My London Scholars Experience
When I applied to college, I had no idea what to expect. I was already a bit intimidated by the fact that I was leaving my familiar home in the suburbs of Chicago for a brand new place where I didn’t know anyone. Applying to Northeastern, all I knew was the Boston campus. I did my research before applying and knew all the ins and outs of life as a freshman in Boston; living in traditional residence halls, on a classic college campus. I thought I knew what I was getting myself into; that was, until I got admitted into the London Scholars program. Although it wasn’t what I was originally expecting, it ended up being the experience of a lifetime.
We all know what life on Northeastern’s Boston campus looks like, but what does life look like when you spend your freshman year of college at Northeastern University London? There was almost too much to love about my life in London. Living in East London, just a block away from Spitalfields Market in the heart of the city, the options were endless. No matter who you are and what you enjoy, there is constantly something new to do or see or try. I particularly loved taking advantage of the wide assortment of restaurants, concerts, and musicals just a short walk or tube ride away from where I lived.
For me, a typical day in London would vary at times, but would overall stay pretty standardized. Developing a daily routine was helpful to bring some normalcy to a life I was not yet used to. I would wake up, make breakfast and get myself ready for the day as quickly as possible. In London we lived in private flats, which is traditional university housing in the UK. These include our own kitchens and private bathrooms, which was perfect for me because I have always preferred cooking my own food and having my own room. As a first year, this was a novelty I did not appreciate enough at the time.
Then I would begin my twenty-five minute walk to class from my apartment building. I usually would find friends to walk to class with so we could spend the walk catching up on life, but even when I did the walk alone, it didn’t bother me because the views on this walk were unforgettable. To this day, I can’t believe that on my walk to class every day I would just casually pass the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, two of London’s most popular tourist attractions. Not to mention the London campus, located in St. Katherine’s Docs, also has views of the London skyline and Tower Bridge.
Having to walk twenty-five minutes to school every day was definitely an adjustment from driving to school every day in high school. But I actually grew to love it. London is an extremely walkable city with an amazing public transportation system; no matter where you are, you can always find public transportation to take you where you need to go. But even better, you can walk everywhere! This made the city so much more accessible then I had ever experienced before, and it made it so much easier to explore every part of the city possible in my free time. Over time, I came to really enjoy my walk to and from campus to get some fresh air and spend some time outside.
Once I got to campus I went straight to class. Classes were around 90 minutes long, and class sizes were quite comparable to high school. Most of my classes only had around twenty-five students, which I appreciated because it made it a lot easier to get to know classmates better. I was also in the Explore program (Northeastern’s program for undecided students) which meant I was taking a wide range of classes in different areas.
My favorite class was definitely British Drama and the London Stage. We got to see a ton of cool shows on the West End for class which was an amazing way to explore the city and its culture. For example, we got to go see the play My Neighbor Totoro, and not only was it incredible, but the theatre was located in an area of London I had never been to before. Luckily, it was quite normal for all of my classes to take us on excursions, which meant I got plenty of opportunities to explore the city in and out of the classroom. Truly, being in London was one of the best ways to take advantage of Northeastern’s experiential learning model and it ended up being the way I learn best.
Then I’d go get lunch. One thing about the London campus is that it’s quite small, so it was never hard to find a friend or two already on campus to go get some lunch with. The campus is also quite cozy, with plenty of good spots to hang out with friends or study. The usual lunch would be heading to the nearby Tesco (grocery store) for a three-pound meal deal, which included a main, side and drink. Because I had a kitchen in London, I was not on a dining plan; this made having good food options near campus a huge bonus.
From there, I usually would get some homework done on campus between my classes. It was always a special day when I could find a study spot with a view of the city or the Thames, although the view would easily distract me from my homework. Following some homework time I usually had another class or two then would head home for the day.
Even on my busy work days, I always loved trying a new restaurant for dinner. With so many options in and around Spitalfields, it was hard to resist eating out, especially when getting food is an excellent excuse to spend some time with friends. But no matter what, after school friendship time was always essential. Our apartment building had a lot of fun spaces to hang with friends including a karaoke room and a rooftop deck with gorgeous views of London. Watching the sun set in ombre oranges every night became the norm, and I miss it every day.
All in all, London Scholars was definitely an experience I will never forget. In high school, I never would’ve imagined my first year at Northeastern to involve moving to a different country and walking past iconic landmarks daily. It wasn’t what I was expecting, but it ended up being so much more.
