Story Location: England
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Living with Social Anxiety Abroad
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I always knew that I was an introverted person, but I did not know that I have social anxiety until the second year of college. I realized that had felt stressed and anxious in almost all social settings: from a theater rehearsal room, a Friday night party, or the cafeteria resounded with American small talks,…
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4 Common Myths About STEM Students Studying Abroad
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As you probably know, STEM students continue to be the minority of those who study abroad in their undergraduate study. Many STEM students either think it is impossible for them to study abroad or feel like it’d be a burden. Let me assure you: those conceptions are not necessarily true. Myth #1: It Doesn’t Fit…
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Embracing Discomfort: Studying the Arts in London as an East Asian
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“There will never be a place where I can fully belong.”This is what I wrote down on Facebook, right before the plane took off to London, the city where I would stay for the next six months. All kinds of anxieties started to upsurge into my body, and one of them is the fear of…
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Why I Chose to Study a Full Year Abroad in London
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While many students are beginning to reflect back on their fall study abroad experiences, I am only halfway through my full year abroad. Sometimes I worry about what I will be missing at home in the spring, and I definitely miss my friends and family back home in the United States, but I think that…
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A Love Letter to the East End
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Online research about the East End would have you thinking that the most significant part about it was Jack the Ripper. However, London’s EastEnders and those such as myself who have had the opportunity to live here would most certainly disagree. As I prepare to leave my home of the last three months, I am…
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Being Black and Muslim in London
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Studying in a foreign environment, as exciting as it is, can be a little daunting. For students who identify as members of marginalized groups, transitioning can be even more difficult. As I was preparing to study abroad, I remember hearing that only 5% of Black students travelled abroad, and I found this statistic to be…
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What’s It Like Being Queer in London?
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What is the experience of being queer abroad like? It’s about understanding the nuances of your sexual identity and finding a community for yourself. This is what I learned from my friend Julianna, a junior from Wesleyan University studying at Queen Mary, University of London. In the busy coffee shop on Queen Mary’s campus we talked…
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Engaging in Uncomfortable Discussions about Race
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In London, I’ve experienced similar challenges with micro-aggressions (aka “casual racism”) as I have in the U.S. Like the United States, the UK has its own set of racial tensions that inhabit college campuses and the greater London community. In the conversations that I have had with other students of color, similar sentiments about the…
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Coming Out: The Abroad Edition
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I have always felt uncomfortable about the phrase “coming out” because of the inherent implication about there being a “normal” or “standard” sexuality, while others are regarded as “other” or “strange.” This past summer, I had to wrestle with this concept. I spent a lot of time thinking about my own sexuality. After many conversations…
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Coping with Recent Media Attention to Sexual Assault, and other Title IX Issues Abroad
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Please note: While this story was written by a student studying in London and offer London-specific resources at the end, the content is relevant for all students, regardless of program location.Recently I have noticed a lot of media attention to issues related to sexual harassment. Each time I visit a social media platform, I see…
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