I was truly a bunch of nerves the entire day before my 9:30 pm flight from JFK in New York to Heathrow in London. I was worried about forgetting a bag or missing my flight in the moment, but I was also worried about #fomo (fear of missing out, a fairly new term that I found extremely relevant as I prepared to study abroad).
Yet now that I’m here, I can already tell that this trip is going to be life-changing. It’s almost like a second shot at starting anew in freshmen year of college: you get to campus with a specific image of what type of student, friend, and eventually employee you want to be. Sometimes, with all that’s going on, you don’t quite get it right the first time. I know my goals as a freshmen were to eat healthy, exercise daily, study hard, etc. And I started out well but wasn’t able to follow through. Now I have another opportunity to start fresh and try again. So far it’s going well!
A bit about my week:
We had two full days of orientation (truly a flashback to freshmen year). It was long, but exciting to learn more in depth about our semester in London. Later in the week we were treated to a bus tour of the City of London. I saw the Globe Theatre, St. Paul’s Chapel, and the Wobbly (Millennium) Bridge. We had a free ride on the London Eye. It was absolutely spectacular.
The following day, we were again treated to a day visit to Hampton Court Palace (the palace of King Henry the VIII). The palace was gorgeous and expansive. I felt royal just walking around.
On Sunday, I visited a local church and attended the morning service. It was a great opportunity to meet local Londoners.
Of course, it has only been a week, but I already feel so fortunate for the study abroad office at the University of Rochester. I would never have discovered this program on my own. It is so helpful to sort through the different programs by major and by country. The advisors will help you sort through your options, and you’ll find the program that’s right for you. I am so happy already and hope you will be, too. 🙂
As for the #fomo, luckily there are four other Rochester students here! Plus, my lovely friends back home have been video chatting me through Facebook and keeping me updated. So I still feel connected while experiencing a whole new world. Happy days!
Next post: Read about my thoughts on American vs. British academics!