This semester, I am studying at Queen Mary University of London for my GW Exchange program. My initial reaction to London was confusion and intimidation. After getting off the plane, I took public transportation to Queen Mary’s campus. Compared to D.C.’s public transportation, London has many more train lines and stops. I thought I’d never be able to figure out how to use the trains. By my first week, I had been able to figure out how to get places roughly. With the aid of maps on my phone, I found public transportation to be less intimidating.
Recently, a few friends and I took a day trip to Stonehenge and Bath using the trains. Trainpal is an easy app to use, that suggests affordable trains to plan trips. It took approximately two hours and a half to get to Salisbury Station from Waterloo Station. From Salisbury Station, there are very accommodating taxis to take you directly to Stonehenge. The taxi drivers in that area are extremely hospitable and provide suggestions about what to do in the town of Salisbury. While people often rave about the actual stones at Stonehenge, I found the area around the main monuments fun to explore. Around Stonehenge, you are able to walk with cows and see sheep on the vast grasslands. From Stonehenge, we went to Bath, a small town known for its Roman baths and architecture. Bath is also where a lot of Jane Austen's novels take place and scenes from the Netflix show Bridgerton was filmed. We walked around the Jane Austen Center’s souvenir shop which pays homage to her novels and its characters. Bath is walkable so we were able to see many landmarks such as The Royal Crescent and Bath Abbey. From Bridgerton, the Modiste which is Bath’s Abbey Deli, and Lady Danbury’s which is The Holbourne Museum were also open to the public to see.
Studying abroad can initially seem very daunting. Personally, exploring the city and cities around London has helped me conquer any anxieties I had about not being able to adjust to the city or make friends. Other study abroad students are also excited to go on trips, so a good way to make friends is planning trips with a few acquaintances to get to know them better.
Tabina Rehman
Fall 2024
GW Exchange - Queen Mary, University of London
Columbian College of Arts & Sciences
Political Science Major