England: London - Undergraduate and Graduate Courses

I loved pretty much everything about this course! It was my first time leaving the country, let alone studying abroad, and the folks at USAC were incredibly helpful with making everything go smoothly the entire time, both before arrival and during the semester. There were a lot of fun activities that took me to a lot of places in London, and with them happening about once every couple weekends, there was plenty of time to focus on studies while having fun and exploring. London Met is a great university as well, confusing campus layout aside. The only thing I have as a "negative" is that The Arcade (student dorms available through USAC, where the majority of students will stay at) is located in a very, very loud part of town, and it was common for the fire alarm to go off at least once a week (outside of tests, which they inform you about beforehand). With its location on Holloway Road, though, there's easy access to a pharmacy, multiple grocery stores, fast food and sit-down restaurants, and bus stops and tube stations. Wi-Fi is also stable, fast, and very reliable if you need to have online calls. If you're someone who might struggle with the constant city noise though, it may be beneficial to find lodgings elsewhere. Nothing against USAC for this, of course, but something I thought I'd mention regardless!

In Fall 2019, I was able to study abroad through USAC's London program at London Metropolitan University. London Met was a great place to meet diverse and interesting people, in terms of age, national origin, and identities. However the university itself did not provide a lot of support for international students, especially when it came to providing opportunities for international students to come in contact with local students. That's why going through USAC was really helpful, because my program director was really helpful. He organized really interesting field trips to locations that might have been more difficult to reach on your own, like Stonehenge. He also made sure to have activities that would help us to get to know London when we first arrived, but also throughout our semester.

Studying abroad through the USAC program was one of the best decisions I've ever made. Getting to explore London and the surrounding areas on my own, with new friends, and with the program was an incredible experience. I loved the Art in London course I took because it was very immersive. The tours we took during each class allowed me to see more of the city than I would have if I was in a traditional lecture class. USAC provided me with plenty of resources to help me feel prepared and less nervous for my arrival in London. And the staff that was in the program city made me feel at home. If there was ever any issues or concerns, the staff in London immediately helped find a solution. If given the opportunity, I would study abroad with USAC again.

Everything about this program was wonderful. There was some disorganization at times, but nothing disruptive, and as we quickly realized that was due to our enthusistic program director’s quirks rather than any sort of unpreparedness, it became a part of the experience. We all became quite close to the program director, who really mothered is throughout the trip. I felt completely secure in talking to her about any problems I might have had. The living situation was actually surprisingly nice, we all had private rooms that were larger than any dorm room I’d had in the states, with a cleaning crew that came through daily, like a hotel. The campus was in one of the nicest parts of the city, and I felt completely safe there, even walking to the store in the middle of the night. The trip also featured a number of fun and fascinating day trips. I took Theater in London and British Literature, and both classes were fascinating. Not only did I learn a lot, but the Literature class often took place outside, at the locations the novels we were reading featured. Definitely the coolest classes of my entire college career. I would recommend this program to anyone and everyone.

Finally I had a chance to go to the UK and as a bonus I could pay for it with student loans. I spent 6 weeks in the UK. We landed in Edinburgh and stayed for about 5 days. Then we took the train to London where we attended Imperial College for 5 weeks. Imperial College was amazing. The ladies who coordinated our plans in the UK were wonderful and planned so many activities that were already on my wish list, saving me time and effort. Even with everything they had planned and the classes I attended, I still had plenty of time to see and learn all I wanted in this wonderful country. USAC runs an amazing program and I hope to use them again next summer to see Italy. Take the time and study abroad!

I loved my time in London and am so thankful for the opportunity. I loved walking around the city. Going on walks made me really get to know the city and by the end of my time there I felt as if I was completely immersed.

It seriously felt as if life in London never stopped moving. There were concerts every night, pubs on every corner, free museums, fashion shows, markets, award shows and so many historical buildings. There were so many things to do that I couldn't accomplish them all in the four months I was there.

It was truly a life changing experience. The only problem I ever had was coming up with enough money to do all of the things I wanted to do. It's a very expensive city but in my opinion, well worth it.

I've always heard exciting stories of students studying abroad and have personally known two close friends who have went to Italy and France. Even then I just never thought that I could take the plunge myself. Both my friends were very outgoing and adventurous, an attribute I thought was necessary to participate in such a program. However, there was always a part of me that longed to live, learn, and experience the world beyond my comfortable bubble. At first, there was so many excuses I made in my head that made me doubt, but the advisers at USAC really helped me to see that studying abroad isn't as scary as I thought. They always replied efficiently to any of my questions, were at the office to ease my anxiety, and provided support from other study abroad students. I'm glad to say that this work ethic really continued on at London. They did a wonderful job of providing opportunities to meet up with other USAC students to tour some amazing places (Greenwich and Hampton Court) and see some amazing plays. In addition, they were always emailing us about different travel options and day trips that were within a student's budget which was great; and which I took full advantage of! Besides the care from the USAC staff, London itself was just as great as the stories.Despite my fears, it's so easy to meet new characters, make friends and just immerse yourself in the community. Having never used public transportation by myself before, I was amazed at how quickly I could navigate around on the tube, DLR, and buses. By the third week I was feeling like a native! I honestly believe that having the opportunity to live in another country - not just visit - is truly a life changing experience. While in some ways you realize that the world is so much bigger than you've imagined, it also teaches you that it is not as daunting. Past the pacific ocean there are so many interesting people and cultures that, once explored, will impact you for the better.