Global Perspectives
Gold Experience
Study Abroad: London
In the summer of 2016, I studied abroad in London. It gave me the opportunity to immerse myself into a different culture. I got to experience what living in London was like over the course of a summer semester, which allowed me to get to know other students from around the world who were interested in some of the same things I was. It also granted me the opportunity to get to know England better, from seeing the London Eye to having tea on the Thames to taking a trip to Harlaxton Manor, and many other experiences I would never have had without study abroad. Harlaxton Manor was an incredibly cool trip I took while in England, as it was an old manor house with secret passages and a rich history. I loved the opportunities I had to discover new information and experience new places. I also visited Seaham, a beach town in northern England, which allowed for a different view of the country than just city life. Our trip to Seaham was two train rides away from London. We were able to talk to people on the train to help us get to our destination, while also learning about the culture of the northern Great Britain. Developing that connection was a fun and rewarding experience because we did learn about these people and their life experiences.
I spent the month of July in London, while I took the class Photographing the City: London, which was 200 hours, and truly allowed for me to travel around London and experience all the rich history to be seen. It was four weeks total, which allowed ample time to experience London and learn some of the cultural differences between the US and UK. One that struck me as particularly odd was the lack of ice, even though it was a hot summer.
Reflection
In London, I had to be flexible and persistent to really have the best experience possible. For example, my friends and I made plans that often times had to be changed due to an assignment for class that took longer than expected or through mistakes that we made navigating the city. Sometimes the class required unplanned visits to different locations around the city, so we had to be flexible and rearrange our plans to match our location. Frequently, we got lost or navigated incorrectly, but we kept positive attitudes and remained adaptable. We got to experience everything we planned, and even got to add some cool experiences we would not have had if we had been inflexible with our plans.
The big sport in London is soccer as opposed to football in the US, and I just happened to be there during the world cup when England was doing very well. It was amazing to experience the unified nature of the people across London when going to viewing experiences. There was a huge park near where I stayed, and there was a giant viewing party on a huge projector screen to watch the games. There is a huge culture around soccer, which I got to experience when I visited Emirates Stadium, the home of Arsenal, the soccer team I support.