I had many different expectations when imagining what my experience studying abroad in London would look like. And it has been completely different from anything that I could have imagined. I have visited so many different markets, events, countries, and restaurants, in addition to speaking with so many new people.

Although I do have to admit, it has been hard. Before coming, I had heard from various people that the transition to living in another country would be difficult, I didn’t imagine how difficult it would actually be. It was hard physically and mentally because all of a sudden I had to balance commuting, classes, and my internship. But after I got used to the routine and improved upon my time management skills, I really started to adjust to the new environment. I think the most important takeaway was how I developed my independence. I could have never imagined that I would feel so confident in going to new places by myself, especially navigating a new transportation system, but I am. And it is something that I am really proud of. 

My internship at a tech startup has been so motivating, especially being surrounded by individuals who are all passionate about what they do. I knew I wanted to come to London and learn an entirely new skillset and I have definitely done that within the marketing space. Also, simply working in London makes me recognize that I really value company culture and compassion. Although I work in a constantly evolving environment with tight deadlines, it’s something that motivates and drives me. I especially enjoyed the research and data analytics projects that I participated in. These cemented my goals to work in a career that involves data analytics. I know I will use all the skills that I have learned here in my future career path, whatever that may be. 

This was the most life changing and impactful 3.5 months of my life. I have experienced so many things that I never could have imagined and met so many people that come from varying backgrounds.