Balancing Academics and Exploration in London

For most students, me included, studying and attending classes isn’t always the most exciting aspect of being abroad. But between all the events and travel, it’s important to make time for academics.  

Academic culture shock 

This summer I studied at University of Westminster in London, and one of the things that gave me the most culture shock was the UK grading system. Unlike in the U.S. where we are all shooting for 90s and 95s, it’s a big accomplishment to receive a 60 here. The grading system is much stricter and I found it difficult to comprehend at first. But I took time to learn how to navigate it and recommend anyone studying in the UK for the first time do the same. 

On top of this, classes are much more self-guided. While we were given lots of suggested texts and independent reading to deepen our understanding of what we were learning in class, and were only graded on one or two assignments for the entire course. This was surprising—typically in the U.S., my grade is based on a myriad of different assignments. 

This means it’s important not to fall behind on coursework or miss classes. It can be tempting to skip classes, especially if attendance isn’t graded, but to truly immerse yourself in local culture, it’s important to leave your housing every day and go to class. This got me out of my apartment and into the city every day. I lived about 40 minutes away, so I had to fight the urge to sleep in. But getting out early in the morning for school led me to explore more of the city each day. 

Classes that get you out and about 

While you may be worried about class taking up a lot of your time, in my experience, teachers understand that exploration is a priority. Many of my classmates and I visited different sites and museums through our classes. During Crime and The London Underworld, we visited an area of London where the organized crime family we discussed in class lived and grew up. It was super interesting to learn about a topic in class and then get to see where everything actually happened! 

Overall, it’s undoubtedly important that academics be one of your top priorities abroad, but don’t let the stress of classes or assignments keep you from a full experience. Go out and do things and explore all the amazing things around you—just don’t forget why you are there! 

Abby L. | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor | University of Westminster Summer, England | Summer 2025