Smriti Ahuja
London, UK
What made you decide to study abroad during your time at Carnegie Mellon University?
I’ve pretty much wanted to study abroad since freshmen year orientation week. I went to a study abroad session and immediately decided that I would be going abroad. Especially because my primary major is International Relations and Politics, I thought it was important to learn more about different countries by actually living in them, rather than just learning in the classroom.
How did you choose London as your study abroad location?
I’m not going to lie, I’ve loved London for a long time, and my love for it has definitely come from movies and TV shows. I visited London once in 2014, and since then, I’ve always wanted to go back and live there. I also was actually planning on applying to the London School of Economics for my undergrad degree but ultimately decided not to since I thought that London was a bit too big of a jump for my first time away from home. I knew that LSE was one of the best universities for my IR major, and I wanted to get a new perspective into my major.
What were a few of your favorite experiences and/or places abroad
Being in London was definitely just the best experience overall. It’s such a lively city, and there’s so much to do there. I think one of my favorite experiences was just exploring London and going to some of the markets and more local spots that are there, because that’s when I felt like I was truly living in London. I also really enjoyed the ease of travelling that came from being in Europe. I was able to visit many places in the UK such as Cambridge and Oxford, and I also travelled to places outside of the UK like Edinburgh and Amsterdam. Overall, being in London for a year was pretty amazing.
London's iconic red phonebooths
What were some challenges you encountered while abroad and how did you deal with them?
I think the biggest challenge was definitely just not knowing anyone in London. I applied straight to LSE, so no one from CMU was going with me, and I felt really lonely the first few months I was there. I also missed my friends who were all together and having fun, while I was alone in a totally different country. I honestly think that time was the fix to these problems. After a month or so, I started making friends and became close to a few different people, and that really helped alleviate the loneliness I was experiencing. And then, because I was finally getting out and exploring the city with my friends, I started worrying less about what I was missing out on in Pittsburgh.
What was the most surprising or exciting thing you encountered while studying abroad?
I think the most surprising thing was definitely how nice everyone was. I was really nervous about going into a new university where everyone already knew each other, and I was the odd American out. I remember I was so worried about going into my first class. But even on the very first day, someone talked to me and made me feel welcome. That wasn’t the only time either, people in my classes were so kind and immediately included me, and the people I met through clubs and societies did the same. I was genuinely surprised and so grateful. I think I’m also surprised that months after I’ve left London, I’m still in touch with the majority of the people I became friends with over there.
Tower Bridge, London
If you could study abroad again, where would you go?
I think it would be really incredible to study abroad in Spain. I’ve learned Spanish since I was in 7th grade, and it would be amazing to apply what I’ve learned in the classroom out in the real world on a more consistent basis.
What are three pieces of advice that you would give to another student about to study abroad for the first time?
- Be open to everything. It’s easy to sit in a room and be sad about not being with your friends, but don’t do it! Go out, make friends, and explore the city you’re in because who knows when you’ll be there next.
- Learn about the area/school you’re going to before actually going. I was so excited to go abroad that I skimmed through the LSE website numerous times, and I tried to learn more about where I was living ahead of time. That really helped when it came to the first day, and I already knew how to get to where I was going and what to do.
- Learn how to be alone. I think this is something I really had to learn how to do because I didn’t know anyone in London, and any friends/family I had were on the other side of the world. But this helped me explore the city more and become more comfortable being by myself. It’s also just really important to be independent, no matter where you are or what you’re doing. I feel much more prepared to take care of myself after my year abroad.