I’ve been in London for about half a month now, and if I am being honest, it’s been one of the most surreal experiences of my life. Being here has taught me so much about myself and the world around me. Adapting to a new culture, navigating one of the world’s biggest cities, and dealing with constant gloom have made for a couple of very eventful weeks and created memories that will last a lifetime.
My program of choice, University College London, features an insane melting pot of culture. My department, Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences (BASc), welcomes students from every country, major, and walk of life imaginable, and has led me to form friendships with affiliates from all over the world. From Argentina to Australia, the huge multicultural community at UCL has helped me familiarize myself with cultures that I knew very little about and has broadened my horizons to corners of our Earth that I’m now very eager to continue exploring.
I am living at Ramsay Hall, one of UCL’s catered accommodations. It features a pretty large community of exchange students, and we often eat together in the dining hall. I have met quite a variety of people during my stay, from the US, Canada, Italy, France, and other countries. It is quite fun to discuss the peculiarities of the shared bathrooms and kitchens on every floor, but I have found that it makes for easy bonding.
It is not an exaggeration to say that the majority of UCL’s student population is international. When engaging with others, I have found that many affiliates (as well as British nationals) share my passion for learning about different cultures, and conversations about these topics could last for hours if we had unlimited time. I often hear conversations in different languages while sitting in class, which leads to very interesting discussions about the topics in our lessons.
That leads me to UCL’s academics. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of my department, ‘modules’ — what classes are called at UCL, can vary a lot. I chose modules related to multiculturalism, international politics, and migration, which are hot topics not only in my major, international relations, but also in the modern global landscape. I have both lectures and discussion sessions for each module, meaning my week is packed with readings.
Academics at UCL are fast-paced, with new topics to analyze every week, which ensures that class time is never quiet. Students, including myself, constantly engage with the lecture material, and professors are quick to get to know us. They’re always very interested in everything their students contribute to the lessons, making for a very interactive class experience that never loses my attention.
The British evaluate modules with one or two final assessments, which are essays in my case. There is no worrying about the quizzes and homework I have due this week, so I focus my energy on annotating readings and preparing discussion questions for lectures. Assessments are due in April and May, so I will check in with updates in my next post.
However, London is much bigger than UCL’s campus in Bloomsbury. There is so much to see and explore, it feels overwhelming. I often find myself wandering out of Bloomsbury on foot, walking London’s immersive streets without direction. I just walk wherever looks interesting, which has led to interesting experiences. Whether it is accidentally stumbling upon St. James’ Cathedral completely by accident, or getting lost in the bright, moving screens in Piccadilly Circus, each walk I take is sure to be a surprise, especially because I challenged myself to not use Google Maps.
When I do have a destination, I always choose to ride what Londoners have dubbed ‘The Tube’. The London Underground is the most interconnected subway system in the world, making it efficient for getting around the city. Sure, it comes with a hefty price tag of £2.90 each way (about $4 USD), but the general aesthetic of riding the Tube makes me inclined to choose it anyway. I always told myself that one of my goals in life was to live in a city with a subway system, and since I am here for a limited time, I want to make the most of it.
But of course, London doesn’t lack other options, one of which is the classic red double-deckers that roam all over the city. The surreal feeling of sitting on the second floor and watching the city pass by makes it worth braving the dangerous stairs, and I always make sure to do so whenever I ride the bus. Seeing them driving up and down the street on my day-to-day is what truly made it sink in that I’m living in my favorite city in the world, so I get quite sentimental whenever I see one, which is often.
The UK’s weather is another enemy. Constant rainfall makes for quite gloomy evenings, which, I won’t lie, are a bit discouraging, especially because my home, El Paso and Ciudad Juarez border, doesn’t see rain often. Getting back to my dorm after a rainy day feels quite cozy, though. Walking around London during this time of the year means bundling up with puffer jackets and coats, but I think the cold gives London its charm.
Everything London has to offer has kept me quite occupied, so I haven’t travelled, but I am taking my first excursion out to Berlin soon. With new friends, interesting and interactive classes, constant fights against the weather, and outdated accommodations, my experience in London has been very immersive so far. I can’t wait to make even more memories for my next post — maybe soon I’ll get over the fact that double-decker buses are actually real.
This blog was contributed by Viviana Orozco, Global Ambassador for Spring 2026. Viviana is a College of Liberal Arts Junior participating in an exchange program at University College London in London, England.
