116 days, 11 countries, and the best decision of my entire life. 
It’s hard even to begin to summarize the life-changing, magical experience of studying abroad in London for four months. But hi! My name is Carly, and for those of you who are familiar with London, from January to May of this year, I lived in Kentish Town, a residential neighborhood just one tube stop north of Camden Town. I attended classes twice a week on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at London Metropolitan University, 20-30 minutes northeast of where I lived, with the campus being right next door to the Emirates Stadium.
With my schedule being essentially reversed (a weekend for school and a week worth of free days), I had the fortunate opportunity to both travel very frequently and explore the amazing city of London in depth. In my free time, I enjoyed seeing new boroughs of London, grabbing a matcha, hopping into bookstores, shops, or museums along the way. I did stay in London for a handful of weekends; however, I also visited many new cities and countries! Over the course of my semester, I visited 10 countries outside of England, including: the Czech Republic, Scotland, Spain, Ireland, Denmark, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, France, and Malta.
Each place I visited was unique and special in its own way, but London and England will forever hold a very special place in my heart. For practical reasons, London was the perfect home base. The convenience of taking a regional train to places like Oxford, Bath, and Brighton, or the Eurostar to Paris and Amsterdam was unmatched. The public transportation as a whole in the city is very well-connected and simple to navigate. Within the first few weeks, I was taking the tube without consulting my phone for directions and could confidently and safely get to my desired destination. I also loved walking as often as I could, with many of the major tourist attractions being within walking distance of each other, and popular boroughs being enjoyable to see by foot once I had chosen a place to spend the day in.
Additionally, it was very comforting to reside in a country without a language barrier. Though there are many cultural and conversational differences between the UK and the US, London felt familiar in that people there also speak English (and all of the signage and transportation is also in English). Additionally, I genuinely never ran out of things to do! London is a huge city, with countless activities, museums, shops, restaurants, parks, theatre productions, and sights to see – there is something for everyone.
I am undoubtedly biased to the comfort and brilliance of living in London, but regardless, I do think that the decision to step outside of your comfort zone and live somewhere new will change your life. For anyone thinking about studying abroad, I encourage you, if you can, to just go for it. It will be challenging, and you will be uncomfortable, but you’re not alone. If you have the opportunity to, like myself, seeing the world and experiencing other cultures at such a young age has broadened my perspective on so many things and made me a more open-minded and grateful person. Coming out of this incredible experience, I have become more independent, more confident, and more eager to try new things.
With that being said, I have a couple of tips for anyone preparing to or thinking about studying abroad for a semester that helped me:
- Document everything. As much as you can! – I journaled every single day, and produced vlogs for all of my trips. I can now account for every day abroad and also watch videos of all of my adventures!
- Try to maintain something from your routine at home while being in your new city. Whether that’s calling your family once a week, going to the gym, eating your favorite breakfast, meditating… it will help ground you.
- Come up with a system to organize your travel documents, information, and itineraries. Always make sure you are sharing trip information with family members and traveling in groups when possible.
- When traveling outside of your home country, always research where you’re staying, essential phrases/words in their language, and the local emergency number.
- It’s important to meet new people, talk to locals, and make new friends! At the same time, I highly encourage you to take yourself out to do things, spend time reflecting on your experiences, and make sure you are also prioritizing your interests.
At the end of the day, your experience is truly what you make of it, and your mindset is just as important. Studying abroad (twice now – I previously did an interterm course!) has easily been the most memorable part of my college experience.
They say home is where the heart is… but that’s not where mine lives. 🙂 See you soon, London!
Carly Waldorph
Major: Communication Studies
Semester: Spring 2026
Location: London, UK
University/Program: ISEP Direct | London Metropolitan University
