Since I have come back home from London, I have been getting many questions about my experience. What everyone always wants to know is “How was it?” and “Did you like it?”. Though this is insightful and, sometimes, helpful to others that wish to study abroad, I thought it’d be best to list a few things I wish I had known before leaving

1. It’s not a 5-month-long vacation

though going out is fun and it is very easy to get distracted with the new city, there is a lot of work to be done and you have to know how to balance your time between things.

2. Freshman 15 is not just a U.S. thing

It’s cool that you’re in a new country and that you want to emerge yourself into the culture, but that does not take away from the fact that what you eat anywhere still affects your body.

3. Time goes way too fast

My biggest regret is that, in my opinion, I could’ve tried to enjoy more of London. I focused so much on the trips that I could take outside of England, I forgot to stop myself and really enjoy the place I was in. By the time I did, I had too little time left.

If you do end up studying abroad, I hope you enjoy it and have an amazing time in whatever new place you choose to as your temporary home. It is a wonderful experience and it is one that I recommend to anybody who has the opportunity to. Good luck in your endeavors, whatever they may be!