Fordham Abroad - London Centre

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to study abroad in London during my college career. So when my first semester of junior year was finishing up and I still hadn’t done this, I had a minor freak out; how can I study abroad before I graduate?

“Have no fear,” Fordham’s International & Study Abroad Programs (lovingly known as ISAP) website seemed to tell me last November as I scrambled to find out what I could do. And then I discovered I could study in London before my senior year at Fordham for four weeks in the summer. Perfect!

Big Ben in typical London weather

And it truly was perfect. I was required to take one liberal arts course, and I chose Writing for Magazines. For a few days a week, my class met at Heythrop College, where Fordham London Centre is located. We got to do so many incredible things for the class, including seeing a play called “McQueen” and interviewing the show’s stars afterwards. We also got to meet up with Fordham alumni who are now living and working in London, and they gave us tours of their neighborhoods. We got to see a whole new side of London that most tourists don’t get to see.

Of course, I also partook in the traditional touristy London and English activities; I rode the London Eye, visited Windsor Castle, stopped at Stonehenge, saw a couple West End shows, and ate lots of delicious pub fare. It was everything I wanted out of my study abroad experience and more.

Stonehenge rocks!

Additionally, spending four weeks abroad turned out to be the perfect amount of time for me. A semester would have had me missing my family, friends, and Fordham, so four weeks gave me just the right amount of time away to get me acquainted with London without feeling so homesick.

Notting Hill's adorable houses

Even if you can't spare a semester to study abroad, Fordham's ISAP allow you to spend a short time in a foreign city that could fulfill all your study abroad dreams!