For those who choose to do it, studying abroad is one of the most exciting parts of your time at college. For me, at least, it has been. What's not to be excited about? You take a few classes, explore a different part of the world, and meet new people, all during three months.
Many students, when entering an abroad program, tend to idealize the experience. While there is nothing wrong with that, it often leads to overlooking the academic aspect of the experience. When I applied to this program, I had no idea what to expect, but I had many uncertainties. How hard will it be to make friends, how will I get used to the learning system, will I like the country I'm going to, etc, were a few worries I had in my mind. After spending my first month and a half here, there are a few things I would like to share. Although I will expand more about one of those, I’ll highlight shortly two points that are essential for a good experience.
First, do your best to explore your host city/country.
I feel a lot of people get really excited about all the traveling they can do, and forget all the things their host country can offer. If you are considering London as a destination, it is a great city with so many things to do, but be prepared to spend a lot of money; when they say that London is expensive, it's an understatement.
Second thing, and most important, in my opinion, for the whole experience, put yourself out there.
It's definitely nice to stick with your GWU group, but try your best to meet people from your host country. You’re going to learn so much more about the culture, the city, and even yourself by stepping outside your comfort zone. Meeting the right group of people definitely makes your experience, and with them is where your best memories are going to come from.
The last thing, and the main one I wanted to talk about, is: don’t forget about school.
Studying abroad is an enriching experience in terms of friends, travel, adaptation, culture, and, very importantly, learning too. I’m currently participating in an exchange program in London. Exchange programs immerse you fully and independently into your host school and country. This means you’re a bit on your own when it comes to adapting. For all who come to London, more specifically Queen Mary University of London, you will find that the UK school system is very different from the US system. In Queen Mary, the learning experience is very individual. You don’t get points for attending classes and for participating because they find this to be something you’re supposed to do and not something to be incentivized. They also don’t assign much homework, but rather rely on students to responsibly do their readings before each class. Basically, the teachers leave the students a heavier responsibility to keep up, but also let them personalize their engagement.
With all this said, you’re going to find that things move more slowly and that you have more free time than usual. This can be very dangerous. When I first got here and found that out, it sounded ideal. Since there were no due dates for weekly reading assignments, I started postponing them, thinking I would eventually catch up and be ok with the lectures. Everything felt ok until October arrived, and suddenly, all my learning piled up. Courses here may not have weekly homework, but the few big assignments they have towards the middle of the semester count for a big part of your grade. So even though at the start it can seem very mellow and relaxed, not keeping up on your own can have consequences. That’s exactly what happened to me. I sat in the back seat the first month, with no worries, and in October, I feel like I’m trying to keep up every week.
What I want to communicate with my experience is not only to be responsible for your courses, because you’ll get bad grades. You can gain just as much from your courses as you do from your experiences outside the classroom. As the school system is different, the class content and professors are too.
My final message: your time abroad is precious.
Travel, visit, eat, enjoy, but don’t forget about the privilege you have of studying in another country. Take advantage of the connections you can make academically. Take time to not only study for your classes but also enjoy them and get to know your professors; each has a unique background and culture. The key is balance.
Jorge Alejandro Soto Reyes
Fall 2025
GW Exchange - Queen Mary, University of London
School of Business
Accountancy Major