Studying Abroad During COVID-19, Is It Worth It?

If COVID-19 has taught us anything about life, it’s to stop waiting for the perfect opportunity. If you are passionate enough about something, sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith and trust that everything else will fall into place. 

I was supposed to study abroad in London the fall of my junior year, like many other Elon University students; however, COVID-19 had different plans. I found out the program was canceled during the middle of the summer and was completely devastated, but instead of not going entirely, I decided to defer my application to the spring semester. As January rolled around, the COVID-19 situation in London wasn’t looking great. I had been looking forward to studying abroad since the beginning of my freshman year, and did not want to miss out on this opportunity. After weighing the pros and cons and knowing how much I would deeply regret not going, I decided to take a chance and hop on the plane!

It has been about four months since the semester abroad in London ended, and I can say with confidence that it was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. No, our study abroad experience wasn’t perfect. There were COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in London that prevented us from traveling around the world on the weekends, and even doing simple things such as going into the many museums found in the city. At one point we couldn’t even hangout with our friends on other floors in our flat, because we had to stay in our “bubble.” That being said, we all stayed positive, COVID-19 restrictions lessened, and we adapted to make the most of our time in London. 

So what made our experience so amazing? 

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The People

When we stepped on the plane in Newark Liberty International Airport at the beginning of the program, we did not know anyone we would be studying abroad with, and that was a little terrifying. When we stepped off the plane in Newark Liberty International Airport at the end of the program, it was the lifelong friends we made that made us want to turn around and hop on the next plane back to London. We would not have had the incredible experience we did without the friends we made while studying abroad. There is something extremely bonding about studying abroad during a pandemic, and not many people are crazy enough to do it. That being said, we’re so grateful everyone in our program did. This was a truly special group that made anything and everything an adventure. We will never forget our daily allotted walks, carrying a couch through the streets of Kensington, picnics and football in Hyde Park, going to the beach at midnight, and taking the train to Brighton, just to name a few. Our study abroad experience in London and the friendships we made will always have a special place in our hearts, and we can’t wait until we are all back together in London one day in the future.  

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Experiencing London in a Unique Time

Studying abroad during a pandemic gave us the opportunity to see and experience London in a truly unique way. Because of the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, London felt empty compared to normal times. Usually the tube is insanely crowded and sweaty with no seats available to sit on, the streets are full of traffic, and the popular destinations such as Buckingham Palace, the London Eye and Trafalgar Square are packed with tourists and crowds. During our time here, we experienced just the opposite. The tube, streets, and touristy areas were relatively quiet, and it almost felt like we had the whole city to ourselves. Rather than exploring different countries on the weekends like most students do while studying abroad, we continued to explore what we could in London. While this was not what we had originally imagined, it turned out to be beneficial, because we were able to appreciate London for its natural beauty by going on many walks in the parks and along the Thames River. We were also able to appreciate London’s history, architecture, and popular destinations without having to push through crowds to see it all. Although we hope to never see London this empty again, it was extremely interesting to experience London in such a unique time. 

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Self Growth

“Studying abroad changed me.” - Anyone who has ever gone abroad. 

With the risk of sounding extremely cliche, we have to agree that our experience studying abroad, especially during a pandemic, has changed our lives. We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to study abroad in the first place, and we are so happy that we made the bold decision to do so during COVID-19. This experience was something unlike anything we had ever done before. It gave us the opportunity to explore more of the world, and has made us even more excited to travel in the future. London now feels like our home away from home, and we could definitely see ourselves moving back there in the future, hopefully under more normal conditions! It helped us develop more independence and self-confidence. Being in a foreign country in a pandemic can be intimidating, but we really learned how to trust ourselves and have a positive mindset. Above all else, studying abroad during COVID-19 has reminded us that life is short and unpredictable. This experience has reinforced the importance of living each day with purpose and doing what makes you happy, because in the end that is all that truly matters. 

TravelMargaret Jacobs