{"id":122776,"date":"2021-02-12T09:32:30","date_gmt":"2021-02-12T08:32:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=122776"},"modified":"2026-01-16T16:33:52","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T15:33:52","slug":"good-conversations-self-reflection-and-gallons-of-tea-help-zsofia-through-the-lockdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2021\/02\/12\/good-conversations-self-reflection-and-gallons-of-tea-help-zsofia-through-the-lockdown\/","title":{"rendered":"Good conversations, self-reflection and gallons of tea help Zsofia through the lockdown"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes down to it, lockdown has brought psychology student Zsofia Kovi nothing but good. \u201cOf course life is a little more boring now. I miss having a good time with others, attending festivals and being able to go where I please. But all things taken together, I\u2019m doing absolutely fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Student: Zsofia Kovi (20, Year 2, Psychology)
\n<\/strong>Lockdown activity: drinking a lot of tea with roommates<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n

\u201cWhen I moved into a different student house in Rotterdam last summer, I didn\u2019t know anyone yet, I felt a little lost and alone,\u201d says Kovi. \u201cDuring the holidays, I went back to Budapest for a few weeks, and when I came back, my life took a different turn, basically because of lockdown. All of a sudden I had to make do with myself, my housemates and my own immediate surroundings. Suddenly I had a lot of time on my hands that I could spend making my new room a homelier place and getting to know my housemates. We now have a lot more quality time together, and as a result, I quickly felt at home in Rotterdam and in my new life. My room is the largest one in the house, so if we wish to have dinner or study together, I\u2019ll put up a large table, which allows us to be together while safely socially distanced.\u201d<\/p>\n

Monopoly <\/h2>
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\u201cOf course I love to hang out at pubs until the wee hours, but right now, that\u2019s impossible. Because my two flatmates and I are in each other\u2019s faces all the time and can\u2019t do much else at the moment, we soon started to have deep conversations, right here, at home, seated at the kitchen table, but without any alcohol. Instead, we will drink gallons of tea and play Monopoly and other old-fashioned board games. It\u2019s been a lot of fun and I got to know my housemates very well in no time. We are cutting off the fronts of the empty packs of tea and sticking them on the wall. Yes, it\u2019s very studenty, but it looks super artistic, because we arrange them by colour.\u201d<\/p>\n

Remaining positive<\/h2>

\u201cKovi got to know herself better during lockdown, as well. \u201cSuddenly, I had enough time to do some self-reflection,\u201d she tells us. \u201cWho am I, and what do I want to do with my life? I have a slightly better understanding of that now. I can tell that some people I know are struggling with the current situation. They are having difficulty remaining positive and have bleak visions of the future. I myself don\u2019t suffer from that. Despite the situation, I\u2019m actually doing quite well, and I\u2019m staying positive. I\u2019m glad about that. In addition, I\u2019ve learned that I really do need human contact quite badly. That\u2019s definitely the direction I want to head into when I become a psychologist later.\u201d<\/p>\n

Old and new friends<\/h2>
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The most striking objects in Kovi\u2019s room are the photos above her bed. \u201cThat\u2019s a project I spontaneously embarked on during lockdown,\u201d she explains. \u201cI quite miss my friends in Budapest, even though I\u2019ve made some good new friends here. During lockdown I went through all my photos, both old ones and more recent ones, and had the best moments with good friends printed and hung above my bed. Every day when I wake up, I will look at them for a moment, and then I\u2019ll know things will be OK.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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