Reflecting on my experience at Queen Mary and London in general thus far, I can honestly say there has not been a significant moment of cultural confrontation. The language and manner in which certain things are done have proven to be different than what I am used to in the US, but I can’t say they have led me to frustration. I have had to get used to some of the terminology, such as “takeaway” for “take out” or “toilets” for “restroom.” While interacting with some of the locals, I have noticed that the humor and sarcasm are different, but I appreciate another perspective and conversation format. While dining out at restaurants, I have had to get used to the system in which they pay for meals in the sense that, rather than the waiter being constantly attentive and checking in on your table, the diners are urged to flag down the waiter to settle up. I like how it makes you feel like you aren’t being rushed out of the restaurant and can enjoy your meal as long as you please, but I sometimes find this to be inconvenient if you aren’t looking for a lengthy experience.
The biggest issue I’ve encountered at Queen Mary was during the first couple weeks when I was trying to arrange my “timetable,” or schedule, and being unable to see the times of the courses to ensure they wouldn’t conflict with one another. I ended up adding and dropping course towards the end of the add/drop period, which set me at a disadvantage, but I have been able to get caught up from my late start. Also, the faculty at Queen Mary went on strike for three weeks for being underpaid, among other reasons, which skewed my routine of attending class.
I don’t feel as involved with my peers in my classes and feel less apart of a community than I do at Rollins. The frequency of assignments at Rollins promotes more of an environment to constantly bond with other students throughout the semester, but because Queen Mary modules are mostly lecture based, there is less of an opportunity to interact with my classmates. There is more pressure on the final assignments at the end of the semester because my grades are heavily based on them. I don’t mind the different formats of the courses at Queen Mary; I just find it to be different.