Intro by Olivia Yalden

Hi From London! My name is Olivia Yalden and I am a junior majoring in public health at the College of Charleston currently studying abroad in London, UK through the IFSA study in London Program. I chose this specific program for multiple reasons. First, London was an ideal city because I wanted to be in a major city in order to put myself out there and challenge myself with adapting to a different world compared to places I have lived in before. Another reason for IFSA being an ideal program for me was the assistance and comfort an affiliate program would provide- I felt more comfortable exploring a new city knowing I had a small group of people who were there for me and served as a resource for me during my time abroad. Lastly, IFSA offered many interesting and enticing courses that would expand my knowledge of the culture and life in the UK. For my time abroad, I have set different personal and academic goals. Personally, I want to expand my knowledge of the culture and life in the UK as well as increase my confidence in navigating by myself in a big city. Additionally, I have set another personal goal of encouraging myself to explore different places in the UK other than London and to keep pushing myself out of my comfort zone while I am abroad. For my academics, I have set goals including connecting with global faculty and making global professional connections as well as collaborating with students from all over the world as well as different universities in the United States. Before arriving in the UK, I have done research regarding typical culture differences including the big appeal to football matches, going to pubs as a social event, and have also done research on technical aspects of my future home including typical weather patterns, the type of transportation that is most effective, and classic food items that will be served.

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