Dream exchange in London
I had been dreaming to study in London since school, but, considering how expensive that was, my dreams remained just dreams. I learned that I could actually go to London for an exchange programme when I was on my 2nd year at uni. First, my classmate went to Berlin, and then I decided to opt for the programme myself.
When, after waiting and worrying for months, I left a UK visa center with a visa in my hands. I couldn’t believe it was happening to me and that after a couple of weeks I’d be in my dream country. Even now I sometimes think it was all unreal. You fall in love with London from the very first moments. If you fly to Heathrow, you will start the acquaintance with the city already before landing. You can see the River Thames, the Big Ben, the Tower Bridge and the Shard from the plane window.
The next day after arrival I attended orientation session for international students. We were gathered in a big hall and told general facts about study at UCL and then we joined our departments, in my case it was SSEES, and learned in more detail about the evaluation system, course enrolment, credits, etc. I wasn’t stressed. Study process in England is very well-structured and if you still have some issues or questions, UCL staff will gladly provide support.
Soon after arrival I was surprised to learn I was nominated for the Endowment Fund Scholarship of HSE. London is one of the most expensive cities in the world, so financial assistance by the Fund could not be more timely.
It turned out to be easier to study in UCL than in HSE. Students only have 10 contact hours a week, home assignments are relatively small and classes are finished already in March. Then you have a whole month to prepare for the exams. And if you follow my example and enroll for the subjects that are graded only by the final essay, you won’t have exams at all.
I had plenty of time to explore London inside out. I think I could walk from the Hammersmith district to the City with my eyes closed even now. The winter was warm and roads clean. Believe me, that fact alone can be the reason to go for an exchange program! Strolls in Kensington park after a nap, afternoon tea with a view to Piccadilly street – that’s how a life of a happy UCL student looks like. And when the spring comes and everything is in bloom London turns into a fairy tale.
During my exchange I was able to travel around Great Britain: saw Stonehenge and a thousand year old Roman baths in Bath, walked around sunny Oxford and took a boat tour along the river Cam in Cambridge, had a look at John Lennon’s glasses exhibited in The Beatles museum in Liverpool, explored old streets of Edinburgh and hoped to see the Loch Ness Monster in the lake among the Scottish highlands. I also went to Windsor and managed to have a glimpse of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in their Carriage Procession.
Studying in UCL is an unforgettable experience that changed my life in many ways: I learnt about English education system (that will definitely be useful in future), saw so many breathtaking places and met wonderful people. You should experience that yourself!