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I am an American, 20 years old, looking to go to school in London for a year program to receive my M.A. I have a ton of questions that are pretty vague, but looking for any thoughts/comments/advice that would help me make an informed decision. I intend to visit the campus, however, some questions can't be answered by a tour guide.
From experiences, what is it like living in London as an American in your 20's? Are people annoyed by American tourists so much that it would be annoying if I went to a bar and started talking to people? If you could say a couple things that most people never think about when moving to London that are necessary to know? What's the weather/seasons like, every time I ask someone who lived there, their immediate response is it sucks, it's cold, and it's rainy, are they wrong? I have been looking into the recent developments with the tuition raises and want to know if the videos on youtube/ news reports are isolated incidents or will I be walking into a tense atmosphere around campus? Real Talk: do English girls like American guys (I understand this has a lot to do with my personality/looks but an overall opinion is appreciated) or are we a dime a dozen? What are the dorm situations like in the British University system(basically looking to see if there are any huge differences between American dorms)? Finally, any thing you would want to add about moving there/living in the city/ on campus/ etc would be great.
As an Englishman not originally from London in my 20s, London's got a lot to offer once you get used to the scale of it (presuming you're not from an equally big city), and the price. No point coming here if you can't afford to make the most of it. We get a lot of Americans studying/working here as well as tourists so we're used to the accent. Being American would get you a mixture of positive/negative reactions, but nobody's that bothered either way. When talking to British people be aware that we're generally not as forward as Americans. Being an international student chances are many of your friends will be other international students too (I did it three times, and it generally turned out that way whether I wanted it or not).
Weather is less extreme temperatures than Pittsburgh but noticeably less sunny, with dreary, gloomy winters and generally OK summers with longer daylight (until 10pm). You'll hear a few people complaining about how future students will have to pay more than their share of reducing the budget deficit compared to older people but you won't likely see any trouble.
American universities seem more institutionalised than ours from what I've seen in the media with stuff like meal plans, having to share a room (almost nobody does that here), people caring about university sports teams, etc. In my experience it was more something I did during the day rather than the centrepoint of my life (I wouldn't have wanted to live on an American campus).
They say one of the hardest moves to make is between the US and UK, because people assume two mostly white (well, London's just about still mostly white) English-speaking countries will be similar, but it's all the little differences that people notice.
All great info here, thank you for your response. Could you elaborate more on the dorms by chance? I had no idea that it was uncommon to share a room (I was under the impression I would have to get along with a new roommate). Are the dorms co-ed/ share bathrooms etc (if it depends on the school, I understand, but I was not sure if there are strict regulations overall that I am not aware of) Also, the school I am applying to is King's College of London and wanted to know if you (or anyone else) had any comments/observations/opinions on the campus or school in general. I read that international students can choose to live in a bunch of different places and I am definitely most interested in the place with the largest population or best chance to meet new people.
All great info here thank you for your response. Could you elaborate more on the dorms. I had no idea that it was uncommon to share a room (I was under the impression I would have to get along with a new roommate). Are the dorms co-ed/ share bathrooms etc (if it depends on the school, I understand, but I was not sure if there are strict regulations overall that I am not aware of) Also, the place I am applying is King's College of London and wanted to know if you (or anyone else) had any comments/observations/opinions on the campus or school in general. I read that international students can choose to live in a bunch of different places and I am definitely most interested in the place with the largest population or best chance to meet new people.
I don't know anything about that particular university but most student residences are split into corridors of about 10, mixed-sex (we don't use the term 'co-ed'), generally en-suite in newer buildings with a shared kitchen. You're pretty much free to live your own way as adults. Any university would have sports/social groups or whatever to meet people and tons of events in the first week of term, so no need to worry about meeting people wherever you live, and all the London universities have tons of internationals.
I don't know anything about that particular university but most student residences are split into corridors of about 10, mixed-sex (we don't use the term 'co-ed'), generally en-suite in newer buildings with a shared kitchen. You're pretty much free to live your own way as adults. Any university would have sports/social groups or whatever to meet people and tons of events in the first week of term, so no need to worry about meeting people wherever you live, and all the London universities have tons of internationals.
Thank you for your incite that puts me a bit more at ease.
I would echo what Ben86 has said. While universities in other parts of the UK are campus-based, this is not the case in London; King's, for example, is spread about the city, as is its housing.
While you may well have a great time living in a hall of residence (ie, the accommodation provided by the college), it is very common for students, especially at post-grad level, to share privately rented houses and flats. If you want to be central to college life, choose halls; if you want to find your own way, but still have people to hang out with, then consider moving into a house/flat share.
And yes, it is very uncommon to share a room, unless you're in a couple or really looking to live very cheaply.
Good news: you can legally drink alcohol from 18, and many more down-scale pubs and bars will not even want to see your ID.
My son attended Keele Uni in Staffordshire for 3 years and was the only American enrolled there full time. One of the big differences (other than the residence situation already discussed) was that there is no meal plan or dining hall. You are expected to cook your own meals in the shared kitchen...or, if you are rich, you can eat in restaurants all the time!
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