Hello, Collegiettes™! My name is Marissa Irwin and just the other day I said goodbye to Boston and hello to the beautiful city of London, where I plan on spending the year as a student at the London School of Economics!
(My parents and I at JFK before my flight to London!)
(Me with my luggage just before going through airport security.)
Before explaining why I chose to study abroad for the entire year, I want to take the time to introduce myself and help you get a better idea of where I come from …
I was born and raised in Branford, a small town on the Connecticut shoreline, where I spent the majority of my childhood years playing competitive lacrosse, boating in the Long Island Sound with my friends, and laughing over meals at the dinner table with my amazing (and certainly unique) family. I have a younger brother, Billy (who just started his freshman year at the University of Michigan), two wicked (the British word for “awesome”) parents, and a beautiful black lab, Maggie.
For the past two years, I’ve spent nearly all of my time in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts studying at Boston College and having anything but the “normal” college experience. I started off my freshman year as a member of the women’s varsity lacrosse team, spent the following summer in Madrid, decided to quit the lacrosse team my sophomore year, signed up to run the Boston Marathon as a member of the American Liver Foundation’s Run for Research Team, completed the marathon (although I couldn’t walk for days), interned for a Boston based startup company, Day2Night Convertible Heels, and eventually found myself here, in London, with plans to study, travel, meet new people, and experience everything this wonderful city has to offer! Based on this recap of my college experience, I think it’s pretty clear that I’m an outgoing, competitive, and curious young woman, who is eager and willing to try everything at least once!
So why London and why a full year? After spending a summer in Madrid where I lived with a family that didn’t speak a word of English, I realized more than ever the importance of communication and the role it plays in a country’s culture. Luckily for me, my years of Spanish classes, grammar exercises, and vocab quizzes eventually kicked in and by the second week of my stay in Spain, I was confidently speaking to my Spanish family and those around me. Being able to communicate with the people around you helps you to further understand their personality and that of their community. This experience made me realize that if I was going to spend a semester/year abroad, I would want to be in a country where I spoke the language, which is why I chose to study in London. As for the full year component, I wanted to feel like I truly lived in a country while still having enough time to travel throughout the rest of Europe. Many of my friends who had studied abroad for only a semester regret not having had the opportunity to stay longer, so I figured I’d give it a shot and here I am!
As soon as I arrived in London (with two overweight suitcases, a carry-on, and a handbag that weighed 15 lbs.), I set out to explore the area around me! I quickly discovered that my residence is located in the borough of Islington (just north of central London) in a trendy and young neighborhood with an endless supply of restaurants and bars. Before heading back to my room, I sat down at Caravan, one of my new favorite cafes, and asked the waitress to bring me her favorite item on the menu. Within minutes I found myself inhaling an order of crumpets and the most delicious latte (sadly, I’m not a huge fan of tea) I’ve ever had! It was the perfect way to celebrate my arrival in London!
(Crumpets with a side of honey and jam… Yum!)
(The most delicious/beautiful latte EVER!)
Now that I’ve had a few days to settle down, I’ve taken the time to put together a list of 5 goals I hope to accomplish while studying in London this year. The list is as follows:
1) Have a great educational experience
2) Make friends with students from all over the world
3) Immerse myself in the British culture
4) Travel as often as possible
5) Always say “yes” to new opportunities
I can’t wait to blog about how I’ve been able to meet these goals and I’m really looking forward to sharing my experiences with all of you! If you’re interested in following me through each stage of my journey in London, make sure to check out the Her Campus Study Aboad Blog every Thursday and look for my new posts! You can also follow me on twitter at @MarissaLIrwin where I plan to tweet about the foods I’m eating, the places I’m visiting, and all the wonderful lessons I’m learning abroad!
Love,
Marissa
P.S. Do you have any tips/advice about traveling in London?