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By Raman Mama

One of the best parts of being in a European location during your study abroad is that you have the opportunity to see other primary cities in Europe.

My first stop in London was to Berlin - Germany's Capitol.

Getting to Berlin was relatively easy. I booked my flights through a website called Ryan Air, which is a premier option for students looking to travel on the cheap. The flights were about 50 pounds of 60 dollars all together. Then, I booked my hostel for about 15 dollars a night. Altogether, I was able to book flights and accommodations for less than 100 dollars, which is a pretty great deal.

When I was in Berlin, the weather was not great, but that didn't stop me from seeing all that I could..

I went to the Berlin Wall, Berlinische Galeria, and a very popular bookstore called "Another Country" where they host film clubs and dinners. I loved the bookstore because it was founded by a woman from London who one day, decided to open a store so she could share her collection with other people. I grabbed two new reads for myself.

...continue reading "Travelling in Europe – Berlin Edition"

By Raman Mama

Studying abroad in London has been quite a different academic experience. In the United States, courses have assignments that are due within two classes, and require your attendance. However, in London, there are rarely any assignments apart from a midterm and a final exam, or a paper rather than a midterm. As a result, classes in London require less attendance, and it’s not rare to see that students don’t usually attend. My experience has been that as a result, students focus more on studying the material outside of lecture sessions rather than attending them and taking notes.

This is similar to what I experienced in China as well. It seems that American schools are the only institutions that require such frequent attendance.

In my opinion, this suggests that European student are expected to be more independent learners. Rather than having constant gauge of what their grades are, and memorizing material, Europeans actually have to work to maintain a working knowledge of their academics, since they have fewer opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge.

Another major difference is that college in the UK lasts three years, rather than four. As a result, students here must have a very good idea of what it is they want to study. If a student here decides that they want to change their discipline, then they must start over, and do three more years. In America, school is four years, and costs much more. Most universities in the UK are about 7K, and loan repayment is very lax.

...continue reading "Academic Culture in London"

By Raman Mama

Looking back at the first week in your host country, what has happened, what are some of the challenges you faced have you overcome them, if so how? What things you are looking most forward to when you return to GW?

Looking back at my first week in London, it’s insane to believe that I’ve been here for two months. I think that I’ve grown a lot and seen a lot in the time that I have been here as a result of the challenges I’ve faced.

One of the immediate problems I faced was that my dorm was way too far outside of the city. I lived in a location called Stratford One, which was one the edge of central London, at the very last stop on the Jubilee line. I called the university and they were very gracious in allowing me to move to a dorm by the London Bridge, which made my time so far much better. Being so far would have had massive financial as well as social costs for me. Transportation would have been a huge burden, and it would have been much harder to see my friends.

One of the biggest challenges I faced immediately when I got here was making sure I had a daily / weekly routine. I wanted to establish one of these early on so that I didn’t feel like I was living in the city listlessly, and I wanted to feel like I was actually achieving things. This involved finding friends to hang out with, a place where I could grocery shop, and a gym. In the beginning, I was anxious that I hadn’t found these things within the first couple of days. However, within two weeks, all of them had fallen into place. I was concerned originally that it would be hard for me to make friends to hang out with and be social with, but the people on my floor have been extremely welcoming. One lesson that I learned from this is that getting into a routine and getting comfortable in a new place is extremely difficult.

...continue reading "Looking back at the first week."

Cheers from London!

Well, that is from my last week in London... it's so wild that this incredible semester is wrapping up into its final week. It seems like 5 months is almost the same as 5 minutes, as time has flown by faster than I could have ever imagined.

This semester I've had the opportunity to continue my work with LGBTQ+ students. Honestly, this is one of my most passionate involvements. As a student who identifies on the LGBTQ+ spectrum (and growing up in the south), I can personally relate to the issues and difficulties that face students like me. While many of our LGBTQ+ family members suffer from inquisitions and death threats throughout the world, one consistent trend among members of our community is that discrimination comes in many forms. It's up to us - and allies - to educate our communities about what it means to be gay, queer, trans, intersex, or however someone identifies.

...continue reading "Wrapping into an End"

By erbeeler

Have there been any current international or domestic issue that have affected your volunteer work/research, has your work become more relevant or has it been Hi there - this is my penultimate blog post... which makes me realize just how fast this experience in London is passing by. While it's definitely a sad post to think about, there's also the fact that I get the opportunity to think about and reflect upon the incredible experiences that I've had and the friends I've made here so far.

Also - just an update (mostly for my parents... hah!), but I've gotten some of my first sets of grades back from papers earlier this semester. I've been getting pretty good grades so far, and my professors have been commenting that they have really enjoyed working with me and reading my papers.

As for my volunteer work... there's recently been a release of a really important milestone: the 2017 Stonewall Workplace Equality Index in the UK. This recent report shows that the average UK company in the top 100 has an average 74% score, which illustrates a huge improvement in recent years. Over 439 employers and 91,248 employees across the UK participated in the survey, the largest number of submissions ever.

...continue reading "Hot off the Press: Stonewall Workplace Equality Index – 2017"

By erbeeler

First off, an update from London: this city has been so incredible so far. I'm finally feeling completely comfortable taking the Tube (the London metro system), can navigate my way around local sites with friends, and am actually really enjoying the modules at my university.

I've continued to get involved with the LGBTQ+ community on campus and throughout the city. As we discussed in my prior blogs, students coming from diverse backgrounds in the United States are much less likely to feel welcome and comfortable in the workplace. I've learned that while the situation is not quite as bad in the UK, it still is a phenomena that affects individuals here as well.

Just recently, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) released a survey in the UK to try and evaluate the experience of LGBTQ+ people in the workplace. Initiatives such as these are taking key steps to really help understand this issue here in the UK.

As for me, I've been continuing my involvement with some individuals at the King's Career Center, connected with multiple students through a flyer/outreach campaign, and am preparing for my first open-attendance meeting. I've also had the opportunity to stay involved with MyGWork (click to link to their website).

...continue reading "Keep Stepping Forward"

It's April 25 today, and Easter term has finally begun. It's been a really long break - 5 weeks to be precise. But these past few weeks have also been really exciting and adventurous, while simultaneously being quite tiring from constantly moving about. My wallet's also taken quite the battering, but the memories made and the places I've seen, smelled, and heard were unforgettable and worth every penny.

Before heading back to school-related matters, I thought that I'd dedicate this last blog post to one more travel experience that I had. This past weekend, I visited Geneva, Switzerland - an astoundingly beautiful and clean city. The city struck me as beautiful, less out of the organized structure and classy modern architecture and more out of the remarkable scenery, from the crystal clear waters of Lake Geneva to the snow capped peaks of the Alps. I was shocked by how clean and transparent Lake Geneva was - never had I witnessed a body of water next to a metropolis so untouched by pollution.

I've lived next to the Han River of Seoul, the Potomac of DC, and the Thames of London, and anyone can tell you at first glance that these rivers do not exactly seem like the best place to take a dip. Naturally, these cities are significantly larger and much more industrial than Geneva, so perhaps this would not be a fair comparison. Nonetheless, I was impressed by how pristine Lake Geneva looked, as well as the efforts made to keep the city clean and the surrounding natural landscape environmentally healthy.

On Lake Geneva, I took a ferry to a small Swiss town called Nyon. I walked through the small, yet lively marketplace and sat down for a fantastic lunch special at a French eatery. The dessert that concluded the course was to die for - a mouth-watering sampling of creme brulee, raspberry pudding, and chocolate mousse, along with an excellent cup of espresso that woke me right up. Despite being a lunch special, the price of the meal was quite pricey.

...continue reading "One last stop at Geneva"

By bmlee18

Prague was possibly one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen, especially during the day, when the sun shone brightly and accentuated the orange tiled roofs of homes and buildings. What was particularly convenient about the city was how easily accessible all the main sites were on foot. It certainly helped to have booked a centrally located accommodation (a charming studio right next to the train station), but generally, I found the city relatively easy to navigate. Now, there's no doubt that Prague could, at times, be rather confusing because of the winding roads that seemed to be devoid of organisation and planning - which could perhaps be said of many older European cities. But thanks to Google Maps, I was able to traverse from one end of Old Town to the other without much problem.

Walking along Charles Bridge was one of my favorite moments. Many have called the Charles Bridge as possibly the most beautiful bridge ever constructed, and true to this statement, the Gothic architecture did not fail to impress me. Adorned with Baroque statues and providing an exceptional view of Old Town behind and Malá Strana and Prague Castle up ahead, the bridge was packed with excited visitors and lined with street musicians and souvenir stalls. The particular day on which I had crossed the bridge and back was beautiful, with the Vltava River glistening from the sun and the pastel colours of nearby buildings all the more highlighted. The chit-chat and lively music further added to the animated atmosphere.

...continue reading "A colourful city – Prague"

By bmlee18

I remember first watching the classic film, Roman Holiday, starring the beautiful Audrey Hepburn and the charming Gregory Peck. The Rome that I saw in the film was spectacular, and who would've thought then that I would be able to see Rome for myself? After my travels to Capri, I spent four fantastic days touring the Italian capital, marveling at Roman ruins, sampling delicious dishes, and passing by famous Italian fashion brands and gaping at the price tags.

Rome was similar to, but nonetheless uniquely different from the other Italian cities I had visited such as Florence and Venice. While all of these places were bustling with large groups of tourists from all around the world, Rome was especially packed and busy. And given the large amounts of tourists, there were plenty of salesmen and tour guides, waving around their goods and approaching you from all angles possible. I was especially shocked at the Vatican, where I must have encountered at least 50 tour guides trying to sell me special tour packages and skip-the-line tickets as I was walking the relatively short distance from the St. Peter's Basilica to the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel.

I tend to be a pretty spontaneous traveller, ready to encounter and learn about a new place without extensive planning beforehand and figuring out things along the way. This worked out quite fine at the other destinations I had visited, and certainly added an element of adventure and surprise, but for the Vatican, I was totally wrong about choosing to go with the flow.

...continue reading "My ‘Roman Holiday’"

By bmlee18

Sapphire seas bluer than the sky, amber sunset blanketing the town, emerald trees providing a welcoming shade, and white brick houses reflecting the warm rays of sunshine. This was Capri, a beautiful island situated in Italy's Bay of Naples. As part of my travels to Italy, I decided to visit the small island famed for its lush and rugged landscape, breathtaking coves and grottoes, and boutique shops selling breezy linen shirts and handmade sandals that come attached with a "Made in Italy" tag.

My visit to Capri was particularly special because I was able to fulfill a small childhood dream of mine. As an elementary student, I was assigned to write a research paper and to present on the Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra), right off the coast of Capri. I remember collecting facts and pictures of the grotto, with the photos being particularly memorable because of their portrayal of the stunning blue color of the cavern's seawater. I had never fathomed that I would one day be able to take a small wooden rowboat through a narrow and tiny opening of the cave, witness the crystalline sapphire water light up the grotto, and hear the guide singing a few opera tunes and explaining how the grotto had once been the personal playground of Roman emperors.

The experience was much too short - perhaps no more than 10 minutes (probably more like 5 minutes) gawking at one of the most beautiful natural phenomenons to exist. While the cost advantage of the experience was somewhat questionable for the length of time we had spent, I can no doubt say that the Blue Grotto I saw that day was more stunning than the photos that I had used for my presentation 10+ years ago.

...continue reading "Capri – a gem off the Italian coast"