I’m not going to lie, studying abroad is one of the most stressful experiences ever. First
with applications, buying tickets, figuring out classes, packing and then actually getting
to the country and dealing with all the culture shock—you can get over study abroad
pretty quickly. Then on top of all of this you have to figure out what you want to do and
where you want to go! I found that the best solution to figuring this all out is by creating
a bucket list.
Where to begin? While sitting down for countless hours during my internship this
summer, I had a lot of free time. I borrowed some London books from my local library
and literally just flipped through to figure out where I wanted to go. You’d be surprised
how many places there are in a city—let alone how long it takes you to see each place.
Another way to figure out where you want to go is by googling something like “10 best
sights to see in London” or if you have a specific interest (like me, a psychology
major) I googled “psychology London” and found places like the Freud museum. You
can find almost anything you want to do where you study abroad, you just have to look.
Another great way to start a bucket list is through your university. Here in London
Faraday house is the best! The SU London website has a list of all trips that the university
is taking. These can be day trips as well as weekend trips. The best part about these is that
they are places that are pretty far away from where you are (one or two hours) so you are
able to still get it done without the stress of traveling. Any student can look onto these
websites and see what each location as to offer. You’ll go to places you’d never imagine or
even think of to add onto your bucket list.
The first few weeks of abroad everyone is usually in the same area doing the same thing.
After a few weeks have passed you will probably start to travel. Therefore, it’s good to have
a bucket list so you don’t forget the initial reason you chose to study abroad, to explore your
location. This list is good for days when you only have one class, are bored or
have a weekend free from traveling.
I’ve heard many horror stories about girls who regret not making a laundry list of what
they wanted to do because by the time their trip was over they ended up not
finishing everything they wanted to. That being said, it’s always better to be safe and do
some research then to miss out on something amazing right under your nose!
My Bucket List for London (bold is what I completed so far):
• Ice Bar
• Kings Cross
• Big Ben
• Hop-on, Hop-off bus tours
• Beatles Tour
• Sherlock Holmes Museum
• Westminster Abbey
•House of Parliament
•British Library
•Globe
•Buckingham Palace
•Piccadily Circus
•British Museum
•Madame Tussands Waxworks
•Pollocks Toy Museum
•Cartoon Museum
•Science Museum
•Tate Modern
•Kew Gardens
•Stonehenge
•Tea Time
•London Zoo
•Harrods
•Legoland
•Hamleys
•London Theatre
•Fashion and Textile Museum
•Freud Museum
•Hyde Park
•Green Park
•Portobello Market
•Library of London
•The South Bank
•Natural History Museum