Spring Break
Studying across the pond makes travel and fun easy
Letters from Abroad
Issue date: 10/11/07
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I remember freshmen orientation at Hopkins: the whirl of social events, the volunteer activities, getting to know the people in your dorm, convocation and student advisor meetings. All-in-all it was a jam packed week. At Queen Mary University of London, things work a little bit differently. Most University activities during the first week involve drinking and clubbing, with discounts on drinks and free transport to dance clubs.
Drink flows freely here in London, where the drinking age is 18. The polite British people apologize in advance: Signs that say "Please do not be offended if we ask for I.D.," can be seen in many bars. Alcoholic beverages can be purchased on campus in at least two different dining areas. Many students have a pint with lunch.
Queen Mary is located in the East End of London in a primarily Bangladeshi neighborhood. The area around the school reminds me a little of Baltimore: There many parts of the area where you don't want to walk at night. There is an outdoor market a few blocks away where you can get everything from Bollywood movies to frying pans and fruit and unlicensed movie dealers try to sell you pirated Hollywood movies.
The campus has more diversity than Hopkins; there are many more Muslims, Sikhs, Asians and eastern Europeans. Even with this great diversity the only religious structure on campus is a Christian chapel. Everyone is welcome there, and free coffee, hot chocolate and tea is available.
One of the most noticeable differences between Hopkins and Queen Mary is the organization. Whereas registering for classes, finding your class schedule and buying books is simple and can be done entirely online at Hopkins, those same tasks are a bit more complicated at Queen Mary. Study abroad students can pre-register for some of their courses by submitting their desired classes to the study abroad advisor. Any class that hasn't been pre-registered for requires standing in a line (queuing) and signing up for each class manually with the department. I waited for nearly an hour to register for one history class.
Drink flows freely here in London, where the drinking age is 18. The polite British people apologize in advance: Signs that say "Please do not be offended if we ask for I.D.," can be seen in many bars. Alcoholic beverages can be purchased on campus in at least two different dining areas. Many students have a pint with lunch.
Queen Mary is located in the East End of London in a primarily Bangladeshi neighborhood. The area around the school reminds me a little of Baltimore: There many parts of the area where you don't want to walk at night. There is an outdoor market a few blocks away where you can get everything from Bollywood movies to frying pans and fruit and unlicensed movie dealers try to sell you pirated Hollywood movies.
The campus has more diversity than Hopkins; there are many more Muslims, Sikhs, Asians and eastern Europeans. Even with this great diversity the only religious structure on campus is a Christian chapel. Everyone is welcome there, and free coffee, hot chocolate and tea is available.
One of the most noticeable differences between Hopkins and Queen Mary is the organization. Whereas registering for classes, finding your class schedule and buying books is simple and can be done entirely online at Hopkins, those same tasks are a bit more complicated at Queen Mary. Study abroad students can pre-register for some of their courses by submitting their desired classes to the study abroad advisor. Any class that hasn't been pre-registered for requires standing in a line (queuing) and signing up for each class manually with the department. I waited for nearly an hour to register for one history class.
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