Reflecting on my study abroad experience as a whole, I would not have changed a thing. This past semester has been one of the greatest learning curves in my life, thus far. I am so grateful I was able to experience living in a different country and would do it again in a heartbeat. I gained an insurmountable amount of life lessons and experiences. I will always carry my memories of my European semester with me. Without a doubt, I would recommend studying abroad to anyone who is considering.
In terms of adjusting to the culture in London, I can honestly say it wasn’t a drastic difference from living in a big city in America. I personally think London has a lot of similarities to New York City in terms of day-to-day life. Although, London’s cleanliness and safeness stood out to me. I noticed most Londoners take a different approach to how they view politics and were very intrigued by my opinions on American politics. As for my university experience, I honestly don’t have the highest remarks. The area was very far east from central London, which at times was frustrating if my commute was upwards of thirty minutes. The school was located in a grungy area, and I found myself constantly wanting to be out and about to spend as little time possible on my campus. It took time to adjust and locate places I would need to frequent within my area because of the lack of amenities in the neighborhood. While England is obviously an English-speaking country, the slight difference in vocabulary also took adjusting.
I fell in love with London during my time abroad so much so that I would consider permanently moving there at some point in my adult life. I did miss home and certain parts of my native country at times but felt generally very comfortable settling into a new home away from home. My only complaint about the semester was the Queen Mary aspect. I think I would have been much happier at a different, more central university.
Someone from my host culture would view my experience as mind-opening. I was introduced to new cultures and was alone in unfamiliar territory. They may say it’s a bold undertaking to move to a completely foreign country for a few months and immerse in a different style of learning and living. I think many people would also jump on this sort of opportunity, so seeing a study abroad student in their home country potentially inspired them to visit new places. Hopefully, those who I interacted with learned as much from me as I did from them.
Future cultural misunderstandings and conflicts may arise, but I think it’s important to be patient and listen to other perspectives. There isn’t a right answer when it comes to cultural differences, so listening and thoughtfully responding is important. I personally think when a foreigner is in a local’s country it is of the upmost importance to respect their way of life. While people don’t need to change their views for others, it comes down to being mindful and respectful.