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Big Ben in London, UK with a red bus in front
Big Ben in London, UK with a red bus in front
Photo by Lucas Davies from Unsplash
Jefferson | Life > Experiences

I Studied Abroad in London, Here Are Some Things I Learned

Alexis Leone Student Contributor, Jefferson University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Jefferson chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

During spring break, I got the lucky experience to spend the week in London learning about their healthcare system and various careers in the medical field. The trip was a lot of fun! I learned a lot, and here are a few takeaways I got (both about healthcare and the social and cultural environment as well).

  1. The British Healthcare System is Amazing

The UK’s health system is public, where everyone has access to the healthcare they need at no cost. The trend of medicalization here in the US isn’t as present in the UK, the children are seen as imaginative more than hyperactive, and the main obstacle to quality care is the wait times for procedures. Some of the “treatments” are more eclectic, like people with COPD are “prescribed” singing lessons to learn breath control. Medication is seen as a last approach (which may be why there isn’t an opioid epidemic over there). Nurses also play an important role, with many of them running the care and having more authority than the doctors.

  1. Women are entitled to maternity leave

Whereas in the US, women only get about 10 weeks of maternity leave, people in the UK get 52 weeks—a whole year! Midwives have such an important role in the UK, and very few women have C-sections, which also helps lower maternal mortality rates. Isn’t that great?

  1. British food isn’t actually that bad

While yes, it was certainly bland, I actually didn’t hate most of the food in London. Even the traditional breakfast wasn’t horrible (beans on toast sounds a lot worse on paper). They could have used some seasoning, but overall, it wasn’t too bad. My favorite by far was the sticky toffee pudding for dessert, and I got one of the best chai lattes I’ve ever had from a local cafe near our living arrangements. 

  1. We could learn a thing or two from their public transport system

Getting around London was really simple. The sidewalks are large, which gave plenty of space to walk everywhere, and their bus and underground system were so easy to use. They have an app that makes it really easy to navigate public transport, and it pretty much resembles the SEPTA system we have here in Philly, but much more clean, accessible, and easy to use. A lot of the transport is more environmentally friendly with strict regulations about emissions, and all cabs and buses are switching to an electric system. It’s funny, bikers are a bigger hazard than cars when trying to cross the street there. 

Overall, the trip was a lot of fun! If you have the opportunity to study abroad, definitely take it, because you’ll learn a lot and gain valuable cultural awareness, even in a country that doesn’t seem too different from the US.

Alexis Leone

Jefferson '27

Though originally from northern Virginia, Alexis is a second-year biopsychology student at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Alexis hopes to go into neuroscience or psychology research after college and, despite being in STEM, she has always been passionate about writing to inform and entertain.

Alexis is interested in silly little tv shows and collecting unique oddities. When she isn't doing homework, she spends much of her free time reading, watching television, doing art, or playing video games.