Reflections on My Study Abroad
Like some of my peers, I was excited yet nervous to go on a study abroad. You may think that I would be less nervous because I am an international student after all, so being at Dartmouth is studying abroad for me. However, adapting to a different country brings its own unique challenges. Despite the setbacks, I am glad I went on a study abroad in London for English and Creative Writing. Keep reading to find out why!
- No. 1
Learning
Being in London and taking classes at Queen Mary University of London was a phenomenal learning experience. I have taken my favorite English class ever in Queen Mary: London Performance Now. For this class, we went to see different performances each week. I never had the chance to analyze an artistic work this relevant and contemporary in an academic setting, so the class felt incredibly refreshing and inspiring. I liked all of the classes I took at Queen Mary, not only because the material was interesting and important, but also because the lecturers took advantage in teaching in a city as culturally diverse and exciting as London. For instance, for Queering Utopia, we went to Bishopsgate Institute to view their LGBTQIA+ archives.
- No. 2
Exploration
Outside of class, I had plenty of time to explore on my own because we spent less time in the classroom compared to Dartmouth. My favorite types of personal excursions were to bookstores, art venues, and street markets. One of my favorite bookstores was Word on Water, a bookstore on a boat! Really close to Word on Water is a bookstore called Housmans, another personal favorite, in which Professor Alexander Chee's book was a staff pick, who traveled with us to London as part of the program. Speaking of Professor Chee, he also organized group excursions that helped us explore London. My favorite excursions were to plays we watched as a cohort. What I appreciated the most about the program was that opportunities were made as accessible to us as possible in an expensive city like Dartmouth. Not only did financial aid cover all my costs, including food and board, but Dartmouth also provided us transportation cards to use as much as we wanted throughout our term abroad. Not to mention that all Dartmouth planned excursions were completely free of charge.
- No. 3
Connections
What scared me the most about my study abroad was being away from the friends I made at Dartmouth. However, my worries soon subsided, as I realized I had plenty of connections in London I formed thanks to my time at Dartmouth. One of my closest friends on campus was doing an exchange program at University College London through Dartmouth's economics department. A few fellow Spare Rib members, the feminist magazine on campus, were also participating in the English Foreign Study Program. Not to mention a Dartmouth '23, a recent alum, who was in Oxford, starting her postgraduate degree in archeology. I realized how the connections I make at Dartmouth span countries.