A Day in the Life: Tufts in London Edition
This past fall semester, I was lucky enough to study abroad at University College London (UCL) through Tufts’ “Tufts in London” program. Studying abroad in London was a life-changing experience. I had many wonderful days that I will never forget, from wandering around the streets of Oxford to eating tapas in Lisbon. While these days were incredible to say the least, my average day in London was anything but average. When I was planning my study abroad, I often consulted my upperclassmen friends to ask about their experiences. While their insights were inspiring and informative, I felt that no one ever talked about an average day abroad, so that is what I’m here to do!
8:00 a.m: Wake Up
- I always try to wake up at least an hour and a half before my first class, whether I’m at Tufts or abroad because I enjoy having a slow morning to take time for myself.
8:30 - Breakfast/Get Ready for Class
- I am a big oatmeal connoisseur, and in London, I quickly became obsessed with Scottish oats!
9:00: Catch Up on Reading
- At UCL, you can (usually) only take one subject. At Tufts, I am an English major, so at UCL I only took English classes. While I did have a lot of reading, I really enjoyed the opportunity to focus solely on English for the semester (or “term,” as the Brits would say). I usually spent a bit of time in the mornings catching up on some of my readings for class.
9:45: Walk to Class
- My walk to my classes was one of my favorite parts of my day. I was lucky enough to live very close to UCL’s main campus in the Bloomsbury area of London, so no matter which direction I was walking, there was always a beautiful park or one of London’s famous “blue plaques” (plaques on buildings to commemorate the people who lived or worked in them) to walk past.
10:00 a.m: First Class
- Depending on the day, I usually had a lecture on 18th Century Literature, Shakespeare, or the Victorian Period during this time. My lectures at UCL were very different from the lectures I’d had at Tufts. Each lecture was taught by a different professor each class, which allowed me to meet many different professors within the department and experience many different teaching styles.
11:00 a.m: Waterstones Trip and Study Break
- Right across from UCL’s main campus is a Waterstones Bookstore with a Dillon’s Cafe inside it, and I would often go there after class to study, meet a friend, or just explore the floors and floors of books!
12:00 p.m: Tutorial Meeting
- Every other Thursday, I had a one-on-one meeting with my tutor to discuss my most recent tutorial essay. In the UCL English Department, students are required to submit a bi-weekly essay to their tutor for one of their courses (totaling 4 over the semester). During my tutorials, I was able to discuss my essay, receive feedback, and brainstorm ideas for my next essay. Having an individual meeting with a professor in the English department allowed me to form a personal connection with a professor as well as receive personalized feedback in a way I had not at Tufts.
1-5 p.m: Miscellaneous
- The period between 1-5 p.m. was different every day. Sometimes I had a seminar (a two hour, small group discussion on one of our set texts), or I would explore one of London’s many historical sites or museums.
5-7 p.m: Dinner
- During the week, I usually cooked dinner for myself. It was a really fun experience to go grocery shopping and cook in a different country. Even though they speak English in the UK (though a slightly different version), many ingredients had different names, so I often had to hunt around the isles to find exactly what I was looking for. I also enjoyed finding new foods to incorporate into my diet, such as digestives! If I wasn’t cooking for myself, I was exploring the London food scene. My favorite was the Indian food in London, it was probably some of the best food I’ve ever had!
7-11 p.m: Activity!
- In the evenings, I would often meet up with friends and explore the city. We went to to musicals, comedy shows, karaoke bars, and more. During the Holiday season, we would go for walks to see all of the Christmas lights and displays!
11 p.m: Sleep!
Studying abroad in London was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. From the culture to the history to the food, there is no shortage of things that London has to offer. The Tufts in London team especially helped facilitate my ability to explore the city, often having events such as a pub quiz, or outings to a football match or a West End production! Whether you go to London or not, I encourage all students to consider studying abroad. Whether through a Tufts internal program or an external program, there is so much to be learned and experienced through studying abroad!