When sitting in my first class, I did not feel like King’s College London was much different from GWU. However, my opinion quickly changed after one week. Not only is the student body larger, but it is also more diverse. With students from Sri Lanka, China, Venezuela, Moldova, and more, every student has a very different background and approach.
This wide diversity of students allows for many different opinions and a great discussion in and out of classes. In classes such as the Integration of the European Union, having the views of students from Italy, France, and Romania provides a more comprehensive understanding of the EU’s impact as well as member states views of the EU. This also makes discussions more engaging as they challenge your worldview and require more research and various topics on my part.
The faculty at King’s college is also quite diverse. All of my professors are from countries outside of the UK including Italy, Brazil, China, and America. The different worldviews of the professors allow for more area-specific classes, such as the development of Brazil, which also means that they can provide firsthand accounts. For example, my professor for my China and Development class was born and raised in China. This means she has an invaluable firsthand knowledge of the topics she is teaching about.
There are also different biases present. When discussing the EU, my Italian professor subconsciously has a bias towards the EU and how it has been a positive presence for Europe. The important part is recognizing and understanding the slight bias they are teaching with as this can tell you more about them, their culture, and the country they are from. Studying at King’s has given me a more encompassing view of international affairs which I am excited to bring back to GW.
Another shock for me was that there was usually only one assignment for the whole semester. Sometimes this is an in-person exam and sometimes it is an essay. It is meant to be cumulative and is usually in early January. While this sounds great to most students because you don’t have to stress about exams for the whole semester, it is quite nerve-wracking to have one assignment make up your whole grade.
Interestingly enough, there is one week off in the middle of the semester called reading week. There are no assignments due then, it is just a time to catch up on any readings or go on a trip. One great thing about this is that you can relax throughout the semester and just focus on the readings and class discussions. Also, usually, the professor provides you with the essay prompts midway through the semester if not earlier. This allows you to do thorough research and preparation. However, one graded assignment means you do not know how the professor or TA grades. One assignment makes you focus more on the readings and lectures, however, if writing is not your strong suit it might be a difficult task.
While there are many differences between King’s and GWU, there are also some similarities. For example, there are just as many readings. As an International Affairs and International Business major, I always have lots of readings due and I can assure you this fact remains true even in another country. What is interesting is that some of the articles are from UK news sources, but there are also quite a lot of US news sources.
Studying abroad gives you a new and diverse worldview that can challenge your previous notions as you attend class with students and professors from different backgrounds. The coursework is an opportunity to improve writing skills and is perfect for anyone who dislikes midterms.
Jeanne Billings
Fall 2024
GW Exchange - King's College London
Elliott School of International Affairs
International Affairs & International Business Double Major