Week 1: Boston-London Semester 2017
The Boston-London Program students have already finished the first week of their semester! Group flights landed in London Heathrow Airport on May 20th and May 21st, where arrival staff greeted students and guided them to their new home for the semester. Students traveled by bus to check in at their residence hall in Kensington and moved into the dorms where they’ll be spending the next six weeks.
After orientation, students took a guided boat tour to historic Greenwich in southeast London, where they were free to explore. Greenwich is home to the 02 Arena, University of Greenwich, the beautiful Greenwich Park, Greenwich Market, and the Royal Observatory, which straddles the Greenwich meridian line. CGS student Sachi Dulai did a #TerrierTakeover on the CGS Snapchat and showed us her Greenwich explorations.
The Boston-London Program incorporates trips to historic sites so students can integrate what they’re learning with the sights and historic landmarks of London. On May 29th, the students visited Westminster Abbey— a regal church with architecture dating back to the 13th century. Westminster Abbey is the final resting place of 3,300 people (including seventeen monarchs and over 100 poets and writers) and the place where British monarchs have been coronated since 1066.
Fitting an entire semester into six weeks means classes begin immediately, with no time to waste. Twelve CGS professors from the humanities, rhetoric, and social sciences divisions all made the journey to London as well. Students launched immediately into their CGS core classes, which cover the industrial revolution to the digital revolution.
Boston University Study Abroad London is nestled into the busy neighborhood of Kensington. Students are a 20-minute walk away from the meadows and memorials of Kensington Gardens.
Students have a fully furnished kitchen equipped with everything students need to cook meals independently — pots and pans, dishwasher, cutlery, stoves, and microwaves. High Street Kensington is a quick 10-minute walk from the residence building and a useful place to find household supplies–and good places to eat.
Students also took in some beautiful views — a bird’s eye view of London and the Thames from atop the towering, 443-feet tall London Eye.
Over the weekend, students took an optional trip to Scotland–from Glencoe to Loch Ness– where CGS student Akshay Pardiwala did a #TerrierTakeover.
Watch the CGS Instagram and Snapchat for more photos and videos from the London semester!
