London is one of the biggest cities in the world, with 8.8 million people and counting from so many different cultures and countries. With so much to explore, experience, and discover when abroad, I had to be conscious of the fact that I was also there to study — that this was not a semester-long vacation or holiday in any way. Balancing “study” with “abroad” was one of the finer balancing acts I had to do so that I can fully enjoy my time abroad.
My experience abroad, in trying to enjoy everything London had to offer, meant also finding joy in my studies and in academics. By virtue of continuing studies in college or university, you will always find some sort of class or topic you might not enjoy as much as you could. It’s an unfortunate rite of passage for many, including myself, and yet finding the silver lining, to me, is essential. But this is not a space for complaining, mainly because I found myself enjoying all four of my classes abroad and the people with whom I studied with. Treating my abroad classes with the same, and maybe even higher respect, that I give my GW classes was critical to managing my abroad experience because this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I’ve been ever so grateful for.
There were also multiple points in which “study” combined with “abroad” into one experience. For my British politics class, we had the opportunity to visit Parliament as a group and sit down with three Members of Parliament (MPs), coincidentally the day after the United States 2024 Election. We asked the MPs questions about their work, potential future policy, and how they got into politics in the first place. In another class, Museums and Audiences, the class was tasked with visiting a free on-campus exhibit put together by King’s College London (KCL) students and a partner organization — something I probably never would have done without the opportunity of studying this specific class at KCL.
Sophia Escobar
Fall 2024
GW Exchange - King's College London
Columbian College of Arts and Science
Political Science & American Studies Double Major