I'm finally getting around to the last entry, despite getting home 8 days ago. In my defense, it's been a hectic 8 days: I spent three days in Philly getting moved into my house for next year (had to move stuff out of both Mom and Dad's apartment and the chapter house) and then had to pack up again to come to Cincinnati. Now I'm here in Cincy and have already begun work at my internship. But I have some free time now, so I'll wrap up the blog with final thoughts on the semester.
But first, just a summary of the last few days. Jillian and I spent our final weekend getting ready for our last exam, in psychology and education. It was tedious, and neither of us enjoyed the British education system very much - but more on that later. The weekend was highlighted by one last visit to our go-to Indian restaurant nearby, Shah Tandoori. Delicious as always. We took our exam on Monday morning, and afterward finally got to enjoy some of the warm weather that had taken hold in London while we studied. We were both quite happy to be done studying and done with the exam. We relaxed in the afternoon, and both napped for a bit before beginning to pack. Around dinner time, we headed out to Wembley Stadium for our final event in London: an England v. Mexico soccer match. It was an awesome experience, and dwarfed the experience of going to an American football game. There was a HUGE crowd, and just a tremendous amount of energy both outside and within the stadium. We were a part of the largest human flag in history, as each chair had either a white or red t-shirt on it for fans to put on to form an English flag (we were part of the white section). We had good seats, pretty high up but between the penalty box and midfield. England won 3-1, and we both thoroughly enjoyed the experience, although Jillian was less of a fan of the actual game than I (at one point she said "I'm more like most girlfriends when it comes to soccer," meaning that she was bored and making a plethora of comments unrelated to the game - both of which are not the case during other sporting events such as NFL games). Mexico actually outplayed England, but couldn't capitalize on opportunities. The game got me really excited for the World Cup, and it will be fun to watch the U.S. play its first game against England next week.
After the game we headed back and had a late dinner and hung out with Rosie for a bit before continuing to pack. It was a struggle for me to fit everything in, and I had to leave a few things behind (e.g. my tattered CCD homecoming long-sleeve t-shirt from middle school), but I finally got most of it in my suitcases. We got everything straightened up and did one final check in the morning/early afternoon the next day, and set out to return our Oyster cards in order to get our £3 deposits back and also grab Pret sandwiches to bring to the airport for lunch. We left a bit after noon, and said goodbye to Rosie - very sad to leave her (she's all alone in the flat now, and says it's very odd). We were really lucky to be able to live with her, since she was able to show us so many things in London. We plan on visiting her and George in the future.
Our flight to Chicago was very easy, as we napped, read, and ate (airplane food is SO much better than it used to be). We then went our separate ways for the first time in five months, which was surreal. But we were only apart for three days, so it wasn't a big deal. I finally got back to Mom and Dad's apartment around 1 AM or so. It was good to see them and Shef, but very strange to be back in the States. At times I still look around and just shake my head. I can't believe I was gone for five months! So now, time to look back.
The semester, simply put, was incredible. At times, especially while traveling, Jillian and I both missed the comforts of home, friends, and family, but neither of us ever really battled homesickness. We definitely took advantage of only having class for 10 of the 20 weeks we were there by traveling. The list of places we got to is pretty impressive. England was the perfect place for me: different enough from the States to get to experience living in a new culture, but not so different as to make me long for the States.
I'll miss a lot of little things about London: the quality of Sainsbury's brand food, the friendlier people (than those in Philly, at least), the Tube, etc. It also was great to meet Rosie and George, and to be able to spend a lot of time with Lauren and Michael. Having and making good friends while abroad definitely enriches the experience.
But when I look back on the semester, I undoubtedly will also think of all of my memories of traveling Europe. The variety of our destinations illustrates what's best about Europe - so many different cultures and countries in such a small area. People keep asking me what my favorite place was, and I still have trouble answering. I suppose Rome would be my #1, just for the combination of food, history, and general atmosphere. But there were so many cool places, and places that were so different from each other.
As far as the experience specifically with UCL, I left with lukewarm feelings. I don't like the school system, which is much more teach-it-yourself. I found it annoying to be given a list of 10 ten textbooks from which no specific readings were assigned or expected. Additionally, performance on exams was graded partly in terms of bringing in material from outside of class. So it basically felt to me as if the professors weren't teaching me anything, and then were grading me on the material they didn't teach. Not to mention that my Psych grades will be composed solely of my exam scores: one shot, for 100% of the grade. Not a fan. The lectures were also drier than at home, and the professors had a tendency to drone on in a tedious way. I'll be happy to get back to Penn classes and professors next semester.
In terms of housing, Jillian and I got really lucky. Schafer was by no means luxurious, but for what we paid, and in comparison to what we could have had, it was great. The location was perfect (some students have to take a 20-30 minute bus to campus every day), we had a nice big kitchen, and our flatmates were pretty clean and respectful for the most part. Although it could be loud at times, and the smell of cigarette smoke permeated my room any time I opened the window, it was pretty nice overall.
Other than that, it's just hard to believe it's over. Seems like it went fast, but at the same time, our miserable day of travel back in January seems like a lifetime ago. I'm happy to just stay put for a while, and not do so much traveling (although I travel again next weekend...) Martha's Vineyard will be a welcomed vacation of relaxing on the beach. No tiring sightseeing, no billing disputes, no uncomfortable stays in a bed breakfast... just family and the beach. Sounds good.
Now, I've already begun to dive right into a summer of interning, working, and LSAT classes. The real world is lurking right around the corner. But I've still got senior year left. There are, obviously, nice things about being home. Like free refills. Or ice. Or not having to use adapters to plug everything in. Or even using a currency in which the bills actually fit in my wallet. But I have a feeling I will always look back on this semester and say two things: 1. What an amazing experience that was, and that I was very fortunate to be able to have that kind of semester, and 2. It marked the beginning of the end of my time before true adulthood.
Now also seems an appropriate time for one last round of thank yous. To Mom, Dad, and Sheri, thank you for everything during your visits - they were both incredible and kept us going through a long semester away from home. And also to Mom and Dad, thank you for supporting me in my decision to study abroad, and for all of your generous contributions throughout the five months. I obviously wouldn't have been able to have this experience without you guys, and I am certainly aware of that fact. So thank you.
Well, thanks for reading all (or some) of my blogs. I enjoyed writing them (sometimes). But a valuable keepsake, nonetheless. Now, it's time to enjoy other facets of American life - perhaps I'll play some video games, or watch a movie with my recently reactivated Netflix account.
See you around - maybe for a return to London during the 2012 Olympics?
Wednesday, 2 June 2010
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