Feeling hot, hot, hot!

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There are two possibilities of how my day will go when the sun rises every morning. In this hot weather, it will either be a backdrop for a perfect day in the park, or it will cause an immediate ‘why don’t we have air conditioning?’ rant. After the long cold winter that seems to have extended into a snowy March this year, the sun is refreshingly warm and welcome.

Yet, as the British summertime sets in, I’ve suddenly become less keen on the sunshine and, along with my friends, have started frantically searching for ways to cool down. It’s a classic ‘grass is always greener on the other side’ scenario, as the sun that we’ve been craving has finally arrived to scorch us, and to make matters worse, there’s a heatwave on the way. With exams around the corner, hot and sticky weather is the last thing any of us want.

For me, it’s not that bad here – back home in New Delhi, the temperature can reach 45°C during the summer. That is an extreme that people in the UK will probably never have to experience (unless global warming really takes hold). Unfortunately, putting things into perspective doesn’t change the fact that it does still get hot here as well. Pretty much no-one here has air conditioning installed in their houses. At uni, my room heats up within a few minutes of sunrise and opening the windows can only do so much to save the temperature.

It can seem like the end of the world when you’ve got a pile of revision to get through and the sun is shining through your window. As annoying as it might be, it’s best to look at the bright side of things; the natural early rising of the sun certainly works better at waking me up in the morning than my repetitive alarm clock. Although human beings don’t have the power to control the weather, you can keep your body temperature in check by staying hydrated and eating smart. So that’s exactly how I kick start my day; a glass of water followed by a glass of cold coffee/juice along with my fruity, veggie, and non-spicy breakfast. A quick Google search will fetch you a list of foods you should avoid and adopt to keep your internal systems cool.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. As cliché as that might seem, to keep your mind sound you need to head outside and have some fun.

Spending six hours straight at my desk trying to cram information into my brain is a highly inefficient way of prepping for exams – instead, I’ve been trying to spread my study hours throughout the day, making sure that I stay focused while revising. No matter how hot it gets, we’ll always have the golden hours of sunrise and sunset, which are certainly the best times to get out of your room or the library if you are not a big fan of the heat. Maybe even consider taking your work out to a park (unless you’re easily distracted by cute dogs, in which case definitely don’t do this). Exeter has some of the nicest green areas I’ve ever seen, and during my time here I have scouted the best trees near me that provide the most shade and are surrounded by the softest patches of grass. Just remember to take another layer with you – you never can trust this tricky English weather.