Sara Thomas

Overall Experience
5/5

Major
English, Creative Writing

Hobbies
Reading, writing, crafting, Delta Zeta

Hometown
Blue Springs, MO

Where did you study?
London

Name of program
Kingston University Summer Program

Why did you choose to study there?
I have always wanted to go to London. There is so much to see and do in the city, along with all the culture as well.

What courses did you choose to enroll in?
British Culture & Society and Creative Writing in London

How did you pay for your study abroad experience?
Family contributions

Did you use some sort of financial aid, scholarship or fellowship?
No

What was your living situation?
I lived in a single person dorm room with my own tiny bathroom, and shared a kitchen with three other girls. The dorms are very small, but I was hardly in it anyway!

What did you do for fun?
Class assignments involved many touring trips or individual study trips to sight-see London. We went to pubs to eat and meet local Brits as well. I also went on a long weekend trip to Ireland and Wales.

Favorite aspect of your trip?
Meeting new people and seeing all the sights in London I've been wanting to see for years.

Challenges you faced?
Conversion rate made everything really expensive and the bus system was hard to figure out. I also lost my travel pass for all the public transit so I had to pay each day for my travel until my pass was replaced.

Advice or helpful tips for future students?
Do your best to attempt to budget while abroad. Money goes quickly!

What is one thing you would change about your experience?
I would have spent a semester abroad, not just the summer session.

Is there a funny or memorable story you would like to share from your experience?
A friend and I planned to go to Abbey Road and it took us three days to finally get there. The first day we got lost because we took the underground to the Abbey Road stop, which was on the opposite side of London from where the Beatles Abbey Road was. The next day I was sick, so we couldn't go. Finally the third day we made it to the actual Abbey Road.

Something interesting you learned about the town you lived in?
Kingston, where Kingston University is located near London, is where the first several kings were crowned. The coronation stone is still in the town.

Email:
satrkb@mail.umkc.edu