Going abroad was always on my mind

As the youngest of four siblings, I had watched as they all grew up and travelled away from our small town in Upstate New York to different places around the world. They in turn, came home telling the stories of their time with their host family in Vienna, the views of Prague, and the lights of London. It planted the seed that I too would one day come home and tell the stories of cities I had been, and places I had travelled. My problem was, I just wasn’t sure how. 

This dream sat in a dusty drawer in the back of my mind, always as a possibility, but never a reality. I kept thinking I’ll do it after college like my mom had, or make it a trip later in life once I was settled down. Although I wanted to do it as soon as possible, I still didn’t know how. After completing high school, I had decided to stay in the States and attend college closer to home. I told myself I could go abroad through the study abroad options my college had to offer. This played a big role in choosing my school, and I became excited. The dream of going abroad finally seemed in reach. 

One evening after a day of aimless scrolling, I stumbled upon this girl who had titled her video ‘Moving to London for my Masters’. I watched it in its entirety and swiped left on her page to see if she had more. I thought to myself, ‘going abroad for all of school? That sound so cool. I hadn’t even thought that was an option, but lucky for me, she had a whole series of pinned videos of her process. She covered everything from, how she decided on London, what the visa process was like, where she was going to live, how to commute, and so much more. That night I went to bed so excited to graduate college, so I could go to London for my Masters. This was two weeks into freshman year. 

I quickly came to realize however maybe I didn’t have to wait four years, and I could go for my undergraduate degree. A quick google search of ‘schools in London with writing programmes’ quickly proved me right and the next thing I knew I was staring at a UCAS screen clicking firm on an offer for BA Creative Writing & Journalism from Middlesex University London. 

Three months later I was moving into Platt Halls, a 20-minute walk away from Middlesex’s main campus in Hendon. I was nervous, excited, sad, happy, literally feeling all the emotions someone could feel after moving 3,000 miles away from home. My room was cozy, there was a built-in desk and dresser, my own bathroom and a single bed that I had made up with a purple duvet, and floral-patterned pillowcases which I had brought from home, giving the room a feeling of familiarity and comfort. Over the course of the first week, I was still learning how to live away from home, but after literally, running into my flat mate Sadie in the doorway of the kitchen life got a little easier. Other than a place to live, Platt gave me amazing friends which is a testament to living in halls. Sadie quickly became like a sister to me and we did everything together, from going to campus to study, to cooking together in the flat. We figured out together how to top up our TFL Oyster Cards, and even how to register for the GP. Living in halls my first year was a great way introduction to living abroad, and I went on to live in them again my third year as an RA. Which, a story for another time, but was yet again an incredible experience.

When I got to Middlesex campus for the first time, I knew I had made the right choice. Having not been able to tour it before, but only virtually, it was pretty much a sight-unseen sort of situation. The feeling of assurance that it was the right place for me came after traversing campus and navigating the maze of Grove Building, Middlesex’s (incredible) arts building on my way to my first class. I found myself during this experience, very grateful I was not traversing city streets, and has a campus base for classes. Over the course of my three years, campus became one of my favorite aspects of MDX. I loved the closeness of classes, having the quad to catch up with my friends or attend university fairs. Seeing campus bloom into shades of green after a long UK winter. The 24/7 library and free printing were a lifesaver, and the easy access to facilities directly related to my industry such as radio rooms, TV studios and an on campus supplies store, made my learning experience so much more fruitful. 

I knew by the end of my first year I loved London. I had gotten to experience life in a way that staying in my home country I never would have been able to, due to a plethora of factors. This city pushed me outside my comfort zone, and although I don’t at all recommend not getting a phone plan set up until January, not many people can say they’ve memorized the tube due to a lack of data. 

Three years later, I still know I love London. The opportunities this city offers to students through its free experiences, and incredible amount of history is unmatched. I still am finding new things to do each day that I didn’t know existed the one before. Being able to feel safe, and confident enough to able to show and share the city I have grown to love with those I love around when they come to visit is a feeling so amazing it is almost hard to believe it’s true sometimes. 

Going to university in London provided me with so much more than just a rich education, it provided me with a home. 

- Lillian