Hello from across the pond!!
So I know the abroad blog post is definitely not a new concept. But after trying for an hour to come up with any topic other than study abroad, I realized it’s the inevitable subject for Abroad CA’s for a reason—because BU’s study abroad programs really are that great! I’ve only been in London for about a month, but I’ve already found that choosing to study abroad was the best decision I could have ever made.
Before I left for London in January, I found myself in a really weird emotional rut. I wasn’t enjoying Boston like I had in past semesters and found it hard to appreciate the city I used to love so much. I think I had only felt homesick once in my first two years at BU, and even then that only lasted for, like, 20 minutes so I knew that something was up. Because I was feeling so funky in my post-sophomore slump, I started to get really nervous that moving to an entirely different continent would be a bad move.
Thankfully, I was so, so wrong.
The BU dorms are located in South Kensington, one of the most beautiful neighborhoods I have ever set foot in. Seriously, the housing here can even put Brookline to shame. I live in Sorbonne House and have the most incredible view of the Natural History Museum right outside my dorm window! There are so many cute cafes and coffee shops in the area too that make South Ken so easy and fun to explore. I’ll be honest– the first couple of days were a little overwhelming but soon enough I was taking the tube and wandering the city with complete ease.
(These apartments are just across the street from my dorm!)
The classes in the London Program have been unlike most of my classes back in Boston. The classes run for four hours twice a week, which was a little terrifying at first since I can barely get through a three-hour class in Boston. I’ve actually looked forward to going to my classes in London though! I’ve been on weekly field trips to museums throughout London for my art history class and even got to visit Cadbury World for my PR class (We got free chocolate bars!). The professors here have been so invested in our learning and make sure that we take as much as we can out of the class.
(The Wallace Collection, one of the museums I visited for my art history class)
One of my favorite parts of being abroad is how easy it is to travel. In the UK, I’ve visited Bath and Windsor Castle, which were absolutely beautiful. I just got back from a trip to Portugal this past weekend and fell in love with the beautiful architecture and friendly Portuguese people. I’ve already booked trips to Italy, Iceland, and Dublin and I can’t wait to visit so many other places and learn from these different cultures.
(Sintra in Portugal is hands down one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited!)
I’ve been able to do so much during my month abroad and I still have so much time left! Even though I was so nervous about leaving for London, I am so happy that I did. If you’re still deciding whether or not to apply to or accept a Study Abroad program, I highly recommend that you do! A massive location change may seem intimidating, but sometimes it can be the perfect remedy to finding out more about yourself and the world around us.
