Student Bloggers

Midway through her program, the Arcadia Abroad team checked in with Michayla George, the recipient of the ESU Luard Morse Scholarship for the 2023-2024 academic year. We learned a little bit about her experience with classes, living abroad, and highlights thus far. Here is that exchange-

Arcadia Abroad: We are excited to check in with you mid-program! In your pre-departure interview, you mentioned looking forward to appreciating the “simple joys” – what are some of those right now? 

MG: I really like theater! I've been going to a lot of different plays – I just went to one yesterday. Getting to go to the different parts of town and see the theaters and the way they're built from the inside, I think it's really cool. And I like trying different cuisines, so going to different restaurants and food markets has been a favorite part of my experience so far. 

AA: What have been some of your favorite new foods you’ve tried? 

MG: I tried Indian food, including roti. It was really good and very spicy - I like that! 

AA: You mentioned in our previous interview that one of the reasons you chose London and Queen Mary was because of its diversity. Can you tell us about how you’ve experienced diversity on the program? 

MG: There are different food markets here, and that's where I see the biggest mix of cultures. People from different countries who are preparing different types of food. That's where I see the most of it. 

AA: How is it living in the dorms? 

MG: So it's unique for me, because, of course, in America it's very rare that you'd have your own bathroom and room to yourself. But the rooms here are en-suite, and I really like that. I share a kitchen with maybe 10 other people. It sounds like it would be hectic, but it's really not. It's not bad at all. And I've just been enjoying cooking new foods and everything, which is different from what I do at home. So I really like it so far.

AA: How are classes going? Do you feel like the university structure at Queen Mary is different from what you're used to?

MG: Yeah, classes are going well. It is a little bit different, just because at my home university, Tennessee State, we never have classes with more than maybe 35 people. But at Queen Mary, three out of my four classes are in big lecture halls. So that was definitely something to get used to, because it's just it's never been like that for me. The only thing I don't like is that some of our classes are two hours long. I've never had a class that long before, and I get a little tired near the end. But other than that, I really like it.

On the other hand, I have one class, a Spanish class, that probably has about 7 people total, so that one's the exact opposite. And I really like that, too, because I get more time to work on my speaking abilities and listening abilities. So it's really cool, just different.

AA: Have you made any new friends on the program, with other Arcadia Abroad students or people that you've met in London? 

MG: I have! I met a large group of my friends here during the Arcadia Abroad orientation, and that was really nice too. Just meeting others who are doing the same study abroad thing as you. And we hang out all the time! 

AA: What activities have you gotten involved in on your program?

MG: So, there are different events I went to with Arcadia Abroad and Queen Mary. There are different events on a weekly basis that I’ll hear about through emails. I just kind of check whatever they have listed. I've visited a few campus fairs, and they have game nights which are really cool. The next thing I'm going to do is go to a QM event at a new hangout spot in London that’s opening up really soon, which has stuff like board games and a communal area. And then, also hearing about things from the different groups on campus and pop up events. So that's a large portion of what I've been doing.

AA: Do you feel like it's been a pretty welcoming program and easy to get involved, or have you had to put yourself out there? 

MG: I would say a little bit of both. There are a lot of options, but because there are so many options and so many people, it's not always easy to make connections in the way you want to. So definitely, it takes a little bit of putting yourself out there, but it’s always fun in the end.

AA: Have you experienced culture shock on your program? What were your expectations going into your program compared to now being in London? 

MG: I wouldn't say had major culture shocks. It's more of just things that are different. But I already kind of knew about them from TV or talking to other people who have been to London before so thankfully, I wasn't stressed or in situations that I didn't know how to handle. 

I had studied abroad in Spain over the summer, and I think that trip had more of a culture shock, not only because of the language barrier, but it was my first time riding public transportation and having to actually commute to school by myself. But I do all the same things here, and I just feel more normal and used to it. So yeah, it's been pretty great.

AA: Before you left on your program, you mentioned one of your worries about going abroad was homesickness. Have you dealt with homesickness? And if so, how have you managed it? 

MG: I've actually been alright. I haven't experienced homesickness in the way I thought I would. When I find myself getting lonely, I take long walks or listen to music, or just go to a different part of town.  But I'm really thankful because some of my family members actually came here a few weeks ago for an NFL game in London! My team, the Tennessee Titans, played against the Ravens. So I got to be my family’s guide in London. We had to do a lot of walking, and I have some older family members and all the people that were with me. So we had to find different ways to get around that and like the transportation and stairs. That was our biggest obstacle. But besides that, it was a lot of fun.

AA: What are you looking forward to for the rest of the semester? 

MG: I'm in the countdown! I get excited for Christmas around this time, but I can't really because I have to study a lot.

I also just like to go to malls a lot – it’s been my thing. Because it rains so much here, I like to have an indoor place to walk around. I went to like 2 new shopping places yesterday. Continuing to eat new foods, try new cuisines, learn about different cultures. I still have a few more plays that I'm going to go see. But the best parts are just things you come up with when you're improvising with a group of friends. Just like, where are we going to go today? That's what I'm really excited for - the things that I don't even know I'm going to do yet. 

AA: Tell us about an impactful interaction you've had with a local Londoner. 

MG: So in my flat, basically everybody else is not American except for me and one other girl who is on the same Arcadia Abroad program as me. So a few nights ago, we had a few other people in our flat. We had a long conversation at dinner, just talking about the differences in our languages and sayings and cultural things. And it was really eye opening because I thought I knew so much. But then talking with them about all the differences we have, I realized, wow, there's really so much more that I have to learn about. And it was really cool to get to know my flatmates a little bit better, too.

AA: When you’ve talked about yourself on your program, and where you’re from, does the topic of HBCUs come up? 

MG: Yes, the most interesting conversation I had about that was a few days ago, actually, in my Spanish class. My Spanish teacher is from Madrid, and she had no idea what HBCUs were, or what the acronym even stood for when I mentioned it to her. So it's always interesting because from where I grew up, that's a very large part of our culture, and so many people go to HBCUs. But then to go to another part of the world where they don't even know what that is, or some people don't understand the cultural significance of it - it's just really interesting.

AA: Anything else that's been on your mind? 

MG: Not yet, but I think I'll have some very interesting reflections for when I return.