As my study abroad experience is drawing to a close, I’ve been thinking about what it has meant to me. I’ve been reflecting on what I’ve enjoyed, what I haven’t and how it has changed me.

One of the best things about this experience has been meeting new people. I’ve made some great American friends who have really helped shape my experience of New York. But I’ve also become really close friends with other girls from my university back home, girls who I probably would not have met otherwise. I’m even living with a few of them when we go back to London, so without this study abroad experience, the rest of my time back home would have been completely different.

I’ve loved experiencing an American university. Hunter College is very different from Queen Mary University of London. From the way the classes are structured to the amount and intensity of homework, everything is different. There are pros and cons to both, and I’m not sure which I prefer. But I’m so glad I’ve gotten to see how it works out here.

The main reason I wanted to study abroad was the chance to live in my dream city. I’ve always wanted to come to New York, for as long as I can remember. It’s always been a goal of mine to live here. While this experience is only temporary, being able to live here, even for four months, is a dream come true. I’m so glad my first time here was for four months rather than a week holiday. It has allowed me to truly experience living in New York rather than just the experiencing the tourist aspect, which brings me to my next point: I had an amazing "Tourist Week" where I got to do really fun things, like visit the Empire State Building, the Top of the Rock and the Statue of Liberty -- to name a few.

Studying abroad has made me realize that I am more capable than I thought I was. The idea of moving to New York on my own was daunting, but I managed it. I made it through the applications, the visa process, the seemingly infinite list of documents to supply. I managed to live in a new city and not just any city, but New York City, on my own. It made me realize that I’m on my way to being a proper adult and maybe that’s partly due to turning twenty-years-old here. But the study abroad experience has definitely made me grow up a lot.

I’ve also been reflecting on back home. A weird element of studying abroad is that it feels like you step out of your life for four months, while everyone at home carries on without you. This has been a strange experience, but has allowed me to view my life back home, the people in it, the things I did and the way I acted, in a new light. (Not that I did anything questionable.) But it’s as though I can view my life from an outside perspective, which will change the way I step back into it when I’m home.

I know that I’m going home as someone new. I’ve definitely changed a lot here in New York. And it’s not just my newfound obsession with bagels or my vocabulary, (remembering to say the tube rather than the subway is going to take some getting used to), but I feel different. I’m not sure how although I’m definitely more confident. Studying abroad has changed my university experience and I’m so glad I did it.