Judges Abroad is a series of blog posts written by Brandeis student-athletes who are studying abroad for part of their junior year. To read more entries in the blog, click here!
Hey, guys!my name is Lara Verstovsek I am a third-year student from Houston, Texas, currently studying abroad in London, England. I am a member of the Brandeis University volleyball team, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Health, Science, Society, and Policy (HSSP).
Brandeis University had a lot of great places to offer to students majoring in psychology. It was quite difficult to narrow it down to one or two locations. In the end, we decided that London would be our first choice for several reasons. Having never been before, I knew living and exploring this city as my home base would be an adventure in itself. Another benefit I was looking forward to was the lack of a language barrier (apart from the occasional thick British accent), so I was able to fit in quickly.
I am currently studying at University College London (UCL), which is a fantastic academic opportunity available to many. The classes they offer and the professors I met have definitely expanded my knowledge in the field of psychology and I look forward to what happens after I graduate from Brandeis, maybe even studying abroad in the UK after that. I'm doing it. I'm currently taking four psychology classes, but my favorite is “Psychology and Crime.” My academic experience at UCL is very different from my time in America, but it has made me more organized and disciplined in balancing my study time with my travel time to other places. I was able to keep it.
London is a great international city for traveling to and from neighboring countries, so I take advantage of the cheapest flights possible. So far I've been able to explore Vienna, Belfast, Nice, Marseille and Monaco. Trips in the coming months include Zurich, Ibiza, Mallorca, Zagreb, Madrid, Amsterdam and Turkey. I'm really lucky to have some great friends here in London, but I also have some close friends who travel abroad to Europe. Then you can travel quite often and visit people. When it comes to spending time in London, I try to explore as much of the city as possible on a regular basis, and it seems like there's more and more to see. Apart from going out to trendy restaurants and enjoying the nightlife with friends, my favorite things to do locally are going to the markets (Borough, Camden, Brick Lane) every week or visiting Primrose Hill in town. Going to watch the sunset. skyline. I think one of the best things I did in London was go to a soccer match, especially at Fulham Stadium. It was so much fun to immerse yourself in the passionate soccer culture and hear the infamous chants from the crowd during matches.
Before coming here, I had heard many great things about studying abroad, especially many of my friends who told me how life-changing it was. Now that I've been here long enough, I can tell you they weren't exaggerating. You get to meet a lot of new people, not just from the United States, but from all over the world that you might not have had the chance to meet before. Not only can you learn about a new culture, but you can also learn a lot about yourself living almost alone in a new country. Going abroad definitely enhanced my college experience on many levels.
I'm having a great time here in London, but of course I miss volleyball and my teammates. It took me a while to get used to moving here, especially rearranging my schedule to not include practices and games. However, I still make time to go to the gym and stay active every day! My other teammate is Tatiana Weiner, who is currently studying abroad in Madrid, was really lucky to have volleyball as a fall sport. Otherwise, I might not have had the chance to study abroad. Our coaches were also very supportive and wanted us to explore not only the world but ourselves during this semester.
My time abroad will end in a few months, but I want to make the most of this study abroad experience, so I highly recommend this experience to anyone who can!