Out of my comfort zone, all the way to London.

I am in my final year of university and studying for a bachelor of business with a major in international business and marketing. I wanted to do something new for my final year of university, and that’s when I discovered the option to study abroad in London at the London School of Economics through one of the uts Global Short Programmes.

I saw this as an opportunity to push myself outside of my comfort zone, which it did in all the right ways. Being my first solo flight away from family, I was terrified and nervous about what to expect on this exchange; I wasn’t sure if I would fit in or if I would get lost on the first day in a new city.

But, boy, was I mistaken. The entire experience taught me new things about myself, such as how easy it is to make friends, how getting lost in a new city leads to unexpected trips, trying new food and learning about British culture, and my internal fear of people judging me before I even say hello to them, but because everyone at the summer school had come from all over the world,
everyone was on the same boat about making new friends and getting to know one another. On the first day of class, I met a friend and we spontaneously decided to attend the SZA performance together.

The course I chose was MG209 Bargaining and Negotiations, which was three weeks long. The lessons were arranged as follows: a 3-hour lecture in the morning, followed by a 1.5-hour seminar with discussions and casework to better understand how the negotiations worked out and how to apply what we learned in the lectures to the cases themselves. This provided a greater grasp of how negotiations would take place in the real world, such as how to control emotions, when to design packages that would lure the opposition to give in, and how to secure your BATNA.

London School of Economics itself had events planned which we could choose and sign up for such as I went to the Summer Boat Party on the Thames which was a great way to see the city come alive at night even though it was super cold that evening, I had a blast with the friends I had made from my course, spent the evening chatting and dancing the night away. Another event that I was very eager for was the Mamma Mia Musical, which honestly blew my mind away; I adore the movies, so watching the musical was like a chef’s kiss.

Aside from that, I went on a few day trips to Brighton, Bicester Village, and Oxford. Brighton was a pretty charming seaside town with plenty of cute thrift stores, cafes, and, of course, the renowned Brighton Beach Pier. A group of us boarded a train from London Bridge Station, and the first stop after arriving in Brighton was brunch at “the breakfast club,” followed by a trip to the pier, rides, and a visit to this photobooth store, which I highly recommend if you ever visit Brighton. Bicester Village is an outdoor outlet mall that I recommend if you enjoy shopping. Oxford was rich in history, and the entire town has a lot of culture to it. Also, if you’re a Harry Potter fan, they have tours of where they filmed in Oxford.

While I was fortunate to have met friends while there, I did venture out on my own to do things like go to Camden Market (I highly recommend the mac & cheese), Portobello Market, and my favourite market, Borough Market, which was only 10 minutes from my lodging. The strawberry and chocolate were to die for, and I may or may not have had them virtually every day. They were the most juiced strawberries I’d ever had. The borough market also had this very amazing paella that I can’t believe I’d never tried before. Oh and lastly, highly recommend the Greenwich area, Shoreditch and Covent Gardens.

Finally, believe me when I say walking is the best way to explore London. I got to see so much more of the city because I would walk 20k steps almost every day.

Aiza Qaisar
UTS Business School student
Global Exchange Student at London School of Economics, United Kingdom
Global Short Programs Travel Scholarship recipient