Throwback: Things I should have done more often during my time abroad

This is just my reflection as an ex-student who has gone back from the UK, which might be useful for my later experience in the future, or for those who are (planning to or) studying abroad. I learned that, although I generally don't regret things that I did there, I still feel that I could have done more of these:

1. Travel
I know that my main goal in the UK was to study, but not travelling enough while I was in a new, different country is kind of a shame. I did travel to a number of cities (and some EU countries), but it was not much compared to my friends who always went somewhere at weekends. My concern was mainly my limited budget. But after some thoughts, I could have travelled with relatively low budget since, as a student, there will be more discounts, or I could have gone to nearby places such as Scarborough, Leeds, or Peak District. And I was also worried about heaps of reading lists! The fear of my sponsor cutting down my living cost due to bad grades made me think again to ditch assignments. In reality, I didn't spend Saturdays/Sundays reading those long lists of references. Instead I stayed in my flat more often and binge-watched movies; what's the point of it?

My regret was to have spent the Christmas Eve 2016 in my room with this!

2. Take more photos/videos
Honestly I feel embarrassed when I have to take selfies in public especially when travelling alone (which I did most of the time). I would feel like people were staring at me, thinking that I was filled with bunch of vanity, so I tended to take them quickly and leave. Of course, sometimes I would ask some strangers to take my photos, but I was often "too shy."
But I should have taken as many selfies as I could, and I should have asked a lot more strangers confidently. The truth is there can never be enough photos! I regret not having more photos of the places I visited; having few pictures only means it is harder to look back and see what I've done in my life (including unexpected things). 

A not-so-good selfie I took during a solo trip to Bath

3. Write
This is related the previous point; I planned to journal every day, but I was often "too frustrated" to write as I either felt too tired, or several things came up. Here in Indonesia, I was disappointed as only little of my feelings while abroad were recorded in words. But If I had spared 10 minutes at the end of the day to write a paragraph of what happened, I could have made an invaluable treasure.

4.  Buy gifts and souvenirs
When I went to places and saw some stuff  at a store, I would only admire its uniqueness and think, "I might get that for a cheaper price on e-bay." or "I will buy it later." But I never got back to that exact same place, and when I returned to Indonesia, regrets creeped in since I didn't get enough of those fridge magnets/keychains.
I am not teaching you to be extravagant, but if there are things that you might never get somewehere else (and the price doesn't make you broke), why don't you consider fitting them into your little backpack?

 Souvenirs I managed to bring

5. Embrace the culture!
When you go to the UK, make sure you pay a visit to the local pubs and have a drink and some traditional foods with your closest friends. There are vibes that you can't get in other places: their dim lights and cozy furniture can't really be forgotten. I miss having Sunday roast with its gravy, and I miss having a pint of cider on a chilly evening. Well, my point here is not to tell you to get drunk (DON'T get drunk!), but there are always other perspectives you get when you go outside and see your surroundings.

Lunch in a local cafe

Hope this experience helps!