The day that we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived, and all of the anticipation is becoming a reality as we check-in and board for our flight from Philadelphia to London, Heathrow. My three friends and I have planned this trip ever since freshman year, and its hard to believe that we’ll be spending the next 3 months in South Kensington. Saying bye to my family and friends was definitely bittersweet, but I couldn’t be more excited to see what London and the United Kingdom has in store for all of us.

Having to end spring/summer co-op early was a partial relief, but I was excited to just get away from Philly and see what else the world has to offer. Make sure that you advise your manager/supervisor when you need to officially end, speak to Human Resources as well as your co-op coordinator to have everything completed, fill out your ES&P forms, and conduct an exit interview before you leave the country. For me, traveling a couple times before has given me an upper hand advantage to pack light and really question myself if I will really be using or wearing certain things. Realize that you will be purchasing souvenirs and clothes during your stay, so make sure that you allocate room for them on your trip back. I personally packed all of my clothes and essentials first, then packed a bunch of food that isn’t so easy to find in the UK to know that once I eat the food, I will have enough space and weight for extra souvenirs.

You may also want to purchase a one-way ticket to figure out if you want to do extra traveling after the program ends, which is what I did. I bought my tickets from Travelation, a third party travel agent that gave me a very cheap direct flight. If traveling with friends, I recommend checking in online as well as selecting seats together, which my friends and I did as well. We booked our flight for the night before the start date of the program, slept through the flight, and anticipate to arrive at noon of the program date to check-in. As we begin to board, the anxiety is killing me, but I can’t wait to make the best of this opportunity and a once in a lifetime experience with some of my closest friends. London, here we come!

As I reach Heathrow and go through immigration, I cannot believe that I am actually here at last. My friends and I claimed our bags and dragged it all the way to the tube to check-in at the Foundation House. It was overwhelming to say the least, but once we settled into our rooms and got situated, we were excited to explore the South Kensington and Chelsea borough where Mansion was located. Though jetlagged and sleep deprived, it took every fiber in my body to resist the urge to nap. Instead, we wandered the streets, familiarized ourselves with the unusual street names, and befriended some other students on the program as well. That night, we all went out to dinner at a pub called The Phoenix recommended by a local, and my first encounter of fish & chips never tasted so great! Afterwards, a bunch of us walked down Kings Road, explored Sloan Square, and got lost coming home from Harrod’s. It was quite an experience, but it was the best way to end our first day in London.

Throughout the remainder of the week, FIE had a bunch of activities planned for us. Wednesday was a full day of orientation overload, but during lunch we grabbed soups and baguettes to enjoy the nice weather with a picnic at the Natural History Museum. Thursday we ventured out to Piccadilly Circus to explore London’s nightlife, which is remarkably similar to New York City. London has numerous museums which are free of charge, so we took advantage of the opportunity to visit the Victoria & Albert Museum, Natural History Museum, and the Science Museum on Friday. FIE arranged a trip for us to visit Parliament in Central London on Saturday, which was an amazing experience to learn more about the history and importance of all the various rooms within Parliament. We later explored the Westminster area and even grabbed lunch and tea at a posh café before heading back to Mansion. On Sunday, FIE planned a group tour for us to familiarize us with the various boroughs in our immediate area. We passed through Sloan Square, Westminster Abby, Big Ben, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park and much more. It was surprising to realize how close all of these attractions are located in respective to our dorms, but even better, how convenient the busses and tubes are designed to make traveling so easy.

Bombarded with the beautiful weather while it lasted, I totally forgot that classes started the next day. Nonetheless, the first day of class was amazing; the professors were very down to earth, friendly and extremely knowledgeable on their respective subjects. From an American student perspective, the style of teaching is noticeably different than that of what I was use to, however I value both equally. It was nice to meet new students from other schools in my various classes as well, since I was so acquainted to spending most of my time with the other Drexel students. I am definitely looking forward to the rest of my classes this week. My word of advice is to prioritize your assignments, and never underestimate any of your classes just because you’re on study abroad. Many students come in with the mindset that classes will be a breeze, but many of the classes are quite rigorous, even for Drexel students who are equipped with the fast pace schedule. Heed my warning, but if you do your work and stay on top of your work, you shouldn’t have anything to be concerned about!