October 24 — Upon visiting London for the first time in 2015, and once more in 2016, I
left each journey with an extremely positive, albeit novice (and
perhaps even naive) view of the city. Exploring centralized tourist
destinations and venturing only as far as Kew Gardens, I admired the
architecture, landmarks, and seemingly endless number of parks scattered
throughout the city, never necessarily questioning what it might be
like to live within the city itself. The short time I spent within the
city felt rushed and far too short. Therefore, when the opportunity to
study abroad in London was offered at Lewis & Clark, I sprung at the
chance to study internationally, especially within a city I had visited
previously.
There are many noticeable differences between university life at Lewis & Clark and Queen Mary, especially within academics. Here, classes occur only once per week, homework is nonexistent, and grades are determined solely upon one or two essays. The similarities, however, are far more subtle and often difficult to find. Balancing that which is indeed similar with new ideologies and ways of teaching and thinking has curated an entirely new academic space for me, one that seems both unique and difficult to access at times. However, the excitement of each class and the unique subject matter of each have kept me both interested and intrigued thus far.
Visiting an internationally renowned
city on vacation and actually living within that city for an extended
portion of time, however, are two vastly different states of being.
Subtle nuances of everyday life, daily routines, and actual commitments
are all swept away while one engages in a sort of “vacation mode” during
such a limited time in some new place. It is not until one finds
oneself lunging onto the Tube with fourteen fellow classmates and fifty
haphazardly packed suitcases, backpacks, and roller bags that the
vacation mode terminates and a more sensible reality begins. It is
perhaps only when I loaded into a black cab with three other classmates,
our own suitcases stacked around us in towers, wheeled my bags across
the cobblestoned campus, and traveled up five stories into my new home,
that the true reality of living in London set in.
There are many noticeable differences between university life at Lewis & Clark and Queen Mary, especially within academics. Here, classes occur only once per week, homework is nonexistent, and grades are determined solely upon one or two essays. The similarities, however, are far more subtle and often difficult to find. Balancing that which is indeed similar with new ideologies and ways of teaching and thinking has curated an entirely new academic space for me, one that seems both unique and difficult to access at times. However, the excitement of each class and the unique subject matter of each have kept me both interested and intrigued thus far.
Furthermore, I’ve spent the
last few weeks in London simply getting acquainted within Mile End, but
also exploring surrounding areas as frequently as possible. The
transition from Portland to London was not necessarily the most
difficult, as many similar aspects are featured within each. However,
the sheer size of London, despite its easily accessible nature, is
rather overwhelming at times. One can spend an entire day exploring and
only cover one or two small neighborhoods, perhaps even less. Often,
discovering a previously overlooked neighborhood, park, or even
restaurant will thrust me back into a similar state of confusion I
thought I had finally escaped. However, such confusion, I believe, is
simply a part of moving to a city like London. With each day promising
something new, it is exciting to wake up in such a vibrant, cosmopolitan
city such as London. The possibilities here are truly endless, and I’m
extremely grateful to be studying here.
—Zack Johnson