This past summer a group of 12 Montclair State University students studied abroad in London, England for the month of July. Along with them, about 120 other students from all over America studied and lived in the town of Surbiton.
Classes were at Kingston University, which was a 15-minute walk from their apartments. I participated in this journey during which students were able to adapt to a new culture and have experiences that made them grateful to be able to study abroad.
“I didn’t want to leave,” said Anthony Pistono, a senior at MSU. “My roommates and I acted like a family. We went out together almost every night and had the best time.”
He lived in my “flat” along with senior Christa Bramante, graduate student Caleb Prewitt and junior Kelsey Beckert. We all took classes for our majors and went on field trips to places such as Buckingham Palace, Stonehenge, Bath and Oxford. The classes were double sessions, which meant we went to class in the morning, took a break for lunch and then went back to class until four or went on a field trip led by the professor.
All students were placed in apartments in Surbiton called Seething Wells. Most were put in rooms with people who came from their state. This allowed students to bond with people that they could potentially meet up with when they returned home.
This also strengthened our group immensely, since there is a chance that we would not have met otherwise because MSU is on the larger side and we have different majors, like English and fine arts.
On the other hand, one student from our group, Matt Shalhoub, a senior at MSU, got placed in an apartment with students from Michigan State and spent the majority of his time with them.
“I would look over at our MSU group and feel like they should branch out more,” said Shalhoub. “I know they were having a good time, but I’m just really glad I got to meet so many people from another part of the U.S.”
However, because our courses related to our majors, I was able to meet other students from Georgia, Michigan, California, etc. and we still keep in contact today.
Meeting the locals was another fun experience for students since the pubs, grocery store and shops were conveniently located within walking distance of our apartments.
Many of the bartenders and older people in the pubs chatted with the students and asked how they were adapting to London’s culture.
“They were so down to earth and relaxed,” said Prewitt. “I felt comfortable talking to them about the places we visited while being there and they gave me some insider [tips] about other interesting places that we should check out in this large city.”
Transportation for the students was very accessible, since we were given an unlimited pass to use on the trains, buses and subways, better known as the “tube,” that worked for all six of London’s zones.
“I couldn’t believe how clean the tubes were,” said Kristen Brandoff, a graduate student at MSU. “I live in
New York, so it was a huge difference from the subways there, not to mention I felt a lot safer on the tube versus the subway.”
All of the MSU students were extremely excited to go to Abbey Road, made famous by the Beatles. Just by going to Abbey Road, we were joined by tourists from all over the world going to the same destination.
“The intersection was busy,” said Melissa Grant, a junior at MSU. “But the fact that you’re walking the same zebra walk the fab four did 40 years earlier gives you this incredible feeling that you’re a part of their world.”
Studying abroad in London allowed every student to return home with memories they will keep forever. The language may have been the same, but the culture was slower-paced, which allowed students to enjoy their time abroad seeing and learning a new cultural perspective.
One local I met at a coffee shop asked where I was from because of my accent, and he commented on how London is one of the most, if not the most, diverse city in the world.
At first we were worried that a month would be too long, but in the end we all ended up wishing that we had more time in this wonderful city.