I have two pieces of advice for anyone thinking about this program in the future. Firstly, this is a study abroad, it is meant to be fun. That does not mean, however, that there is not work to be done and stressful situations. You will have to balance classes and an internship, or a full semester’s worth of classes if you elect to not complete an internship. I had an internship, so I can speak to this balance. Twenty hours (which is the required hours of the internship in this project) takes up a lot more of your time than you would think. You will likely have to work three or four days a week depending on the schedule, and then balance classes. Being in a new country with hundreds of things to do makes you also want to go out and have fun every night, but the amount of work you could have makes this unrealistic. My advice is to make a schedule or planned nights to just relax and recharge, or maybe do some light work. Constantly working and then going out every night can be exhausting, and burnout will occur faster than you would think. Nights where my flatmates and I just relaxed in our flat and did nothing brought some of the best memories, while also giving us much needed rest.
My other piece of advice revolves around exploring the new city. Yes, there will be many tourist activities to do and see and many nightclubs to have fun nights at, but do not miss hidden gems. When you first arrive at your location, take the first few weeks to explore all the popular tourist attractions and historical areas. Once these activities are done and you have a better idea of the culture and history of your city, EXPLORE. Some of my favorite places in London were not big tourist attractions, but small areas that I found beauty in. The picture below is a Pagoda located in Victoria Park in London. This is a park located in East London. This park is not a major tourist attraction or even one of the most famous parks in London, but something about it had me going back and back. There is a beautiful canal with houseboats that you can walk along, and then this park area the pagoda is located, which is full of tables, benches, and a pond. If I would not have taken the time to explore the city myself and only stuck to the most famous areas, I never would have found this gem.
