Listen. Studying abroad in London in the spring looks lovely! Flowers are blooming, the weather is warm and you have mini spring breaks every weekend! When I came to BU, I was certain I wanted to do the COM London Internship program, however I wasn’t sure which semester was the best time to do it. I always imagined myself studying abroad during the spring semester. After all, most people make the decision to fly off then. However, last spring, at the last second I changed my mind and decided to apply for this fall’s program, and I couldn’t be happier with my decision!
If you can’t decide when to go abroad, here are a few reasons why I think London in the fall is da bomb:
It’s a smaller program
Since it is more popular to study abroad in the spring, the fall program is much smaller. You have better luck getting your favorite classes, housing location and internship. Also, classes are smaller so you can get to know your inspiring British professors!
You can make new friends
In the fall, there will be fewer familiar BU faces. A lot of students from other universities enroll in the BU program in the fall. Therefore, you are able to meet a ton of new people. It can be wonderful to take a break from the BU bubble and get to know people with different college experiences.
Pumpkin spice weather arrives faster
September in Boston is still summer. Move-in is a torment of sweating, panting, and searching for the last available fan on the store shelf. When I arrived in London, I was shocked that it was already sweater weather! You can really enjoy some quality tea time with three months of perfectly crisp fall weather.
There are fewer tourists in the fall
After summer vacations, tourists tend to forgo traveling in October and November. Therefore, if you plan on traveling while abroad, lines are shorter, museums are emptier and tickets are cheaper. Woo!
You have internship experience for the spring
One of the best parts of the COM London Internship Program is a guaranteed internship. When you land in London, you are certain that you will be leaving with a new experience on the top of your resume. This is helpful because you can use that experience to find an internship for the spring in Boston.
Being in Boston in the spring is beneficial (and fun)
The spring is when you accomplish your planning for the summer. It is much easier to make summer plans (such as housing and applying for internships) when you don’t have a 5-hour time change. You also have a chance to say goodbye to your senior buddies. Also, Boston’s spring includes snow days and the Boston Marathon! Those are two things you can’t miss!
Here’s the thing. The London study abroad program will always be a blast, no matter if you go in the fall, spring or summer. There is no wrong decision about when to study abroad. But, if you are truly stuck, I think fall is the way to go 😉 Cheers!
