While in college, my mom studied abroad in Madrid, Spain, and my older brother studied in Valencia, so studying abroad was always something I knew I wanted to do. I have always loved traveling and experiencing new places, and spending a semester in London gave me the opportunity to immerse myself in a new culture while also exploring cities and countries I had only read about before.

Some of my favorite memories in London came from exploring the vibrant West End. I regularly attended musicals, including SIX, TITANÍQUE, Wicked, The Lion King, and Dracula starring Cynthia Ervivo. Queen Mary University has a friendly cat named Queenie who lives on campus and roams freely. Seeing her on my walk to class or back to my dorm always made my day.

I think one of the challenges I struggled with while studying abroad was a sense of loneliness. It is hard being an ocean away from your family, friends and life at USC. To overcome this, I made sure to stay in close contact with everyone back home, as our conversations helped me feel connected and supported even from thousands of miles away.

I would recommend trying to reach out to other USC students studying in London or in your program specifically. Classes at Queen Mary are a mix of British and other international students, so it’s comforting to know other USC students nearby.