Studying Abroad in London

My semester studying abroad in London with IFSA Butler was such an amazing experience. First of all, IFSA is a really great program. They were extremely helpful both before departure and while I was in London. Their orientation when we first arrived in London was very informative and helpful for adjusting to British culture (and the time change!) I would highly recommend doing a program with IFSA! They also organized a lot of weekend trips for free for their students, and they would visit campus occasionally just to catch up with their students. They were all so nice!

As for Queen Mary itself, I loved it! First of all, the accommodations were very nice, especially for London. I lived in a flat with 4 other British students. We each had our own bedroom and bathroom, and then shared a kitchen with each other. It was also very nice to be able to live on campus and have a 3 minute walk to class every day as opposed to having to commute. Queen Mary's campus is also a short 5 minute walk from 2 tube stations that will take you to Central London in about 15 minutes. Campus is also across the street from a Sainsbury's (grocery store) which I went to almost every day. Some people are a little concerned that Queen Mary is in East London; however, I never felt unsafe in the area. It is an up and coming area, and as long as you are smart, you will be fine!

Finally, classes at Queen Mary were very different than what I was used to in the states. I took 4 classes and each met for a one hour lecture and a one hour long seminar (discussion) once a week. The classes I took had some of the best teachers I have ever had. If you have a choice, take British Horror with Matt - he was, by far, my favorite teacher. I also took some history classes and an architecture class that were all very interesting. The classes were also different from the states in that there was no homework. The grades usually depended on 2 or 3 papers and maybe a test depending on the class. Also, the grading scale is much different, so don't be freaked out if you get a 60 or 70% on an assignment! As one of my teachers put it, "80 is the mark that God would get." Overall, I would highly recommend this program. I had an amazing time and I hope I am able to go back soon! And, one last piece of advice - schedule your classes so you have either Friday or Monday off. Then, you can take longer weekend trips! I didn't have classes on Friday, so I left almost every Thursday to travel somewhere!