Avdeep Dhillon
"The greatest experience for me, was finding "the old curiosity shop", the little hut-like store that inspired Charles Dickens' novel, built in the 1500's and still running as a store, sitting right in the middle of the LSE campus. I was blown away by the mere presence of something that had seen such evolution of time and objects around it."
I have always wanted to experience the advantages of study abroad. It was highly recommended by everyone that I heeded advice from. I chose my host institution the London School of Economics and Public Policy because they fit really well with Political Economy major.
For me, the most unique thing about London was its architecture. Every building had stories to tell as the construction ranged from the 16th century to the modern 2010's. Looking at the blend of the different buildings really sparked an interest in the history of the place. The greatest experience for me, was finding " the old curiosity shop", the little hut-like store that inspired Charles Dickens' novel, built in the 1500's and still running as a store, sitting right in the middle of the LSE campus. I was blown away by the mere presence of something that had seen such evolution of time and objects around it.
My biggest concern regarding study abroad was the financial limitations I had. I was pleased to find that my financial aid helped cover some of my tuition and expenses and that there were multiple scholarships available for me.
At LSE, a typical day consisted of waking up around 7 AM and going down to breakfast in the residential hall where I would eat with the people who regardless of our short time together, were already some of my best friends. Classes started around 9:30, so we would all bus or walk to campus together. The walk through the city of London was beautiful and full of hidden gems for us to find. Classes ended at 5PM with breaks and lunch in the middle. We would sometimes eat lunch sitting at edge of the river Thames. After 5, we would go home, refresh, eat dinner and embark on another adventure in the city, weather it was going to a harry potter themed escape room, a bar with a giant ball pit or seeing the Buckingham palace at night. During the weekends, we planned trips to places like Dover, Windsor, Oxford, France and Belgium.
During my summer at LSE, I took understanding the course: " Understanding Foreign Policy: the Diplomacy of War, Profit and Justice" and "The Middle East in Global Politics". Both courses had wonderful speakers and very engaging lectures. I was surprised at the similarity between LSE and Berkeley courses. The speakers, the lecture, the discussion section, and the exams felt very similar to all of my classes here at Berkeley.
The most memorable aspect for me was the wonderful people I met at LSE. I got to know people from every corner of the world and hang out with them in one of the most exciting cities in the world. Thanks to my study abroad experience, I now have friends from India, Singapore, Australia, Botswana, Ghana, and multiple U.S. states. I made my best memories with these diverse and highly intelligent people as we hiked the cliffs of dover, wandered into the castles of Oxford and Windsor, took day trains out to Paris and Brussels and flew out to Amsterdam for a weekend.
Studying abroad in London really helped me grow personally. From the moment of my landing, I was maneuvering the public transportation system of a whole new continent. From that point on, the personal growth never ceased as I interacted from people in every corner of the world and formed lifelong bonds, planned and organized international trips with my new formed friends, and interacted with my insightful course material and world renowned faculty.
I would highly recommend taking a part in LSE summer. It is an experience like no other and there is no better time to do it.