student blog

Maria's picture

Brighton: The UK Actually Has a Beach!

If I could have named one thing about the UK that I was sure would definitely not in a million years impress me, it would have been its beaches. I was fortunate to grow up surrounded by beaches of warm deep blue Caribbean waters and the whitest, finest sand. After spending many summers in Varadero, Cuba's most famous beach, not even its Miami or Hawaii counterparts were able to fulfill me. I thus did not look forward to visiting UK beaches, and only did so because the International Students House Travel Club organized a day trip to Brighton, a beach resort area on the south coast of the country.

As it turns out, Brighton did impress me. Sure, the sand looked dark and rocky, and the water colder than one could bear. But the beautiful Brighton Pier seemed to smile under a radiant sun. Parents and their children came to the pier in colorful clothes, sampling the many restaurants, arcade and fairground attractions. Along the seafront row, thousands of the finest automobiles lined up for InCarNation 1000, a show that celebrates the UK's best 1000 modified and performance cars. The day smelled of happiness and spring, and blooming flowers adorned the many terrace cafes offering delicious meals at surprisingly low prices.

Maria's picture

Free-Falling on LSE

When I received the admissions letter in 2005, Harvard was already a familiar place. Even before I applied, I had visited the university, checked out the campus party scene, attended information sessions, met my admissions officer, and gotten involved in the Cuban student group events. I thus began my undergraduate career with a fairly accurate sense of what awaited me in the next four years.

 

Arriving at LSE

My introduction to LSE was contrastingly abrupt. Before I knew it, classes arrived and I saw myself in Houghton Street absorbing everything for the first time. Of course, I was unprepared for the rushed course selection process, and the unavailability of professor and course evaluations as a public guide for students did not make the task easier. I was surprised to find that there were virtually no British people in my classes, as the majority of my classmates came from other European countries and North America. The school calendar shocked me; my unthinkable number of holidays included two months to study for finals!

Angelique's picture

THE END IS NEAR...

I see it! I see it! It's the finishing line. Three years has gone by so quickly.  I feel like London has become my 'home away from home.' A bitter sweet moment as I think of returning to the Seychelles and leaving my life here behind.

As the months draw near, every so often a tear rolls off my cheek as I think of this part of my life coming to an end. In 2009, it felt like I would be embarking on the longest journey of achievement ever and three years down the line, it does not feel long enough. Where has the time gone by? I feel sad as I think of leaving my friends, my 'chosen' siblings and the city of lights.

No Regrets

It must be said though, I have no regrets. I have met people who have made me laugh to tears, smile to my ears and love without boundaries. The same people I now have to leave behind as each of us follow our own paths. Saying Goodbye is indeed the hardest word. Although, I will remember them forever for making this journey bearable and memorable. I can only hope we keep in touch.

Maria's picture

My Favourite Things in London

London has so much to offer that it is hard to choose the very best. However, after thinking long and hard, I have come up with a list of my favorite places and things to see and do in the city:

- Coffee Shop: The Natural Kitchen (City, EC4 and Marylebone, W1)

- Bookstore: Daunt Books (Marylebone, W1 and others)

- Park: Regent's Park 

- Museum: Science Museum (South Kensington, SW7)

- Market: Camden

- Season: Spring

- Theatre Venue: Royal Albert Hall (South Kensington, SW7)

- Musical: The Phantom of the Opera (Her Majesty's Theatre, SW1)

- Gym: Regent's Gym (Great Portland Street, W1)

- Shopping Area: Oxford Street, W1

- Chinese Restaurant: Phoenix Palace (Marylebone, SW1)

Maria's picture

A Great British Tradition

In March this year Londoners flocked to the Thames on a a typically grey Saturday afternoon in the capital. The tranquility of Putney Bridge, with its churches uniquely facing each other from opposite banks, was disturbed by groups of friends and families with babies rushing to get a good spot along the river. This was the 157th Varsity Boat Race disputed annually by Oxford and Cambridge Universities, a tradition that only the two World Wars have been able to disrupt.

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