IISMA 2024 Awardee, Kayla, takes a look back at her time in this wonderful city we call home!

Memories are fickle, it’s quite hard to recall everything with clarity, and yet, my memories at Queen Mary University of London will definitely stay with me throughout my life, even if eventually, they become full of holes. London touches upon my soul with an intensity I welcome – I am changed as a result, full of new things I didn’t even dare to imagine in my youth. Blisters on my fingers, hot chocolate warming my stomach, wind that overturned my umbrella, sore legs after walking 15k steps, ears ringing with the screech of the tube flashing by, tap water flowing down my throat. So many new experiences, each one I carefully stitch into my mind, unwilling to let go. How could I let go when even misfortunes are treasures I have to possessively cling to? I was a 20-year-old girl, studying in London, surrounded by friends – just that fact is enough to pump joy through my veins.   

The first time I saw Big Ben, climbing up the stairs of Westminster Station with anticipation, I gasped at the beauty of it. Sunlight splattered the old building in golden dust, and it was so big and high – and that was literally the icon of London standing right in front of me. Everything was new to me, I want to take pictures everywhere, I was filled with an indescribable feeling. Now that I think about it, that feeling was probably love. The moment it hit me I was in London, I fell in love with London.  

I did so many things in London: watched musicals, explored the streets, stepped into the tube, went around bookstores, paid for hot chocolate or iced chai latte, ran to catch the bus, shopped for groceries, and so much more. Every experience, every memory is so beautiful to me, preserved in my soul with bubbles of fondness and yearning. During those three months, I also came to appreciate the art of learning. 

At Queen Mary University of London, I was allowed to state my opinion and was never discouraged from expressing differing opinions, I was allowed to question the materials presented to me, and had them explained patiently by the professors, and I was allowed to gain free knowledge. I am a psychology student, and I was genuinely impressed by how thorough the materials were, along with real life application, all explained patiently by the professor. I was also allowed to take two modules unrelated to psychology, and I was grateful to be given the opportunity to learn about creative writing and London’s theaters.  

As someone who is not from a top university in Indonesia, I genuinely appreciate how effective and informative the modules at Queen Mary are. The lectures are interesting and engaging, the seminars are enriching, and the feedback given to me by the professors allowed me to learn what I did wrong and how to improve. Throughout the three months I spent at Queen Mary, I was able to experience the top-notch education from a developed country, and from that, grow as a student and also a person.  

Memories are a tree rooted in our brain, and in mine, there exists a single, strong branch full of my experiences from three months as an IISMA Awardee at Queen Mary University of London. I won’t let the branch rot, ever. I also won’t let even a single leaf fall to the ground – no, I will treasure each leaf and caress it lovingly, letting a memory take over my mind just for a second, so I can relive it shortly, full of nostalgia.  

I may be separated 11,724 kilometers from London, but I hold that city close to my heart, forever.