Hello!
My spring semester began a little earlier than the folks studying on campus at LC because I am currently on a study abroad program in London! I’ve been here for just under a month already and it has been a whirlwind of insane logistics, adjusting to cultural differences, and trying to cram as many things as possible into a semester.
Just a quick overview of my program: I’m on the LC Fine Arts program, so all of my classes and most of my activities have a fine arts lens. I’m taking four classes– so a 16 credit semester– one in music, one in contemporary art, one in theatre, and one in contemporary British politics and history. In addition to the courses, as a program we typically have a weekly meeting with all the students and our program leader, who is an LC faculty member, and then at least one activity per week. This is usually a concert or show of some sort because of the fine arts nature of the program.
While I’ll be writing throughout the semester about what my life as a student is like and what London is like, I wanted to first give a brief overview of what it was like to arrive as an exchange student and how Lewis and Clark supported us through the transition.
The Overseas Office was really helpful prior to the program. They helped us with things like visa questions, covid preparation, and tips about booking our flights. They kept us informed and connected with the third-party institution that runs our classes and housing, the Foundation for International Education.
Once we arrived in London, it was a little bit harder to navigate. There was a lot of paperwork we were required to have prior to boarding. Immigration and customs can be a daunting experience, especially when traveling to the US from abroad, but the new UK system of E-gates made our immigration experience really simple. Thanks to our US passports, we were able to enter the UK on a tourist visa rather than applying for a student visa, which made the entire process a lot easier than it might have been.
Trying to figure out the COVID-19 procedures of another country was no small task, especially since the rules around testing and isolation are continuously in flux. I ended up isolating for around a day and a half waiting for my test results to come back, and this was honestly the most difficult part about arriving in London.
Once I was allowed out of quarantine I had a few orientation activities to do, like a tour of the city and seeing a show with my study abroad group.
All in all, I still don’t feel fully settled in London. It’s a hard adjustment with the time difference, and while I am grateful that I am studying in a country where I know the language, there is a bit of a culture shock. Studying abroad had been absolutely amazing, and I am not even a third into my program, but I would not recommend it for those who get homesick easily.
It has also been difficult watching the Lewis and Clark campus come back to life. I miss my friends and community in Portland dearly, and it’s almost as if I’m watching everyone else move on and grow up without me.
Still, I am very glad to be in London, and extremely grateful for the opportunity presented to me! It’s nice to get a different perspective from that on Palatine Hill, and some worldly experiences outside of Portland. I hope to keep you all updated on the kinds of things LC abroad programs allow their students to accomplish!
