Before coming abroad, there was this preconceived idea by many of my advisors and friends that since I was going to London, somewhere where they speak English, I would easily be able to adapt to my surroundings and fit into the area. Although true, in the absence of a language barrier, I did find it easy to adjust to the culture of London. However, there were still differences within some aspects of the culture that I did have to adjust to. Many of these were found not only while exploring the city during my free time but also in my internship while interacting with those around me. Some of the differences would come up unexpectedly and I’m finding that it’s making me learn more about myself and, thus far, it has been a cool experience! 

One of the initial cultural differences I noticed, over my weeks here, occurred during my internship. I was not expecting to have much down time and outside of work topic discussions that would happen at the beginning of the work day. Something that is very common here is having a casual talk with coworkers regarding just about anything before truly starting the work day! I’ve found myself talking with my supervisor almost 20 minutes before I truly started doing any work. This was different to me because I am normally used to going to work and beginning my tasks right away. Having that initial downtime is nice because it gives you a chance to learn more about your coworkers as well as settle into the work day. I felt as though people valued developing relationships with their colleagues. Building relationships meant as much as working hard.

Another aspect that is different is the environment within the train station or here known as the tube station! Something I am used to back home whether it be New York or even Boston, is to hear noise and people talking on the train. People will always be talking to each other, there may be people playing music or even street performers dancing in the subway. In London, there is a completely different vibe. On the train, you will sometimes never hear anyone talking at all, and when you do it is assumed they must be American. There is no music or any performance while waiting for the trains. Also, the trains run very efficiently, coming by about every 2 minutes. Very different than back home!

The more common similarities between London and home that I have noticed were the different communities and their names. Being from New England, many of the names in Massachusetts were carried over from the UK. For instance, Haverhill, Leicester, and Shrewsbury can be found in both countries. Also, London has communities called Soho and Chinatown, both of which can be found in Massachusetts and New York. Even though we are worlds away from one another, we both carry very similar vibes. Finding similarities and differences within a new culture compared to one I have lived in for years is something I find very comforting. It reminds me that we are not that much different after all. One tip if you ever visit London and take the tube station, when using the escalator always stand on the right side. If you stand on the left people won’t be happy!

Photo from Brixton Archives

Going into the third week of the program, I am starting to learn how crucial time management and organization truly is. Between learning and soaking in every moment of my internship has been a challenging task. Trying to build upon my professional foundation, absorb the history of London through my classes, and explore Europe as much as possible, can be slightly stressful. Not only all together but within each sub group they also have their own different parts that need attention and equal care. Learning the importance of how to balance a number of things, at different levels, is something I believe will greatly benefit me in the long run. For my internship, I am not only able to see the true importance of marketing and finance, but because it is a small business, I am able to see how much it truly takes to run a business and run it well. Some of my responsibilities included: updating spreadsheets of monthly expenditures, developed training videos for future employees to make sure company policies are understood, and I applied to an award show for the company aiming to get the company exposure and recognition for their hard work. These are only small parts of what is done to make this small business stay be recognized and up-to-date, but there are also many moving parts needed to make the business run smoothly. It is something I like observing because I can potentially see myself in the far future starting my own business. Learning all of this helps me better understand what it takes to run a successful business.

In my classes, there’s not much in time management and balancing that I haven’t already seen but it is different when you are in another country and want to spend your time exploring. Luckily, my classes have given me the chance to explore London on top of doing it on my own time, so that has been something that I have really enjoyed! Fitting in potential traveling has been hard but I’m hoping opportunities will arise as time goes on and I can explore more places outside of London. The main goal is to make it back to Paris. I was fortunate enough to go before college started with my dad and family and ever since I got on that plane home I have wanted to go back. Looking forward to planning that soon!

Overall the testing of my time management skills is something that I will take with me and something that will help me grow. Good time management can lead to equal distribution and growth in different areas, so this is without a doubt a skill I want to continue to develop. As I write these blogs, I am realizing how each is building off of each other so I am very excited to see what the future holds! Stay tuned…

This past week was a week where I finally started settling into my surroundings and building a routine for myself. My classes and internship are starting to pick up and things are getting interesting! For my internship position, I am working for a business software development company, but most of my role revolves around the company’s marketing and finance duties. One of the larger tasks I am looking forward to doing as the weeks come is making different videos for the company stressing the importance of the company rules and policies they have set. I feel as if although I am set to create videos on certain topics that I can still add my own style with the design and make of the videos! I’m very excited to see how things turn out in the end! 

As far as my classes, this week I was able to learn a lot more than I already knew about the courses! The two classes that I am most looking forward to are Analyzing and Exploring the Global City of London and Understanding Great Britain. I am looking forward to these classes the most mainly due to the fact that these are the types of  courses I would not be able to take at my home university. Both dive into the history, culture, architecture, and more of London as a whole. This also includes many walking tours bringing first hand experience and being able to visit historic places. Other times will be spent in class analyzing and explaining more about what it was l seen throughout the walking tour. This will give me a chance to learn more about the city I’ll be living in for the next 3 months!

Outside of academics, I have been able to visit Stonehenge and the Roman Baths! Both very historical sites with interesting stories! I think personally I was more interested in Stonehenge, mainly due to the idea that the stones were placed there with no one really knowing how, only left with interpretations of what they believe happened and it is still able to hold such great significance. I am hoping as time goes on I will be able to do more sight seeing and hopefully find time to visit some museums to learn more about the culture and have a better understanding of what’s around me.

I think the overall theme of everything ties along with my last theme of realization and adaptation but I think this week’s revolves more around growth and development. As I begin to realize and adapt to my surroundings, I want to continue to go in with an open and positive mindset, so I am able to grow and develop in different areas: educationally, professionally, and personally. There is going to be a lot to take in and even with only being here for two weeks, I feel as if my mind has been opened to so much and it’s only the beginning!

Here are some more random pictures!

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.

— Oscar Wilde.

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