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Interior Design Student Studies in London
October 3rd, 2008
Misha Mika graduated in 2007 and now works for Design Network (http://www.dninteriors.com) in Saratoga.
Studying in London
By Misha Mika
Interior design student
Soon after arriving at Heathrow Airport, and getting into a taxi cab that cost 80 (which is the equivalent to $160) to my housing accommodations in central London, I learned quickly that life in a bustling metropolis would be much different from that of upstate New York.
I lived near the hip London Borough called Camden Town. It is home to the famous Camden Locks and the Camden Street Market, where I frequented many times to find unique items for myself, and to bring home as gifts. I was also very close to beautiful Regents Park, where Queen Marys Garden flaunted magnificent floral arrangements and shrubbery, neatly displayed around century old fountains. Also found at Regents Park during the warmer weather, were football (soccer) games being played on the many open fields.
I was also only a five minute walk to the closest Underground (or Tube) Station that could take me anywhere from Notting Hill to Piccadilly Circus, or connect to an over ground train that could take me to Bath, or Liverpool.
About a mile and a half walk would get me to where I attended American Intercontinental University (AIU) in Marylebone (and I actually did walk it every day). This area was extremely posh and high end, boasting celebrity residents like Kiera Knightly and Madonna (though I never caught glimpse of either). As I walked through this area every day, its main street, Marylebone High Street was a magnificent sight. Cafes lined the street, always with people sitting at the outdoor tables, no matter what the temperature.
AIU is nothing like the college campuses we are used to in the US. Because it is in the middle of a city, AIU has its buildings spread out over several blocks in Marylebone. There is no dining center, no real campus center, no school bookstore, no central housing accommodations, and no school gym. It is a completely different way of getting a college experience; its the city way and I loved it!
While at AIU, I was enrolled in three classes which is considered a full semester because classes are worth five credits each there. I took Color Theory, Art History I, and my absolute favorite class, Survey of British Museums. In my British Museums class, I not only learned how, why, and by whom many museums in London were formed, but I also got to learn a lot about London and different areas of the city that I may never have visited had I not taken this class. I was able to see some of the most amazing museums in the world, like the notorious British Museum, the Tate Modern, and my personal favorite, the Victoria and Albert Museum, which is actually a museum of design. All these museums were truly amazing.
Being enrolled in AIU was not only a learning experience through my classes, but was also a discovery of cultures and people from places I had never even imagined meeting. I met people from all over the world, with many diverse backgrounds. I had friends from Kuwait, Nigeria, Sudan, and Ireland, as well as local people from Mississippi, Seattle, Milwaukee, and Virginia. The AIU student body is truly a diverse one which just enhanced the learning and experience of studying in London.
Probably my favorite part of doing this study abroad program in London was being able to travel almost anywhere. I was lucky enough to go and see places like beautiful Llandudno in North Whales, Dublin and its magnificent mountains and cliff sides of the Sally Gap in Ireland, and of course Paris, France (which I actually visited twice). Traveling within England was also amazing. I was able to see Shakespeares birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon, the Royal Pavilion in Brighton, Cambridge University in Cambridge, and a British rugby game in Twickenham.
Studying in London was the most amazing experience of my life. I learned that even an old city, with old architecture has diversity, mixing hundred year old buildings with contemporary ones. I learned that like its buildings, the people of London are a multiplicity of cultures from all over the world. I learned that the more you travel, the more you want to travel. And I learned that I could be independent, and survive on my own, knowing no one, in one of the biggest cities in the world. I learned so much in my London semester, much more than a textbook or classroom could ever teach me.
