IES Abroad London

Running in Hyde Park on a Sunday morning was one of my favorite memories of London. I threw on my running sneaks, hopped on the Piccadilly line and ran for 5 miles around the park while still seeing historic monuments, like the Albert Memorial. It's really the little things that make abroad more memorable.

I was so blessed to study abroad in London for a semester. The experience challenged me as a person in a broad range of areas: socially, academically, and vocationally. Socially, I loved meeting new international friends outside the program in my student dorm, the local gospel choir, my sister's church, a London faith-based group, and just strangers I'd run into on the street and Tube! Academically, the classes were brilliant and allowed me to study subjects--such as art, architecture, and marketing-- that I didn't have the time to take back at my home university. Vocationally, my eyes were opened to the numerous homeless people living in London, and my interactions and conversations with them has deepened my desire to work with that demographic in the future. Overall, London became my second home and I'm so thankful for IES allowing me the privilege of studying abroad and growing as a person because of the places and people I knew there.

I studied abroad in London during the fall of 2014. I lived right by King's Cross Station and my classes were held in Bloomsbury at IES London building. It was an easy walk to calss and the train station was close by to the dorm which was nice for travel. I absolutely loved my time abroad meeting new people and traveling to new places. I love seeing the friends I made while in London back here at my campus in the US. IES classes overall were interesting and I was very easily able to manage my time between school work, exploring London, and traveling to other locations. Overall, studying abroad in London with IES was an extremely rewarding experience and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I made amazing friends, learned alot about the world & myself, and can't wait to go back to visit London in the future.

Three of the best parts of my study abroad experience were my professors, travel, and the public health experience. First all of my professors were very smart and qualified. My public health courses were taught by someone in with years of experience. My Health systems class was taught by a global health lawyer who helped the World Health Organization craft health policy. My Social welfare policy class had two professors. One was a lawyer who regularly defended underrepresented clients and was an activist for many social causes. The second professor worked at Parliament and had researched the effects of social inequalities and welfare policies in various countries. At Oxford, every week a different expert in the field of public health gave a lecture on field of study in public health such as bioethics, bias in research, or study designs. I chose to learn about a the European Union in my elective course. The professor for that course had published research multiple times on European and French political thought and was a lecturer at university of Oxford. I felt very satisfied knowing that i was learning from experienced professionals in another country.

It was my first time in London and Europe so I did what I could do, travel. I saw Stonehenge and the Roman Baths. I met students from the University of Bath. I visited Amsterdam and Paris. I got lost a few times to find a new way home because it was absolutely amazing to live in another place for three months. It was very easy to find people who were interested in the same things as myself. I saw a Champions League and an NFL football game. I pedaled a cart around downtown London with 10 other people. I had a once in lifetime experience to be a college student in another place.

Finally, I gained so much experiential lessons and public health related experience. In Jamaica, I shadowed nurses in Jamaican health clinics. I sat in on a meeting about how the nurses should respond to an increase in the number of people with measles in surrounding countries. In England, I volunteered at a patient health and social care advocacy group. I gave a presentation to a panel of young people about mental health risks that young people in their borough face. I learned how to take a lot of research and communicate it to others without confusing my audience. It was difficult doing most of it on my own because it was the first time I had ever done something like that. There were a lot of maturing experiences like learning to cook on my own and making new friends. There were times I had to figure out how to balance the new kid in a big city, but I feel stronger from the experience than I ever had before.

Studying abroad in London was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I chose this program because I wanted a program with a health focus. I want to be a physician assistant, and this program had numerous qualities that I thought would be helpful towards that endeavor. It's important to note that this program is focused on public health. I found this to be interesting because, as a biology major, I had never really been exposed to different healthcare systems and other public health topics. The classes I took were Social Welfare Policy, Comparative Healthcare Systems, Health and Disease (the Oxford class, which is basically an epidemiology course), and Architecture as an elective. The two IES Health Practice and Policy classes (Social Welfare and Comparative Healthcare) were good, and should be even better in the future since they are working on better coordinating the course curriculums to provide a more cohesive program structure. The Health and Disease course was also okay, but the long commute every Friday was a bit of a bear. I absolutely loved Architecture as my elective course, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to see as much of London as possible.

As part of the Social Welfare Policy class, I had an internship/service placement at a breast cancer charity in London. While I was hoping for a placement that allowed me a little more clinical contact, I was still abel to interact with patients in the office which was nice.

Overall, living in London is absolutely incredible. I'm from the Midwest and had never lived in a cosmopolitan city like London before. Not only is London one of the most iconic cities in the world, but there are also amazing cultural opportunities that can't be found anywhere else. I discovered a love for theatre and art that I didn't know I had before. Everything from seeing Van Gogh's self portrait at the Somerset House to winning discount ticket to The Book of Mormon created an amazing experience I will never forget. The residence hall, Nido, is located just a few blocks from King's Cross station, which means it is super each to get around to any part of the city. The Nido dorms are pretty standard dorms, but you get a private bathroom to share with your roommate, and there is a kitchen on each floors that can be used to make your own food. IES also offers a ton of events to see more of London, like a walking tour of London including a ride on the London Eye, a boat trip to Greenwich, an authentic football match, and a tour of Harry Potter Studios. You can pick what you're interested in and participate for free or an extremely reduced rate. There are also field trips around England and the surrounding areas; for example, I went on trips to Stonehenge, Bath, Salisbury, and Cambridge thanks to IES and their subsidized field trips.

At the end of the program, we went on a ten-day field study in Kingston, Jamaica. This was the part of the program with the most clinical components, which I really enjoyed. Observing in the clinics was really interesting, and we saw everything from standard vitals (blood pressure, weight, urinalysis, etc) to post-natal exams (6 week old babies getting their checkups) and wound dressings. We also had some interesting lectures at the University of the West Indies School of Nursing, where we learned about the history of nursing in Jamaica as well as the role of natural and holistic healing to the healthcare culture. Please keep in mind that Kingston is a lot different than London. There was a significant amount of street harassment, etc, that would occur whenever we went into the city. I was kind of unprepared for that, and it was very uncomfortable when in contained areas like the clinic where it was hard to get away from harassing people. However, we always traveled in groups and so there were never any real safety concerns.

Overall, I learned so much over the course of this semester, and I recommend this program to people who have an interest in healthcare--especially those interested in a public health perspective.

After having the opportunity of a lifetime to study for a semester in London, I have nothing but appreciation and happiness when I think about my time there. Through IES Abroad, I was able to have 3 months of pure bliss in London. IES helped us not only accommodate to our new world, but helped us every step along the way. I have eternal gratitude for IES for facilitating a safe and life changing experience. I would recommend IES Abroad without hesitation for anyone wishing to study abroad.

As overwhelmingly massive the city of London could be, I had never found myself so connected to the people in the city. From your very arrival, the IES London staff is hyper accommodating to get you settled in as quickly as possible. From there, the city was mine to explore for four months. I would constantly explore different districts and be fascinated by the astonishing street art in Shoreditch or the array of delicious food in Camden Lock. I would pleasantly interact with different people every single day and even recognize locals as they explore their own city. It’s a little easier to make friends in London it seemed. Maybe its because I could ask the staff exactly what suited my interests and they’d lead me in the right places, or maybe it’s because it seems everyone looks into your eyes in London, something I found hard to come by on my way home through Miami International airport. The city is full of charm, excitement, art, and beauty giving the sense that everyone is welcome. The public transportation alone makes you feel like you can travel the world instantly. Besides the sheer enjoyment of everyday life in London and all of the wonders it has to give to its residences, the IES program and time abroad is an incredibly fulfilling learning experience. The teachers hired by this program are brilliant professors and really make you reflect on your own thoughts and desires to ultimately help you grow. Sometimes it’s hard to grow when everyone around doesn’t seem familiar or perhaps, doesn’t know you. But the independence that you develop and is required to capture the most out of London comes quick and with many friends along the way. The people I’ve met, the places I’ve seen, the spontaneity of my life at the time helped shape one of the most positive experiences of my life. For the hundreds of friends I met along the way, I know it did for them to.

My experience in London through the IES Abroad Study London program harbored personal independence and growth that I can apply to all aspects of my life. IES Abroad provides a gentle guide for students while allowing them to be independent discoverers of the world around them and receptive learners of the cultures in which they immerse themselves. Within weeks of the program, I had become well-acquainted with and an avid navigator of London. During my time in London, I discovered strength in adaptation and a heightened confidence in my abilities. I became fully self-reliant and learned how to budget and cook for myself. The coursework in which I partook was valuable and engaging, and the internship component of the program rose above and beyond my expectations. Through my experience with my internship, I was able to work with a variety of talented and accomplished individuals form the UK and Europe. The environment of the workplace was highly interactive and communicative, which provided me the opportunity to sharpen my professional communication skills. I learned about the inner-workings of a large-scale organization and made contacts with whom I plan to maintain life-long connection. Additionally, I cultivated valuable friendships with other students in my program who share similar life ambitions and who will remain an important part of my personal growth journey. The impact that my study abroad experience had on me was a product of my actions, the location, and the IES Abroad program. The IES Abroad program provides support and opportunities that facilitate an enriching growth of perception and understanding of the world that positively impacts the way in which one chooses to lead all areas of his/her life.