June 01, 2020
When It happened
My friends and I started realizing that things were rapidly getting worse as study abroad students from other universities were slowly disappearing, until one day our classrooms were practically empty. Living in London even for a short time was unforgettable and it was crushing to get sent home without completing my study abroad experience. UCEAP students spent a year planning and working hard to be able to go live across the world, and we barely got to experience what we had worked for.
Coming home
When I arrived home, I was quarantined in a separate apartment due to my family’s health issues, and it got quite lonely. It was (and still is) extremely difficult to stay motivated with my classes, especially “London: Walking the City” and “London and Its Museums” as these were \off-campus classes that do not translate well to online teaching.
Looking back at your experience
Living abroad gave me a sense of freedom and adventure that I haven’t experienced before. One of my favorite experiences was going on a spontaneous boat tour in Barcelona; making my way through the city on my own (during the daytime of course) was so empowering and taught me that some of the best memories aren’t planned.
For future students studying abroad
London is an insanely beautiful and very busy city; there’s always something to do or see and I feel like I barely got a glimpse. I hope that UCEAP gives us another chance to go back to our host countries, even for a short time, as study abroad is such an incredible opportunity and it was crushing for something we had worked for to be cut so short. Of course, it’s no one’s fault when things like this happen, so no student should feel like it’s not worth it to try and study abroad.