GEO Alumni, GBI: London Spring 2024
Something that stood out to me throughout this program was the fact that we
were so separated from British culture. Many other study abroad programs in London
not only took place at British universities, but also hosted students in various countries other than the United States. I feel that this gave students in those programs a more culturally-diverse study abroad experience than I got. I went to school in the CEA CAPA building in Kensington with other American students on the same program. The only British people I met were those who worked at or for the program.
I had a friend who was on another study abroad program where she took classes
at a university in London and had roommates from England, Ireland, Australia, the
United States, and friends from even more places. She talked a lot about how she loved London and wanted to move there after she graduated, and credited this desire to how much she was exposed to the ins-and-outs of London culture. This is one thing that I could not relate to since I did not feel that I was integrated in genuine London life as much as she was.
While the CEA CAPA program was structured the same way in Florence, Italy,
my friends studying there from Pitt felt more integrated in Italian culture than I did due to the fact that they were learning a new language and applying it to their daily outings and routines. Although they were also taking classes at the CEA CAPA center with only American students, my friends studying abroad in Italy felt integrated in their chosen country/city.
Although this setup made me very close with a lot of American students and I
had an amazing semester where I made memories I will never forget, I did not get a
taste of what it would be like to live in London as much as other students did through
their study abroad experience. I wish I was a little more integrated into British social and academic culture and British history.
What was nice about my study abroad experience was that my program hosted a
good amount of events, such as Curry Night at a restaurant in Brick Lane, a boat tour
on the Thames, a stadium tour, a trip to Stonehenge and Bath (my favorite), and more.
This made the program a lot more fun and gave me and my peers many opportunities to explore and learn first-hand about the London area and culture, even though we weren’t studying alongside British students.
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