Week 1: Boston-London Program

Students from the College of General Studies Boston-London Program arrived in the United Kingdom on May 14, quickly diving into their packed semester of classes, sightseeing, and field trips to educational sites.

*During their time in London, students stay at 14 Queens Gate, just minutes away from Hyde Park, London Museums, and the high street. Photo from Anika Dhar*

On their first day in London, students settled into their housing and met with classmates from different teams to begin exploring the sights of London. In the passenger pods of the London Eye, Europe’s tallest Ferris wheel, students traveled to the height of over 300 feet and looked down on beautiful views of the River Thames and Westminster Bridge. CGS student Doruntina Zeneli said, “It was amazing to witness London, on a rare sunny day, at a different view and perspective.” The students also saw the attractions Westminster had to offer, including the iconic Big Ben clock.

*Doruntina Zeneli and Roksolana Sikyrynska take a snapshot from the London Eye pod*

A view of sunny skies, the London Eye, and London's famous double-decker buses — *Sunny skies, the London Eye, and London’s famous double-decker buses. Photo by Anika Dhar*

Breathtaking views from the London Eye. Photo by Ellen Clouse — *A breathtaking view from the London Eye. Photo by Ellen Clouse*

Big Ben Thames — *Big Ben, the palace of Westminster, and the River Thames. Photo by LisaMarie Johnson.*

On Monday, students took a boat tour and journeyed to Greenwich, where they climbed the hill in Greenwich Park that leads to the Royal Observatory. Students posed for pictures in front of the Royal Observatory, which stands on the Prime Meridian of the World.

*Students at 0.1 degrees longitude, right next to the Prime Meridian in Greenwich. Photo by Anika Dhar*

*The scenic gardens surrounding the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. Photo from Aura Rossy*

For the rest of the week, students settled into classes and field trips. A visit to the Museum of London (the largest urban history collection in the world) introduced students to the history, art and artifacts of London, from Roman times to the present. Students were even able to see a portion of the Roman Wall that circled London during 1000 A.D. The V&A, the world’s leading museum of art and design, introduced the students to over 4.5 million objects showing architecture, furniture, fashion, textiles, photography, and more.

As the semester progresses, students will be learning about the industrial revolution through the digital revolution by taking SS104: Politics Economics and Social Change in the West, HU 104: The Industrial Revolution to the Digital Revolution, and RH 104: Rhetorical Practices from the Industrial Revolution through the Digital Revolution. Their curriculum will include studying and writing about London monuments, making videos of the attractions to be found at London Tube stops, and going to historical sites and museums. This week, students studied the poems of William Blake and Emily Dickinson, read J.S. Mill, and discussed A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

A view from the student classroom in Harrington Gardens. Photo by Madeline Foley — *A view from the window of 43 Harrington Gardens, the headquarters of the BU London Programme. Photo by Madeline Foley*

*Royal Albert Hall, a concert hall in South Kensington. Photo by Madeline Foley*

*A portion of the Roman Wall that protected London during 1000 AD, still standing at the Museum of London. Photo by Doruntina Zeneli*

Jennifer Gonzales takes a photo in one of London's iconic red telephone boxes — *Jennifer Gonzales takes a photo in one of London’s iconic red telephone boxes. Photo from Jennifer Gonzales*

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