Staying Motivated while Studying Abroad

My time in Berlin has been amazing, there is so much to see, so many places to go, and just so much to enjoy. However, this makes the whole studying part a little tricky. The first few weeks I would be holed up in my hotel room with my roommate getting readings and studying done, and it honestly felt a little bad. I felt guilty as if I was wasting my time abroad. Then I started to move my work outside, and that's honestly the best thing I was able to do.

The fluorescent lights of a hotel room just get tiring after a while, and staring at a computer does not help. Luckily, there are so many beautiful parks in Berlin that I decided to just pack up my iPad and read outside. I went to Preussen Park, which hosts Thai Park, which hosts a large gathering of Thai street food! This is just a weekend thing though, so I went on a Monday and got my reading done; if there was endless delicious Thai food in front of me, I would not have gotten any work done. It was still really cool, however, to see the Asian community that exists in the park every day. Families relaxing, people gathering to play cards, and just everyone enjoying the nice environment.

The other great way I found to keep myself motivated to do schoolwork while feeling like I was exploring the city was to take myself on little coffee shop dates. Getting to go to new parts of the city, enjoying an iced chai, AND still doing my readings on time has got to be the best thing I've done. If you need coffee recommendations for Berlin, here are three that I went to and thoroughly enjoyed. 

The Barn - 8/10, it's got a nice atmosphere, limited menu, but it has outlets in case you have a terrible computer battery like I do. It also has a cool outdoor area (no outlets) that enjoys a really pretty central city view. Well, at least the one I went to, there are a few in the city!

The Coffee Pony - 12/10, the place was so cool, I felt comfortable enough to be there for a few hours, an entire-day breakfast menu, and a really great staff. They have plugs, a variety of seating places, an incredible iced chai, and just overall my favorite coffee spot I went to. 

The Visit Coffee Roastery - 9/10, pretty cute place in Kreuzberg (a super lively area of Berlin), no iced chai (only hot) but a delicious veggie sandwich! I think there were no plugs, at least not where I sat but there were other seating areas so those might have some! 

Overall, getting out and exploring the city is the best part about studying abroad, so, make studying part of that! Leave the hotel and go outside to study. 

By: Citlalli Martinez Cano