First time at Warwick!!!

Welcome Week 2020 started on September 28th. People arrived two weeks before to do the proper quarantine and be ready to enjoy the campus. I was expecting the most amazing Welcome Week after watching many movies. I remember clearly how my expectations went down when a friend told me: you know you are not going to have that (in person Welcome Week), right? He was right. The Covid situation ruined it. Also, I was in Peru in those times because I was 17 and my mum was so afraid about COVID and didn’t let me travel. It is a sad story and a total “Odyssey” to arrive finally at the Warwick campus.

I study all term one remotely in a different time zone (6 hours behind London Time). I had to wake at 4 am to have macroeconomics lectures and 5 am for microeconomics (I do not recommend this to anyone ). I am not sure if I am too optimistic, but it was not bad at all. I spent a lot of time with my family. The strict quarantines allowed me to be more resilient and positive about life. I cannot lie. I have always been an optimist person, that girl who is a motivational coach of everyone and for me, studying at Warwick, even remotely, was the best thing ever. Technology andMy biggest dream was to study abroad and I have always known that as an only child, it would be very difficult for my parents to let me go. However, They gave their best effort to see me happy. My mum, for example, surprised me on my first day of uni: She bought Macarons (my favourite dessert) and decorated my study room!I was planning to travel before December 18th. Then I changed to the first days of term 2; however, the terrible COVID situation and new lockdowns in the UK changed it. Everything was so uncertain until Peru entered the Red List: this meant that I had to travel before February 15th to avoid a hotel quarantine and paid a lot of money (I could not afford it). That is why I bought my flight ticket two weeks before. It was my first time travelling alone and to the UK. I was worried because of all the restrictions. For example, I had to take a connection flight in Miami. Probably I travelled more than 22 hours in total, but when I arrived at Heathrow and then at the Campus, everything makes sense! I was smiling like a child: I was the happiest person ever.

Warwick made my biggest dream come true. It made “impossible things” come true, too. I got lost for the first time at Warwick, it was dark at 2 pm, suddenly it started to rain. I was so afraid and freezing. Fortunately, someone helped me. That is also one thing I love: Warwick People! Professors, staff and students are friendly and welcoming.I am telling this story many times now. I have heard so many different reactions: some people believe I am brave, others feel sorry, but everyone agrees that being at Warwick makes me so happy!I hope you enjoy Warwick and that your arrival to Warwick will not be so difficult and stressful. Good Luck!