Terms.

I’m honestly slightly surprised that I’ve managed to make a full year of blog posts. Certainly if you look at the amount I posted in November and December of 2016 it does look somewhat doubtful if I was going to continue. However one of my New Year Resolutions for 2017 was to work more on my blog and develop it.

One thing that helped me to keep going was when I began the My Haul posts, I love collecting stuff and those posts have given me both the opportunity to share that love of collecting and the chance to show off my latest purchases. I enjoy writing reviews, the Doctor Who reviews where good to write each week and I’m also proud of my Wonder Woman Review.

Probably the post that I have linked to the most is ‘Why Tiana is the Best Disney Princess’ which I seem to have linked to every single time I’ve mentioned anything about Tiana.

Coming to Canada to Study Abroad has also given my blog a new lease of life, I have really enjoyed sharing my thoughts and opinions as I start to learn about this great country. Since I arrived in Canada my views have risen and I know my blog is being read by many people throughout the floor I live on.

I thought for the one year anniversary I would share what the five most popular posts on this blog have been (at the time of writing) and give you my opinion on them in retrospect.

5 – So That’s What Having Friends Is Like!

Honestly it has always slightly surprised me that this has always been one of the most popular posts I have ever written. It was only the second post on the blog and looking back at it I know I could have done better. However I think the honesty I wrote with was good and that sort of honesty is something I’ve always attempted to maintain.

4 – The Start Of Studying Abroad!

This was written pretty quickly because I’d had a goal in mind to write something in the first few days after I arrived in Canada. But I think it does a good job of concisely summing up what I was feeling in those first few days.

3 – Piecing Together The City

Before I began writing this post I worried that it might come across as being a bit too abstract however I think it did a good job of translating how I felt about getting to know a new city in a new country.

2 – Differences in Accommodation

I’m pretty proud of this post, and I am still happy in my accommodation over here. It’s quite appropriate that this post is in the same list as So That’s What Having Friends Is Like because the experience I’m having right now living in accommodation is what I wanted back in first year and what I was reflecting on in that post.

1 – Turns Out Night Classes Are Not So Bad

This is my most viewed post since I began the blog! If I was to guess why this post has been so popular I would say that it’s because the friends I’ve made in Canada are interested to see if they agree with my opinion on night classes and my friends back in the UK are probably curious about what night classes are like because we don’t really have them in the UK.

So, here’s to another year of this blog! I would be interested to know what my reader’s favourite blog posts have been. I hope you will all keep reading as I share my life, hobbies, and interests and just keep doing it on my terms. 

Missed It Again!

I’ve forgotten to update my blog for a while and I am really sorry about that. It turns out that writing a blog and keeping it updated regularly is a lot harder than it sometimes seems! I had planned to keep it regularly updated but, between going to Disneyland Paris and then returning home for Spring Break, blogging has just sort of slipped down in my priorities at the moment.

I am aware that I missed out on doing a Disney Movie of the Month at the start of April, I’m currently unsure which film I want to pick as my next choice. There will be a Disney Movie of the Month for April but on this occasion it’s going to be later on in the month instead of right at the start of the month.

I also had planned to write a post about the highlights of my Disneyland Paris trip. The trip was amazing and I loved it but it also flew by and then once I was back in England I was quickly heading home for Spring Break. I might still do a post of my five favourite things at some point soon though.

It’s always slightly strange to come home for Spring Break. When I’m away from uni and student life I fully appreciate just how much I love it. I feel incredibly lucky that because of my year abroad I am going to be spending four years instead of three years on my undergrad degree. I get an extra year of being a student! 

March is Speeding By

I know it’s not quite the end of the month yet but March feels like it’s going by really fast. I had intended to update my blog several times this month but I’ve just sort let it go a little over the past few weeks. Last time I posted was just before my birthday and this time I’m just sharing what’s generally been going on in my life since then.

• I had a really nice birthday. It wasn’t exactly crazy busy or anything but that’s not my style. I just had a fun but relaxed day which was full of stuff that I like.

• I saw Mamma Mia at the theatre the day before my birthday, which was wonderful.

• I don’t have any full on essays due until after Spring Break but there’s been quite a bit of uni work keeping me busy recently. I always like to try to stay on top of my work and get stuff done in advance, in the long run its definitely good to be prepared but the process of being prepared can become quite time consuming!

• I’ve finally got further along with my Study Abroad application and have selected the modules that I am going to be doing during my first semester whilst I’m in Canada. The process of applying is quite strange and longwinded; I initially applied within my home uni to go on a Year Abroad, I then had to confirm that I was certain I wanted to go once I got assigned my place and most recently I’ve had to apply again to the Canadian university which will be hosting me whilst I’m abroad.

• Yesterday I went to see the new live action Beauty and the Beast with a couple of my friends. I really enjoyed it and I definitely would recommend it. Afterwards we went out for dinner at Five Guys. We had a really great time together yesterday.

• Perhaps most excitingly though, is that in a week’s time I’m going to Disneyland Paris with my friends! This will be my fourth visit and we are going to be there for the 25th Anniversary celebrations.

Finally Starting A Blog

So after literally everyone who knows me telling me that I should I write a blog I have finally given in and decided that it is finally time for me to start a blog.

Why 'Doing It On My Terms'? Well I'm a gay student who doesn't really enjoy drinking. For a me a good Saturday is going out shopping at 9 AM, watching a movie in the afternoon (probably either a Disney movie or a superhero movie), making something nice for dinner (probably from either a Mary Berry or Nigella Lawson recipe) and then being in bed by 10 PM. Really not standard student life!

I'm perfectly comfortable these days with being a bit different or a bit weird but I do find that sometimes in order to be happy I have to be an individual and do things on my terms.

As I use this blog I hope to share the things I do - the things that maybe are not standard for a male student - as well as sharing my thoughts and opinions on the things that I enjoy.