Submitted by Sydney Moreno on the 2024 Spring program in London, England…
As my first full week in London comes to a close, I can happily say that I am moved in and ready to have an amazing semester! Moving into a new country can be extremely daunting, especially when you know very few people and the scenery changes from Newark, Delaware to London, England, but with an open mind, anything is possible.
I moved into my flat last Thursday, and it has been a whirlwind of things to do since the start. My roommates, as well as the other students who live in our building, were taken on tours of the area we are located in, which is the lovely Whitechapel borough. The area is nice and homey, with lots of coffee shops, and easy access to the tube, which will be our main use of transportation while we are here.
After attempting to shove all of the clothes I packed from home into the tiny dresser and cabinet we were given, I was feeling super anxious about what this upcoming semester would look like. Would I be able to make friends? Will taking the tube to class be scary? Now that I have been here a week, I feel much more at ease about all of my previous questions. When having so much going on around me, it was easy to forget that both my roommates, supervisors, and professors are all here to answer any questions I may have, and support me through any sort of transitions that may take place while taking classes in another country.
Now that I have moved in and gotten to know my roommates much better, I am eager to begin a journey that I will remember for a lifetime.It is easy to forget that as intimidating as going to class in a new place can be, it can also provide a great deal of opportunities and learning experiences. After going to class this week and going over each syllabus, I was excited to find out that each class has a few field trips around the city of London planned to really emphasize how much culture can impact our lives both on and off campus.
With this first week in London kicking off strong, I am extremely excited to continue this journey and see what else I can do with my time in one of the most beautiful cities in the world! (Submitted on January 27, 2024)