My Favorite Semester

My favorite part of my semester abroad in Bristol was the city itself: it was simultaneously urban and compact, so there was a lot to do, but, at the same time, almost everything was reachable within a 15-minute walk. Coming from my hometown where a car is practically a necessity, it was refreshing being able to walk everywhere; of course, buses were available if I didn't want to walk, but, in my case, that wasn't always practical because, many times, a bus ride would take longer than walking (not ideal if you're running late, as I often am). The weather in Bristol wasn't as dreary as I expected English weather to be, so that was a huge plus. In terms of studying abroad, I'd have to say I had a more enjoyable experience with the "abroad" part than the "studying" aspect: I really enjoyed the freedom and anonymity of being in a city so far from home, but I treated my semester in Bristol more like a vacation than an academic experience (which, to be fair, a lot of study abroad students do). My attendance in my Bristol classes was rather spotty, which didn't impact my grades too badly since all lectures were recorded and since final grades in all of my classes were based solely on final assessments (projects, essays, exams). In fact, I didn't really enjoy that aspect of the British university system; it was a stark change from the typical American policy of having required homework assignments and quizzes/tests throughout the semester to keep students on track with the curriculum. My low attendance also prevented me from befriending many local students, aside from my British flat mates. Nearly all of my friends in Bristol were other study abroad students, especially other Americans, who were all going through a similar experience as me; personally, it was kind of difficult to get out of the study abroad bubble, although I had many friends who did manage to make a number of local friends. My only other regrets are not exploring more of Bristol than basically just the City Centre and university areas and not taking advantage of the low European airfare to travel more. Despite the few negatives, my time in Bristol was hands-down my favorite semester of college, and I would love to live there again someday.