Looking Back and Forward

Study abroad is only four or five months, so it’s important to be intentional. Everyone I’ve met talks about making the most of their time in Europe. They want to travel as much as possible, make as many friends as possible, and have as much fun as possible. But it’s not just about doing the most; it’s about working toward your goals systematically. I know that I can’t just live willy-nilly and expect to have a feeling of closure at the end.

Now that I have reached the halfway point of my time in London, I want to look back at how far I have come. Altogether, I am immensely proud of my growth in the past few months. I came to another country by myself and have managed to build a full life. I have balanced academics, a social life, and everything that comes with living in a big city. Not everything has been easy and life is stressful at times, but I’ve made it my goal to push through and enjoy every moment.

One of my goals before leaving was to widen my political and social viewpoint. One of the biggest roadblocks in communication is the inability of one party to see things from the point of view of the other. By living among people from another culture and country, I have become acquainted with their point of view. I have seen their reaction to the pandemic, worker strikes, and the crisis in Ukraine. With my knowledge about world events coming from multiple sources, I have formed more well-rounded views. And even when I don’t agree, I have developed the important skill of staying civil and finding common ground where there seems to be none.

I don’t want to make it sound as though study abroad is all sunshine and rainbows. It is true that my experience has been overwhelmingly positive, but there are some regrets and things I want to do differently in the future. The culture in England makes it tough to reach out and make friends with locals because they can seem quite cold towards strangers. However, most are very nice when you get to know them a bit. Going forward, I want to talk to more locals. It would be a shame to live in London for five months and not do my best to get to know the Londoners. They are the people who make the city what it is.

Because of the way classes are structured in the UK, I only have a week of actual instruction left. After that we have a few months to turn in our final essays. However, I have a class that starts in the second half of the spring semester. The classes I have had were enjoyable, but I will admit that I did not always give 100% effort. Sometimes if I was tired or didn’t feel like talking I didn’t participate much in class. During the next few months as my last class starts, I want to really engage with the material and apply it. My teachers are experts in the material, so I want to really utilize them as a resource and be an active student as much as I can.

My third goal for the second half of my time in London is to be more intentional about my time. I want to make more of an effort to plan out my days and weeks in advance. This will allow me to get more done and have more time for everything I need to get done. I have implemented a no-phone-in-the-morning rule. I set two alarms: one to wake up, and one for an hour later. At the first one, I wake up and start my day; and I am not allowed to check my phone until the second one goes off. So now, instead of wasting an hour on Instagram in the morning, I have that hour to get ready and start my day off on the right foot.

I knew that the UK education system was different before I came to London, but it was different in a way that I didn’t expect. I had an idea in my head that British school was formal and stiff and serious. The reality is actually the opposite. Most university instructors are simultaneously conducting their own research or pursuing PhDs. They are called by their first names. There is also less pressure to attend class and a lot of students don’t seem to put a lot of effort into their studies. This threw me off at first because it made me feel like I stood out for participating in class, but I now understand that classes are more casual because of the emphasis on independent study.

Something that I didn’t expect to improve on, but did, is my general life skills. I go grocery shopping every week, I cook all my own meals, I navigate public transportation, and I make all those little decisions that are necessary every day. This has also improved my confidence because I know that I can be independent and live on my own.

I have undergone many changes in opinion in the past few months, but my opinion of myself has changed the most. When I was totally in my comfort zone, I never had a reason to have a strong personal identity. Now that I am among people who are different than me, I know who I am. I am an American, I am studying teaching, and most importantly, I am a Christian. I am sure that without being strong in these truths, and unashamed of them, I would not have the confidence or drive that I have now.