Study Ablog: Reminiscing about my Semester in England

Hi everyone! My name is Kaley and I am senior majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing. Last fall, I studied abroad at Royal Holloway University of London located in Egham, United Kingdom (right outside of London), and it was truly one of the best experiences of my life. I’m coming up on one year since I left for my study abroad program and the nostalgia is at an all time high!
Yesterday, I had lunch with my friend Eileen, who I met on our study abroad program (she’s a GW UHP student too!). We reminisced about our incredible adventures, like exploring the great city of London, enjoying a scenic train ride along the coast of Scotland, or simply laughing with our new friends over some ciders at the pub.
Studying abroad is such an incredible experience, it truly feels like a dream. I lived in a victorian castle in England, ate a baguette in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, took a boat ride on Loch Ness in Scotland, and soaked in the thermal baths of Budapest, just to name a few of the ways I spent my time!
In many ways, studying abroad is like being on an extended vacation. You get to explore new places, meet new people, and there is an incredible feeling of excitement and freedom that usually comes along with a vacation. Hopefully, you’ll have the opportunity to travel to other cities and countries too. There is nothing quite like the experience of seriously asking yourself “Hmm, do I want to go to Budapest next weekend, or Paris?” Pro tip: travel in Europe is super budget-friendly!
There are also many ways that studying abroad isn’t like an extended vacation, and really it’
s just life. Sometimes life is boring, stressful, or overwhelming. Life requires laundry to be done, rooms to be cleaned, and school work to be completed. But, that’s what’s so great about studying abroad– it’s a unique opportunity to experience life in a new way. I learned so much about myself, what I am capable of, and what is important to me.
If anyone is on the fence about studying abroad, I’d say 100% GO FOR IT! I was really intimidated by the idea of living in another country for a semester. In fact, I don’t think I fully decided to study abroad until I found myself on an airplane heading to London for three months, but I am so glad that I did!