Study Abroad in Cosmopolitan Central London at LSBU

When I was first thinking about studying abroad all people kept telling me was, "It'll be the best experience of your life" and "You'll come back a different person." Truthfully, I had no idea how right those people were until I studied at LSBU. Deciding to study at LSBU was one of the best decisions I have ever made. They made the transition of living in a different country on my own so much easier than I ever imagined it would be. Studying at LSBU changed my life forever; it opened my eyes to so many different adventures and opportunities. LSBU helped me make life long friendships and gave me memories that I will cherish forever. Studying at LSBU helped me find myself and grow into the person that I always wanted to be. Deciding to do my term abroad at London South Bank University changed my life in ways that I did not even know were possible, and for that this university will always be special to me.

London was a wonderful place to live in and the university is primely situated less than a 15 minute walk from London Bridge and Southbank Centre so there was lots to see and do.

The academics where great, although there was a little confusion with scheduling at first, the semester jumped to a great start and all of the lecturers where kind and made sure I adjusted to the new academic system so that I could succeed.

I made a few special friends during my time there that I keep in contact with every day. The area was really safe and there were multiple check in points for ID and keycard swiping throughout the school buildings and the dorms-- no one who shouldn't be there could get in unless they were let in.

There was also lots to do as far as bars, restaurants and shows to attend less than a stone's throw away. Soho Theatre's affordable plays and comedy shows, Elephant and Castle Tesco for cheap groceries, and even just getting to airports for weekend sojourns to the continent were all within reach.

I'd definitely recommend this programme to a friend.

London is one of those places that you can explore for years and still not see all of it, and LSBU is at a great location for that. No more than 10 minutes to London Bridge, which has all the buses and trains you could need, it's also only about 15 minutes walk to the Southbank area, which I liked for its culture (Borough Market was also a favorite of mine as well, which was about 7 minutes from my dorm). The program directors are great and really want you to become Londoners, even if you're only there for a semester. I learned a lot about the British education system! They help walk you through the differences (courses aren't classes, that's your major!)

I really loved London, and LSBU made the transition to life there pretty easy :) with study abroad we seem to want to go everywhere in Europe, but I can't stress enough how great it is to explore all that London has as well!

The London city of change was one of the requirement classes for study abroad students. This class was probably the most fun and great way to know about the city of London. We mostly took trips to historical places in the city. One of the places that I personally enjoyed was our trip to Greenwich, we took a boat ride and had a spectacualr view on our way to Greenwich. Everyone was carrying selfie sticks and taking millions of pictures.....myself included! It was a great experience minus the wind.

I loved being a part of a program where I had the chance to meet people from all over the world. Seeing and learning about a new perspective in the classroom was a great opportunity for me. Now I have friends from the Netherlands to Qatar! Thank you London South Bank University!

The location of housing was impeccable. I also could see the London eye from my bedroom window, and was a 5-10 minute walk to a tube station in either direction. Also a 10 minute walk to borough market which was were I got my lunch if I had enough time between classes.

The courses and the way they were taught were much different from what I was used to, but the teachers were helpful when I had questions. At times I felt these courses could have been a bit more organized, but it all worked out in the end.

I felt very safe in the housing accommodation, you have to pass through the lobby and a security guard, go through 2 doors with a keycard, and the doors to your accommodation lock everytime the door closes. I never felt unsafe, especially on the fifth floor.

All in all this was a great experience and I'm glad I chose to utilize the study abroad program. I will never forget this time of my life!

The location was the best part of being at LSBU. From the window in my room I could see the top of the London Eye and it was only a 20 minute walk! Once I got more comfortable in London, I started walking EVERYWHERE. It saved me so much money. They were also close to Elephant and Castle which is where I did most of my grocery shopping. I usually went to the 99p store, then Iceland (and prayed they had some chicken or pork in stock), and then Tesco for my weekly groceries. They also had an Asian mart upstairs and a bunch of other stores.

The school part was very different from what I was used to but it wasn't hard to adapt. Classes had both a lecture and seminar and each were two hours long for me. I took three business classes and didn't have any homework. I only had coursework which was like a research paper and a final exam. To take attendance, you had to tap your student id in your classroom and then tap it again when you left the building. You also needed your id to get inside every building which made the campus very safe.

My favorite class was London: City of Change because we would go on field trips every once in awhile. One time we walked through Hyde Park and ended up at the Albert Memorial. We also explored a little bit of the V&A Museum before going back. I wish I had known that the one bus stop between all three museums drops you back to campus earlier! I kept going back to South Kensington because of that convenient bus route.

I went during the spring semester and got to experience a three week Easter holiday. The mini vacation was nice but made it very hard to study for exams after. If I could do it again, I would've chosen classes that were 100% coursework and no exams. While I was there, a French company started a cookery school for free. I hope they still have it. They didn't get a very big turn out when I went, but we got to learn how to cook and keep what we made. One time we made quiche, a savory one and a dessert one, and they were so large I had dinner for a week after. AND IT WAS FREE!

I couldn't have been happier with my experience at LSBU! The Study Abroad staff were some of the loveliest people I had the pleasure of meeting, and they were always available to help. The classes were challenging, but not overwhelming. The campus was in the perfect location in a great neighborhood. Housing is located conveniently close to the academic buildings and facilities, and the nice thing about the flats is you have your own room and toilet. The best part of LSBU was how immersive it was for abroad students to live with, learn with, and become friends with full-time LSBU students from the UK and all over the world! Highly recommend!