When I first got to London I hated it. It was gray, super busy, and no one really seemed to talk to each other. I was crazy jet-lagged, and spent the first two weeks in bed napping or trying to gather enough motivation to do my homework. I struggled to make friends, and I was … Continue reading The Little Things – Lelosa Aimufua
The prospect of studying abroad might be quite daunting especially if you are not sure that you will get support and help that you need. I am here to tell you that with a good amount of research and timely communication with IFSA staff, you should be able to avoid possible problems and get the … Continue reading 5 Things Students with Special Needs Must Know about Studying Abroad with IFSA – Bak Baitan
One of the main intentions I set for 2019 was to find home in my body. I vowed to make ‘home’ a state of mind rather than a place. As I departed my loved ones and hometown on January 1st to study abroad in London for five months, I knew this hefty goal would be … Continue reading 5 Tips for Staying Centered While Abroad – Sierra Deangelo
Listen to your body. One step at a time. Slowly slowly, as my Nonna always used to say. But I didn’t go slowly slowly. I was so determined to make this my year that I burnt myself out within the first month. For the last 4 weeks I have seen nothing but doctor’s rooms and … Continue reading Descansa – Tiffany Maria Christopher-Ward
This is not only an important year for me; being my Year Abroad working for the British Council as an English Language Assistant in Andalusia, Spain: but it is also the year I make everything right. For a long time, I have considered myself a disappointment, a failure, and I have chosen to share my … Continue reading Adapt and Overcome – Tiffany Maria Christopher-Ward
I always knew that I was an introverted person, but I did not know that I have social anxiety until the second year of college. I realized that had felt stressed and anxious in almost all social settings: from a theater rehearsal room, a Friday night party, or the cafeteria resounded with American small talks, … Continue reading Living with Social Anxiety Abroad
Last autumn, I almost decided against studying abroad in London; I thought it was too expensive, I wouldn’t be able to work, I didn’t want to leave my boyfriend and friends, I wasn’t sure if it would affect my track to graduation. Quite simply, I was scared. Then my boyfriend asked me the most perfect … Continue reading Can I do solo travel if I have anxiety? – Deryn Susman
I have always felt uncomfortable about the phrase “coming out” because of the inherent implication about there being a “normal” or “standard” sexuality, while others are regarded as “other” or “strange.” This past summer, I had to wrestle with this concept. I spent a lot of time thinking about my own sexuality. After many conversations … Continue reading Coming Out: The Abroad Edition – Rachel Godfrey
“There will never be a place where I can fully belong.” This is what I wrote down on Facebook, right before the plane took off to London, the city where I would stay for the next six months. All kinds of anxieties started to upsurge into my body, and one of them is the fear … Continue reading Embracing Discomfort: Studying the Arts in London as an East Asian – Unique Wenxuan Xue
Queen Mary Global Bloggers 