Studying abroad in London: Things I wish I knew!
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Over the summer I had the incredible opportunity to study abroad in London in CIEE’s Summer in London program. It was honestly the best experience of my life! I made so many wonderful memories and learned a whole lot. If it's your first time studying abroad, here are some things I wish I knew before starting my adventure abroad.
Have an open mind!
Go into your experience with a completely open mind. I had a lot of expectations going into my time in London, and I'm happy to say that I was completely off base. Don't set expectations for yourself, how you think you'll change, what you'll do, or whom you'll meet because you might be disappointed and won't appreciate what's right in front of you!
Put yourself out there!
Don't be scared to meet new friends. If your experience is anything like mine, you'll find some amazing friends the moment you step off the plane. My group and I all became super good friends within a matter of days, which is a beautiful thing because you are all experiencing the same thing together. Don't close yourself off and put your most authentic self out there because you will meet some fantastic people!
Don't be surprised if you feel a little homesick!
Your feelings are valid. Don't think that you have to be happy-go-lucky all the time because you are studying abroad. Yes, it's such a fun and exciting time but you are allowed to miss home. Toward the beginning of my trip, I felt sort of like a failure because I missed my family and my home. As time went on, I realized it's okay to miss your home, and it doesn't make your experience any less wonderful. Before we left, CIEE had us look at videos on culture shock and what to prepare for. To be completely transparent, I thought that there was no way that it would be me because I was going to be having the time of my life, but I was wrong.
Take a break!
It's okay to take a break. I felt like I had to be doing something every second of every single day and if I wasn't, I wouldn't be doing study abroad the way I was supposed to. I very quickly got worn out and had to hibernate in my room for a while. That's okay! You are allowed to take a break; you don’t want to end up burned out and missing all the fun.
Do some things by yourself!
Sometimes doing stuff by yourself is more fun. Yes, I love all the friends I've made, and it is great to have a group to go do stuff with. But don't feel like you can't do stuff because nobody else does. Just go by yourself! Some of my favorite moments abroad have been going off on my own and taking in the city for myself. In the end, it's your trip, do what you want to do. In turn, don't feel like you have to go do something because everyone else is. FOMO is real, I get it, but chances are if you don't want to go in the first place, you won't have much fun anyway.
Watch your spending!
Exchange rates will creep up on you, especially when you are using your card. For me, I would buy something thinking it was only four dollars when in reality it ended up being around six dollars because of exchange rates. Be sure to keep track of how much you're spending.
Transportation is important!
Figure out the transportation system right away. Whether that be the subway system bus system or walking, it's one of the most important things to understand. You need to know where you are going and how to get there. The Google and Apple Maps apps are honestly great resources. Also, many cities have transportation apps, so do a little research on your own time.
Use social media to your advantage!
Look on Tik Tok! It sounds silly, but among all the dance and comedy videos, there is some valuable information on there. I found myself looking up a lot of things on Tik Tok about what to do in London, which places to avoid, and what places were hidden gems. This falls under the umbrella of doing your research, but you can find some useful information on social media if you know where to look.
Ask for help!
Ask the locals. This is an obvious one but can be scary at times. But don't be scared, in many cases, they are more than happy to help and if they are annoyed or unhelpful, just move on to the next. I found myself asking the locals a lot of questions while I was in London. Every little piece of information was helpful, and chances are they were right!