England – Page 8 – GW Blogs from Abroad

Time to Explore

AdminFebruary 17, 2014December 14, 2018

As it turns out, my blog from last week was slightly misleading—the opera that I was so excited for last Friday is taking place a month from Friday instead. Worse things have happened I suppose, but this week was an interesting one nonetheless. With my trip to Prague and Budapest next Tuesday, I was pressed to finish all my essays and classwork that I needed to hand in on time, but it was a compromise I was definitely willing to make. Part of my excitement in traveling to Eastern Europe is because of the money that I will ironically be saving by traveling and not staying in London. Everyone always says how London is so expensive, but until you get the chance to spend time in a country that uses the Euro, the true impact of the Pound doesn’t really hit you. This will be a nice get away for other reasons of course, but I must admit that this is one of the few downsides to studying in London. One of the upsides, however, is that missing a week of class really isn’t too bad considering the amount of time I have outside of class to do work.

As always, this mini-vacation I’ll be taking has not been planned out at all besides our living situation, and I expect this trip to be just as fun as the last. Although I end up writing a lot about how I don’t have too much work here at LSE, this is actually the last vacation I’ll be taking before hitchhiking to Croatia because of the work I need to catch up on. LSE is kind enough to give its students a six-week study period before finals (unlike GW’s unkind one week), which is a hint to the students that they need to be studying A LOT. This can definitely be a little daunting at first if you’re considering LSE, but it’s also reassuring that your grades do not carry over into your GPA at GW. I’ll be taking my exams in New York because of my internship, which will make for a pretty interesting exam experience combined with my work, but I can only work hard and hope for the best.

I will return from Prague and Budapest with what is hopefully an interesting blog post, and until then I hope that some prospective LSE students reading this blog are gathering some useful information. While I’m not burning through all of my cash in London, I hope Eastern Europe treats me well!

A New Home

AdminFebruary 11, 2014December 14, 2018

By anishag22

After two weeks abroad, I'm finally starting to settle in to my new home. A few posts ago, I told you all about how culture shocked I was upon arrival, but now things are beginning to feel much more normal. One thing I never thought about before coming abroad was the fact that I was coming to a new school halfway through the academic year. It never crossed my mind that British students here at Bristol would have already made friendships and connections from the previous semester.

Once I came to Bristol, my "newbie" status was very apparent. Lucky for me, my new flatmates could not have been more welcoming and inclusive. I truly feel so appreciative of the fact that my flatmates have gone out of their way to get to know me and spend time together. In a short time, they have taught me so much about British culture, and I love telling them about the way of life back home. Some of their American stereotypes are funny, some are true, but regardless it has been such a treat to be able to share American customs with my new English friends as I assimilate into their culture and way of life. As compared to London, people in Bristol have not met as many Americans, so it's always interesting to see their reactions when I tell them where I'm from. Choosing to study abroad in a smaller city in England was definitely the right choice for me because I have been able to see what this country is really like - I'm no longer asserting my "Americanness" abroad, but really finding ways to appreciate and understand this new country and culture. I'm looking forward to continuing this immersion process and getting to know Bristol even better in the coming weeks and months.

Until next time -

Xx, Anisha

Procrastination Nation

AdminFebruary 4, 2014December 14, 2018

By anishag22

Let's face it: Practically every college student is, in some way/shape/form, a procrastinator. We just vary in intensity (Putting off that paper until 2 days before the deadline, or 2 hours?). I'd classify myself as a medium to severe procrastinator - I often need that "jolt" of energy and an anxiety rush that only deadline pressure can give me. At GW, I feel that "rush" quite often - I'm in a semi-constant state of pressure and stress due to schoolwork along with all my other extracurricular commitments.

This semester, however, I will have a very different course structure. Goodbye to the weekly quizzes, biweekly tests, and even midterms. Hello to one final paper/exam that counts for 100% of your grade.

For a light or moderate procrastinator, this might not be an issue. But I'm starting to think that it could be a challenge for someone like me.

In the UK, there is a strong emphasis on independent study. You aren't given a syllabus that assigns specific reading per night, but rather a long list of books to consider which you are to individually choose from based on perceived relevance. You don't have 10 or 20 assignments that comprise your final grade, but instead usually one. UK students are expected to keep up with the coursework independently and do background research on the course topic.

With only one assessment that actually counts towards my grade, I'm not quite sure how I will get myself to be productive. Deadline pressure has just become normalized for us back home. I've thought about putting together my own syllabus that gives me self-imposed deadlines as a way to keep up.

Whatever the remedy, I'm sure it will all be fine in the end. Part of adapting to a new culture and country during study abroad is adapting to the academic system as well. Here's to self-imposed deadline pressure in the name of academic success!

Until next time -

Xx, Anisha

Shock Waves

AdminJanuary 31, 2014December 14, 2018

By anishag22

Hopping "across the pond" to England was thrilling, nerve-wracking and surreal, but this past week has been even crazier. I flew into London Heathrow where my program held a four-day orientation during which we were put up in a nice hotel and given plenty of free time to explore the city. Although I was concerned I would be the only student going to Bristol, I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered I would be one of seven girls headed there. The girls and I had a fabulous time galavanting through London and being typical American tourists before finally boarding our coach to Bristol on Wednesday. When we arrived in Bristol, I was incredibly nervous because it felt like freshman year all over again - new school, new dorm, new people and a new city I was completely unfamiliar with. The nervousness subsided, but what didn't was the culture shock.

Every student who decides to study abroad has been warned of culture shock - the various stages, the normalcy of it all. But I have to say that for some reason it just never quite clicked in my brain that I could experience it as deeply as I did my first few days in Bristol. As soon as we left London, the reality set in. Here at the University of Bristol I am living with 10 other girls on a floor, and they are all British. Granted, that's what I wanted from this abroad experience, but the cultural differences basically slapped me in the face upon arrival. Yes, they speak English, but I'm telling you it's not the same. I sometimes have trouble understanding their accents, and what's more there are probably thousands of British slang terms that I am completely unfamiliar with. Then there's the fact that I sometimes feel like Bristol is existing in a previous era. There are no trash chutes in my dorm, no garbage disposal in the kitchen, and no elevator to get me to the fifth floor (I know this sounds whiny but I'm honestly panting by the time I get to my floor). British fashion is also quite strange, like what's with all the Converse and hair scrunchies? The fact that I felt culture shock surprised me, and looking back now I'm not quite sure why I thought it simply wouldn't happen to me.

Despite the initial shock, the past few days have been a lot better - I like to believe that this is just an "adjustment period," and my American friends on my program and I are all experiencing the same thing together. Don't get me wrong, I'm loving Bristol, but being the minority within a majority culture is just harder than I thought it would be. It's also made me think differently about what the international students at GW must feel like, and now I know why many of them tend to stick by friends from their home country.

This is only week one for me, so I am optimistic about my assimilation process here in Bristol. The city is absolutely stunning and so quaint and charming - I definitely like it better than London, so I know I made the right decision. Becoming one with the Brits was a goal I set for myself for this study abroad experience because I have found that when I push myself out of my comfort zone, the best things happen. I could have chosen a bigger city with more Americans, but that's just too familiar for my taste. Here's to becoming a true Bristolian in the coming months!

Until next time -

Xx, Anisha

Out with the Old, in with the New

AdminJanuary 31, 2014December 14, 2018

By maxikaplan

Around this time four months ago I began writing my first blog post for GW, and this semester I’m lucky enough to get to do it again. For those who didn’t read my previous postings, I’m studying at the London School of Economics for my junior year, which means I get the pleasure of staying in this great city for approximately nine months. My previous blog, embarrassingly enough, read as more of a diary than a list of new experiences or places I’ve visited, and I do hope to make this one slightly more contextual. With that in mind, I thought it would be best to kick off my first post by talking a bit about the traveling I did throughout my 4 weeks winter break.

Since I wouldn’t be starting my traveling until the second week of my vacation, I spent the first mostly catching up on work I needed to do. At LSE, the incentives for getting work done during the year are close to none: your only grade throughout the entire year comes down to one final exam. After getting done what needed to be done, I took off for Paris with two of my good friends at school, both of whom find great pleasure in ridiculing me for the contents of this blog. This was, by far, my favorite vacation I had ever taken, because our plan was to have no plan, and it couldn’t have worked out better. When you don’t plan things like this, anything can happen, and our adventure included five cities: Paris, Brussels, Brugge, Berlin, and Dublin.

Although Paris was by far my favorite city, we got locked inside of a government building in Brussels, nearly hit by fireworks on New Years in Berlin, and ate some of the best chocolate of our lives in Brugge. This vacation did, unfortunately, hit pretty steeply into my wallet, but I don’t think I will ever in my life regret enjoying those three weeks to the fullest, because it is truly a once in a lifetime experience. Without going into every detail of the trip, it was, in short, a fantastic time. But what I look forward to even more is the next trip I’ll be taking in March through LSE: hitchhiking from London to Croatia. Totaling one week, with three days to get there and another three in Zagreb, this “vacation” is actually a charity event, where teams of three raise money and compete to see who can arrive in Zagreb first.

This semester is going to be a great one, especially since many of my close friends from GW will be joining me to study in London for their study abroad. This week, however, is shaping up to be one of a lot of reading and finance problem sets. Once I finish all of those, and bungee jump on Saturday, I will get back to you this time next week.

A Week in Paradise

AdminJanuary 31, 2014December 14, 2018

By maxikaplan

I cannot complain: Friday was the last week of class for my first term (what LSE calls Michaelmas term) and, as luck would have it, I have four weeks of vacation. I should say that this isn’t a complete vacation since LSE does expect students to study and review throughout the break, but it is as much of a vacation as I could ask for. If going to Paris, Berlin, Brussels and Dublin isn’t a vacation, I don’t know what is.

Within the last week or two I have seen a few friends I made in London actually leave to go home because their study abroad was for only one semester. This made me realize two things. First was that I have only been in London for two and a half months, which means I have much more to experience here than what I have seen thus far. Second, I could not believe how fast time had gone by, and how lucky I am to have the opportunity to stay in London all the way until June. In just a few months this city does feel somewhat like a new home to me, and leaving here will be just as hard as it was to leave GW and my family in New Jersey. But I have been reminded lately that senior year is closer than it seems as I start to find places for my friends and I to live when I am back. With all this talk of the future, let’s talk about what’s going on now.

I will not be leaving for Paris—the first leg of my trip—until a week from today, which means that I have a week to myself in London to read up on class material while exploring parts of London I have yet to see. Thankfully, this came on Saturday in the form of what is called Santacon, a worldwide event where thousands of people in different cities dress as Santa Claus and essentially have one big party in the city center. Unfortunately, this week will actually be a bit quieter since some of my friends have headed home for their vacation, but nonetheless I will take some time to go to museums I haven’t been to and finally see Les Miserables, which my uncle bought me a ticket to. I’ve taken this weekend to digest my school work—that is, not do any at all—and reflect on my time here in London so far, and I’ve really come to see how much I have to stop and appreciate what is going on since it is all happening so fast. Everybody I speak to always tells me to enjoy my time abroad because it will not be here forever, and there is no truer a statement.

My next blog post will be written for the first time ever outside of London! It will be my last post and I think that is a great way to end what has been a great experience in writing down my time here.

My Final ago

AdminJanuary 31, 2014December 14, 2018

By maxikaplan

There is good news and there is bad news. I'll start with the bad: this is my last blog post. But, the good news is that I will be writing a second blog through GW for my next semester at LSE as well. I am thankful that I don't have to say goodbye to you all yet, and that as I write this from Paris that I can continue to give my readers the inside scoop of study abroad. This isn't a post about how fabulous study abroad is and how it has changed my life, but since I have the chance to I thought I would say a few words about the small things I've learned over the past few months.

First, and probably most important to me, is the idea of getting out of your comfort zone. Whether in class, in school, or at an internship, getting uncomfortable provides opportunities for me that l would have never known existed. Coming to LSE for a year was something I knew would put me out of my comfort zone, and so far so good. No harm done.

Second, I don't know where I would be in my study abroad experience and life in general if I hadn't learned to accept and always meet new people. I generally find two types of people when it comes to this though; there are those who willingly put themselves out there to seek new friends, and those who stay on the sidelines and make excuses not to go out, talk to the student next to you, etc. I personally have seen both sides of this coin myself, and I can tell you that being the former person and not the latter will help you in ways you can't imagine.

My time in Paris thus far might be what has me worked up about all of this, but since I am on vacation I think these ideas are really just beginning to hit me. I hope they one day hit you too. For now, that is all, readers, and I will get back to you in January when I start writing again. Happy New Year!

Americans…

AdminJanuary 30, 2014December 14, 2018

By maxikaplan

A funny thing happened this week when I made a presentation in my Economic History of Britain class. My topic would not have been quite as intimidating were it not for the fact that I was speaking to a class of students primarily from Britain about why their motor industry had failed. To make matters worse, the state of the motor industry in the U.S. was needed as a comparison. And if that was not enough to make me watch my words, the president of the Economic History society at London School of Economics was in my class as well, ready to pick apart any flaw in my argument.

I was not too worried, however, about the reasoning behind my presentation because I thought that it was sound, and if I could back it up with facts then I knew it could not turn out too bad. What struck me as difficult was trying to maintain my audience’s trust without being too partial towards the success of the US and the failure of Britain’s industries. That is when I realized that the challenge of walking such a fine line is never an easy task but that it comes up incredibly often in life, and that LSE was, at least, preparing me for these situations that I’ll have to face at some point in the future. I’m thankful towards LSE for moments like this, even if it causes me quite a bit of stress.

After the week kicked off on that unusual note, I made a point to do more of what I have been guilty of not doing lately: seeing London. This is an especially busy time of year at school, and with a few interviews coming up I looked towards these excuses as a way to justify my lack of travel, but in the end we never really are satisfied with excuses. So I made my way with a friend to the northern part of London, which didn’t require much planning considering it was only a 20 minute bus ride away. But London can certainly amaze by how different sections of its city are that are so close-by to each other. With work building up it is always hard to remember to appreciate the city and my experience here in general, and each time I go for these mini-excursions I realize how much there is to appreciate. Our trip turned out to be an interesting night, culminating somehow at a jazz club that was incredible.

Thanksgiving is coming up, which means my next two weeks, and therefore my next two blog posts, should be particularly interesting. My brother is coming to visit me who studies in Austria, so I will have much to report. For now, it is back to work.

Maintaining Balance

AdminNovember 29, 2013December 14, 2018

By maxikaplan

Sometime studying abroad can feel like you are in your own world with all those new experiences thrown at you. But not going to the gym for two weeks, or not maintaining your daily routines and rituals as you would at home, will quickly bring you back to reality. I had the unfortunate experience of knowing how this feels, but the pendulum has swung the other way now, and I am have luckily gotten back on track. I wouldn't be surprised if there is another post similar to this about how to keep your routines in check while traveling, but I would like to share my own philosophies on this topic nonetheless.

Rule #1: Do what you would do with (most) of your daily routine as you would at home. If you are a runner, don’t be afraid to run in your city, just be careful when you do since the streets here can be a little messy, especially when, you know, they drive on the other side of the road. I didn’t get around to putting my running shoes on and touring the city until my second week here, and I wish I had done it sooner because it gives you an entirely fresh perspective on the layout of your city, and what the different neighborhood are like. The only reason I say “most” of your daily routines is just to be aware to not do anything “culturally unacceptable” as you might back home.

Rule #2: Sleep. I don’t need to elaborate on this too much, since it’s relatively similar to how you would do it at home, but I see a lot of students here who still try to operate on 5 hours a night. Traveling can take a lot out of you—get those ~8 hours.

Rule #3: Eat out. I find myself trying to save too much of my own money by not eating, when in reality it is most definitely worth the time to treat yourself right and take friends with you to eat at a new restaurant. This is your new home, and you should be trying out new restaurants the same way you would as if you were living here for the next few years.

Rule #4: This is more of a personal routine, but put your camera down occasionally. I promise that you will remember the sights you see for the rest of your life if they are truly worth remembering. Sometimes a phone camera in front of your face can take away from the true value of what you’re seeing.

These tips might sound a bit abrasive, but they have done me so much good for me here thus far. Joining the gym has begun to take the place of running for me as it begins to get colder out, but maintaining mental and physical health is just as important abroad as it is at home. Take care of yourself.

Back to Reality

AdminNovember 24, 2013December 14, 2018

By maxikaplan

This week is hitting like a ton of bricks. Unfortunately, there is no thanksgiving break in London (surprise), which means that on top of my family coming to visit I have a regular week of reading and schoolwork. As an added bonus, I will also be traveling to the good ol’ US of A in a week and a half for an interview that I have in New York. If there were ever a question of how well I can prioritize my time, this week will certainly answer that for me. Nonetheless, I am very excited for the coming weeks.

My brother, who is studying for his PhD in Vienna, Austria, will be coming to stay with me this week, and my aunt and uncle are arriving a day afterwards to spend the weekend with us. Although my parents weren’t able to make it for thanksgiving this year, I really could not have asked for a better group of people to spend my time with. And since they all are arriving the day after thanksgiving, a friend of mine from GW is taking me to thanksgiving dinner with her family—definitely something to be thankful for. Ten years from now, when I think about all my thanksgiving dinners that I’ve been to over the years, I suspect this year will rank quite highly on my list.

In light of all of this, my stress level is not down, but up, mostly due to me wondering how my time with my family and friends will be balanced between my schoolwork and interview preparation. I’ve come to realize that the more I stress myself out about these things, the less I get done and the more things I get done incorrectly. I know that it may sound counterintuitive, but taking the time off to look at your work and your daily routine objectively, is, for me at least, one of the best ways to actually get work done, especially while studying abroad. The more time I spend with my friends talking about things other than school, the better I focus. And the more time I spend thinking about things other than my interview, the harder I study for it after I finish relaxing. Since I’ve come to London I’ve learned that not letting stress overwhelm you is critical to succeeding in anything. I wrote a previous post titled ‘Stepping Up to the Plate’, and that one reinforces this theme quite well.

With all of that being said, it’s not a question of whether or not I will make it through the next few weeks; it is really only a question of how. Everything else is, as they say, rubbish. I would expect an interesting post for next week, and I look forward to writing that one. Happy Turkey Day ya’ll.