I am truly grateful for the experience I had while in London. Going to London to study abroad had always been a dream of mine, that I still cannot believe I did. I have always had a fascination with the city’s history, culture, and global significance. I love how I got to experience many different cultures within just minutes away from each other. I chose to study abroad at the University of Roehampton. The campus was beautiful, the teachers were wonderful, and the University did an amazing job of welcoming us. They hosted a quiz night at the campus pub and made sure to be there for any situation we might have found ourselves in. The teachers made sure to stay in touch with us and made the classes super interesting. One of the classes I took was Digital Photography. I loved getting to see my classmate’s pictures and seeing London through their eyes. I really enjoyed this class and I feel more confident in my camera settings. I also took Gods of Classical Mythology. This class was so engrossed with literature about the Greek/Roman Gods and goddesses. I have a fascination with Greek/Roman mythology and the stories that these gods played in. My teacher did an excellent job at telling their stories and getting us involved in them. I chose to study abroad here through the program ISEP. ISEP was a great program that helped me each step of the way. The people involved at ISEP were so sweet and understanding throughout the whole process. The process is long and can feel like a whole lot of paperwork. However, they were amazing at keeping me on track and helping me cross bumps that came along the way.
While in London, I got to experience many great opportunities and meet amazing people. I am so truly grateful for the friends I have made on this journey as they helped make this a trip of a lifetime. I highly encourage making a friend group as soon as you feel comfortable. The memories I have with them truly made London so great and It made this big city feel so much more safe. Traveling into the city was just half the fun as well. Public transport is so easy and simple, Just put into your phone where you want to go on City Mappers and then hop on. This took me to Big Ben, London Bridge, Buckingham Places, Soho, Canary Street, and so much more. Seeing these well-known places and getting to experience this was insane. Soho is so rich in culture, the food was amazing, the shows were breathtaking, and the architecture was so gorgeous. Canbry Street was the street for shopping, I don’t think I’ve seen so many stores on a street. Then there was Harrods where I don’t think I’ve ever seen a mall that big. I felt that I was in a market for designer shops. The restaurants were so good, they even had a live singer.
I would also make sure to do some weekend travel if you can. I got to visit Paris, Croatia, and some of England’s countryside as well. I highly recommend visiting Dover, the cliffs are so pretty and the little town is so quiet. It was a good time to just wind down and relax. Paris was great, the food was amazing, and the culture is beautiful. However, Croatia was just as amazing. The culture and food were so good. The beaches and nightlife are so much fun. I stayed on the Spilt, however, there are so many little islands to visit each with their own culture. Croatia was my absolute favorite place I got to visit and I am so grateful that I got the opportunity to go.
This summer was a summer of a lifetime and I am so proud of myself for going and making these amazing memories. London was a dream that I can not believe I was able to fulfill. I am so thankful for the support I had from ISEP, UTC, and Roehampton on my journey. This experience will have you walking away with the values of living in the moment as studying abroad is impermanence. I held my experiences and relationships so closely during my journey as it would eventually come to an end. I now get to look back on everything I got to learn and experience, and for that I am grateful.
Addison Cross (BS Education) spent Summer 2024 studying abroad in London, England through ISEP. Addison had the following to say about studying abroad, “London is a city rich in culture. Make sure to soak it in all in and take time to enjoy it. London can be seen as a busy city but make sure to stop and look around once in a while, or you’ll miss something.”
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