Studying in London sounds like a dream to a lot of people. Who doesn’t want to study in a metropole filled with different cultures and ethnicities, but you have to keep in mind that studying in the UK is quite different compared to Germany.
It’s been two months now since I moved to London for my abroad semester. Prepare yourself for short and fewer lectures every week, more independent self-studying time, and a lot of readings. Don’t worry, after a few weeks you will get used to the system and things will get a lot easier for you over the time.
Also, try to do all the tourist stuff in the first two months of your stay in London. Go to musicals (you can get last minute tickets from 20-30 pounds), different concerts and events. Look out for movie premieres to meet celebrities, just make sure you get free wristbands for the red carpet in time!
This year we had in total the following 4 different modules depending on your field of study (please note though that courses may vary each year!):
In every module, you will have to write essays on different topics, but you will only have one exam in your three months stay. The exam will be in the module Cross-cultural Management. Adding to that, there are weekly online quizzes in Economic History with 4 questions on your readings. Two of these weekly quizzes with your worst grade will not be counted. So, if you ever get sick or just forget to take the quiz, it will not be counted in your overall grade. All of the modules expect a lot of individual work from you, so start with your readings and essays as soon as possible.
Since you only have 4 modules in total, that means you have a day off. Yay! Use the extra day to do your readings or go around London and explore the city in the first few weeks. Around November you will get quite busy since some essays are already due at the end of the month, readings and work are going to pile up slowly over the first few weeks. In between your lecture and tutorial, you will quite possibly get a very unnecessary one-hour break. Go to the Dreadnought Building, which is the building for students with a canteen, cafes, couches, or you can go to the Greenwich Market to get something to eat. Sit outside and look at the amazing view you have over Canary Warf.
The University of Greenwich helps you settle into your new start in London by having an orientation week. It includes important presentations, campus tours, a treasure hunt to get to know Greenwich better etc…
I strongly recommend you participating in that week so settling in is easier for you. Apart from the orientation week that is organised by the International Office, there is also a ‘Freshers Week’. The ‘Freshers Week’ is organized by the Students Union of the University. Participating in Orientation Week will also help you get to know your beautiful campus and the different buildings.
Freshers Week offers various events and parties for new students located on and off campus. One of the biggest parties in ’Freshers Week’ is the annual boat party. You will cruise up and down the Thames while partying on the boat. The view is amazing, seeing the iconic sights at night with all the lights on is really worth going to the boat party.
The best way to get all the new events is to join the Freshers Group of Greenwich University on Facebook.
Before you go to your first lesson, you have to know that there is an attendance list. After every tutorial, you will need to swipe your student card for attendance, so try to be there for these lessons as best as you can. When you enter the two main buildings (King William and Queen Mary), you will have to show your ID card so better not bring your friends or family with you to the lecture.
Also, try to do all the tourist stuff in the first two months of your stay in London. Go to musicals (you can get last minute tickets from 20-30 pounds), different concerts such as the Jingle Bell Ball and events like the Oxford Street Christmas Lights turn on.
Look out for movie premieres to meet celebrities, just make sure you get free wristbands for the red carpet in time! It’s an amazing experience to have and you can tell all your friends about the celebrities you have met while you’re studying in London.
Go to the Bonfire night in Blackheath for a wonderful firework display, enjoy the pre-Christmas spirit by drinking mulled wine and just have fun while walking around at the fun fair.
If you want to study in a city filled with different opportunities and cultures, then London Greenwich should definitely be your choice for the abroad semester. Greenwich is a little part of Greenwich that is full of nice and polite people. Everything you could possibly need is all in Greenwich, going to the city centre doesn’t even take that long. I guarantee you won’t want to leave to go back home because this city will slowly become your second home over the months.
Greetings from London!
