The adventure begins…
For the next six months I will be living and learning in the heart of London at LSBU (London South Bank University). I have studied in various disciplines over the years, but one key lesson I have learned is that while grades are important, it is the overall experience beyond the classroom that leads to the greatest personal and professional development and ultimately, success after university.
While I never thought I would have the finances to travel beyond Queensland while at university, the CQUGlobal study abroad program has truly opened up a world of opportunities allowing me, as a Bachelor of Digital Media student, to expand my education beyond the ‘theory’ of the globalised, connected digital world to the real life experience of it. This experience is as much about personal growth as it is about academic learning and I’d like to think I am open to whatever happens. I am certainly out of my comfort zone. In fact, I think I left my ‘comfort zone’ in Coral Cove.
O week at LSBU involved all of the usual activities one would expect—finalising enrolments, collecting ID cards, and lots of people talking about lots of important things (information overload). There were, however, a few points of difference, including:
- Tours of London, starting near the campus (think Tower of London, the Thames, the London Eye), before moving further afield to Kings Cross Station, the British Library, and Camden Markets.
- An indoor picnic, complete with tea (coffee and soft drink) and tiny sandwiches (among other tasty treats).
- A campus challenge requiring random teams to take a million selfies in front of various campus landmarks. We won with an incredible, record-breaking 322 points. The prize: tickets to the top of the Shard, offering 360o views of London from Western Europe’s tallest building.
Another point of difference so far is the London Underground. My first ever experience using the underground was quite the learning curve. Riding the escalator down to platform level, I instinctively stood on the left to allow the people in a rush to pass on the right—after all, this was how it worked on the roads. WRONG! Apparently, on the underground escalators, you must stand on the right, allowing people to pass on the left (and EVERY SINGLE PERSON that rushed by told me so). Needless to say, I now always stand on the right. Interestingly, the stairs in the underground stations all say keep to the left. London underground rules are bizarre.
Watch our for my next few posts for more insights into studying abroad in London!
For more information on CQUniversity’s study abroad programs, visit the CQUni website.
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