No Place Like London - UB Study Abroad

Sep 30, 2015
4 min read

Updated: Aug 23, 2021

This is being cross-posted from my University of Baltimore School of Law's Ubalt law abroad blog, which I've included a link at the bottom of this post. There are a lot of experiences that I haven't chronicled in this (and future UB posts) that I may expand on in separate blogs. So I've included in the titles for school posts - UB Study Abroad - so you know these are just overview posts. Have fun reading, I hope you enjoy!

This semester, I am spending my time studying abroad at King’s College London in London, England. It’s ranked in the top twenty universities in the world, so it is an honor and a privilege I get to spend my time studying here! I arrived in London on September 8, a week before I could move into the residence halls. I stayed at a local hotel, which gave me a chance to become familiar with the Tube – the underground subway system and figure out where everything was located! Naturally, I checked out a few pubs too, they are the way to a Londoner’s heart!

During my early visit to London I was able to explore the Kensington Gardens and tour the Kensington Palace, which I highly recommend! It boasts being the residence of the current Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, but also housed Princess Diana, Queen Victoria, and many more. You can tour the old apartment of Queen Mary II and the separate and much more lavish apartment of King William III. If nothing else, the elaborate rooms and painted ceilings in the King’s apartment make the trip more than worth the price of admission. They also have other exhibits, which included “Victoria Revealed” a look at the life of Queen Victoria and her beloved Prince Albert (more on this later) as well as “Fashion Rules” which was a collection of gowns and dresses worn by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Diana, Princess of Wales, and Princess Margaret.

A walk through the gardens into Hyde Park will take you to the magnificent Prince Albert Memorial, erected by Queen Victoria after her husband passed away. The statute is quite tall and has ornate carvings surrounding its base. It is located directly across from Royal Albert Hall – a famous music and entertainment venue. There is also a magnificent area called the Italian Gardens, created by Prince Albert to show his love to Queen Victoria. I like to go here and read and enjoy the wonderful weather we’ve been having, which I’m told is very uncharacteristic of London! Due to this fabulous weather, I’ve spent a lot of my time wandering around to different famous sights, such as Big Ben, the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Globe Theater, etc. I’ve toured Buckingham Palace, which you aren’t allowed to take photos in but the amount of velvet and silk walls and gilded objects makes you swoon! Also, I spent a rainy afternoon in the British Museum, which I was in for over two hours and only probably covered 1/3 of it. Sometimes the best things you find are the ones you just stumble upon, like the St. Bride’s Church which had an entire museum in its catacombs that dated back to the Ancient Roman times! Also, its steeple is what gave a baker the idea for a layered wedding cake! It’s located on Fleet Street, renowned for the story of Sweeney Todd, which gave inspiration to the title of this blog.

Sadly, reality hit when Orientation began, as I had to figure out how to find the buildings (the abbreviations on schedules don’t always match the building names) and figure out what floor (they have negative floors here!). Orientation wasn’t as helpful as hoped, we mostly were told how to use the Tube (which most had to figure out to make it to orientation), how not to plagiarize, and to not to worry that most of us didn’t have our schedules yet (it was less than a week until our first class). I was surprised to find that the majority of the students for study abroad (at least in the non-European section) were from America, Singapore, and China. The Americans were specifically from mainly New York and California. We learned that those of us only here for a semester would not have to take the exams as they are given in June (yes!) but would have to write an essay for grades.

Disorganization aside, it has been a great first week of classes! I’m enrolled in Company Law, Labour Law, Family Law, and Russian Legal Studies. An eclectic mix that is sure to provide me with some interesting essay topics come end of semester. As far as traveling goes, I’ve already had the pleasure of traveling to Munich, Germany to attend the famous Oktoberfest and have plans to travel to Italy, Scotland, Paris, and Ireland before the end of the year!