Maddy Phillips
After studying abroad in Israel for a semester in high school, I knew that I wanted to engage in more study abroad opportunities once I started college. I had extensively researched the Global Edge program before applying to Cal, and traveling to London suddenly became a reality as soon as I received my acceptance letter.
Studying abroad in London with the Global Edge program was the perfect opportunity to take required breadth courses and make new friends while living in a new city and exploring Europe!
I have a few favo(u)rites! At the beginning of our semester in London, our host institution, ACCENT International, arranged for us to have teatime at the British Museum. We enjoyed traditional scones with clotted cream and sipped Earl Grey tea with milk and sugar -- all whilst looking out into the unique and elegant architecture of the museum.
Another amazing experience was traveling to Iceland on a weekend trip with my flatmates! We swam in the Blue Lagoon and explored the capital city of Reykjavík by foot. Even though the temperatures there were consistently below freezing, we still had a wonderful time traveling that part of the country and becoming immersed in the breathtaking landscape.
My other weekend trips consisted of taking a train to Paris, flying to Amsterdam, and journeying to Durham and Newcastle upon Tyne in the north of England!
The biggest challenge of my study abroad experience was communicating with family and friends back home across different time zones. Coming from California, the time difference was about eight hours. Having this obstacle encouraged me to develop better time management skills in my day-to-day life and improve methods of communication with my friends and family.
After getting ready and having a cup of tea in the mornings, I would walk to the bus stop right around the corner from my flat to catch the red double-decker bus titled "205 to Paddington." I would take that bus only for a few stops until either switching onto another one labeled "73 to Oxford Circus" or taking the Tube from Angel Station to Tottenham Court Road Station. Either way, I would walk about two blocks thereafter to go to classes at our learning center in Bloomsbury. After classes, I would pick up a sandwich at Pret A Manger and coffee from Starbucks before exploring more of Central London.
In London, I took College Writing R4B, Calculus 1A, Global Studies 10B, and Introduction to Comparative Politics. The classes in London were easier than the courses at Berkeley in terms of the work assigned, but the material we learned in each class was almost identical to its Berkeley counterpart; the only slight exception to this was my College Writing R4B course. My R4B professor strove to make the city our classroom. Every week, our class would go on an excursion to various sites in London in order to experience London's incredible history first-hand and make the connection between famous literature and our surroundings.
The most meaningful aspect of my time abroad in London was truly living as a local and making friends from abroad. I also loved taking the Tube to different areas of London -- both in the city and throughout the suburbs. I even made it a goal of mine to ride every Underground line in the Tube system, and I proudly accomplished that goal on the last day of our program. Traveling around the city was very easy and exciting -- there's so much to see in London!
Studying abroad has changed me completely. Prior to my high school study abroad program in Israel, I had never been abroad and yearned to travel the world. Living in both Israel and London has given me a new worldly perspective and has introduced me to a multitude of cultures, cuisines, and customs.
I'm excited to participate in future study abroad programs and global internships!
Go for it! Living in a new country on your own inspires you to become more independent and to navigate your daily life both literally and figuratively. Also, London is an amazing city with lots of sites to see and places to visit! Global Edge is a unique start to your college career and definitely an experience to remember with lots of stories to share afterward . . . just go!