Blog Post 2: Flatmates

“It’s just like your freshman year of college,” was the most common piece of advice I was given before leaving for London. Reminders to keep my door open then followed it and to participate in all school coordinated trips. But, I’m a commuter student at my home college! I didn’t have the experience of living in dorms or with roommates.

This was one of the most exciting aspects about studying at Queen Mary: the opportunity to live on campus. I couldn’t wait to be a short walk from my classes, live with roommates and feel a sense of community.

Personally, I love the accommodation at Queen Mary. I have had friends who studied abroad and regretted not making friends with actual English students. At Queen Mary, the flats are split with English and study abroad students. Mine consists of seven students from: England, China, Brazil and America. Living with people from all over the world has given me the opportunity to learn about their cultures, especially during dinner.

My flatmates are incredibly welcoming and patient, especially when explaining the electric stove to me for the umpteenth time. They’ve given me great advice for where to get cheap groceries to the best places to go out! While it’s tempting to spend most of your time with other Americans, make a point of trying to get to know the locals.

Natalia studied abroad in Spring 2016 and is from Hunter College, NYC.

Read more of Natalia’s posts.