forget NPR | Monocle Radio is where it's at!

I love listening to the news.  I highly prefer it to reading a physical newspaper (ink fingers!), reading the online news websites (too much catching the eye - what's important?), or watching the news (anchors are far from being experts).

With the London-based Monocle, I get relevant breaking news straight from experts.  The selection of different shows is absolutely huge.  From day to day I can decide if I want to be briefed by any of the following (and these are just the tip of the iceberg!): "Midori House," a one-hour overview from Monocle editors and correspondents all over the world, "The Briefing," which focuses on the day's news in Europe, "The Monocle Daily," which checks in live with reporters from the US and Americas, or the wonderful catch-all "The Curator," which compiles the best of the week into one show.  

You not only get international news; you get expert political analyses and impressive interviews and insight.  And it's all delivered in dulcet British accents, which is an added plus.

And once you've had enough of the news, there are also stations that cover culture, food, music, books, and really everything under the sun!  Monocle Radio has it all!  Not to get off track, but Monocle.com has a million more things to offer outside of their radio stations.  But start here, and see if you don't end up spending the next two hours on the Monocle website: 

http://monocle.com/radio/

The best part is the fact that the live radio streams open in a player at the bottom of the website which allows you to continue browsing and opening new pages while you listen.

London | Day N° 18 | Baker Street and St James

The view of Buckingham Palace from St James Park  

Though my final exam is only two days away, I spent much of Wednesday exploring a couple new (but important!) areas of London. This morning, I finally managed to get into the Sherlock Holmes Museum, and after class, I walked to St James’, Buckingham Palace, and Fortnum & Mason.

In the three weeks that I’ve been in London, I have thrice attempted to visit the Sherlock Holmes Museum at 221B Baker Street, but was unsuccessful until this morning. The other times I tried to get in, the queue was incredibly long – and probably because they can only allow a few people into the cramped flat at a time. Well, this morning, I woke up bright and early, made it to the museum half an hour before it opened, and was one of the first people in. Ha!

Of course, the iconic address, doorway, and entry were thrilling enough on their own. But on the first floor, I found Sherlock’s bedroom, outfitted with a little bed, fireplace, single window, etc., and packed with knick-knacks. Every inch of the entire flat was outfitted with little objects that either tied directly into one of Sherlock’s cases, or fit with the general character of Holmes or Watson. There were shelves packed with bottles, potions, and medicines, all sorts of knives and pistols, tobacco pipes, body parts (dried ears and thumbs and such), magnifying glasses, letters, and unusual old items from every corner of the world. Next to Sherlock’s room on the first floor was the drawing room, with the two chairs beside the big fireplace, the two large, heavily-draped windows (all I could think of was them blowing up in the television series!), and the infamous wallpaper with bullet holes.

The second and third floors were more museum-like, with various artifacts from Sherlock’s cases enclosed in glass boxes. There were also two rooms with life-sized wax figures (made by Madame Tussaud’s?) of some of the most famous characters from Sherlock’s stories, including my beloved Irene Adler.  It was actually a little spooky!  The whole flat was very cool to see though, especially that famous entry and drawing room.

I had to head off to class after that, but when I finished my lecture at 17:00, I walked down Aldwych and the Strand to the Mall (the broad, tree-lined street that leads up to Buckingham Palace), and through St James’ Park, which lines the Mall to the south. St James’ is smaller and more woodsy than Hyde Park, and is very beautiful. There’s a shallow pond filled with geese and swans, and there were even a couple of squirrels scurrying about – but everyone was taking pictures of the little pests! There are almost no squirrels here, and it’s too funny to see the way people react to them here. After three weeks, the total count of insects and squirrels that I’ve seen is three and four, respectively. It’s incredible.

Buckingham Palace

Anyway, I walked around St James’ and the front of Buckingham Palace, which were both really picturesque and stunning. The statues in front of the Palace were some of my favourites, and the gates and guards were impressive. I wish I could see the gardens behind the Palace though! What’s really been the most incredible thing for me on this trip has been seeing these locations that are so iconic for me. I’ve revered these places for years (mainly through television and film), and it’s so strange and thrilling to see them in person, to actually physically be there, to see that they are truly tangible! Places like Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler’s homes (which I’ve seen thousands of times in the television series), Buckingham Palace (especially in The Queen, which is one of my favourite movies), Shaftesbury Lane and Millennium Bridge (Harry Potter), and many others have always been surreal to me, and now here I am. It’s way too cool.

Gates at Buckingham Palace

I had dinner at a Spanish tapas restaurant in Victoria (delicious!), then walked back through St James’ Park up to Piccadilly to stop in at Fortnum & Mason. Good lord, one would be hard-pressed to find another shop as glorious as Fortnum & Mason. I can’t decide whether I like Harrod’s better! Fortnum & Mason is known for being the grocer to the Queen, and has been on Piccadilly for more than 300 years. It’s much smaller than Harrod’s; the ground floor is dedicated entirely to tea (from Fortnum & Mason’s exclusive blends to jams, honeys, and biscuits), and the lower ground floor has the actual grocery (so many beautiful fresh fruits and meats… luxury oils, wines, champagne…). It was wonderful. I bought their Smoky Earl Grey blend, which was apparently made specially for the Palace when the Queen requested a smokier Earl Grey tea. I’m proud to say that I have greatly expanded my tea collection while I’ve been here, from Harrod’s Flowery Earl Grey to Whittard’s Afternoon Tea blend and the London Tea Company’s White Tea with Elderflower. When I get back home, I’m going to need a whole room for my tea collection… I think I have every kind of tea that can be found on the face of this Earth.

Fortnum & Mason 

It was raining lightly (of course!), and I couldn’t have said that I truly experienced London until I had walked through St James’ and Piccadilly in the cool, grey London rain! The weather has been quite cool while I’ve been here; I can’t imagine how cold it gets in the winter. But the summer is so lovely. I couldn’t think of a more perfect place to spend my August. 

Early tomorrow morning, Eli will be arriving at Heathrow airport!! I am uncontrollably excited that she will be joining me for my last three days in London, and then we'll be traveling France together. It's sad that I'll have to spend much of tomorrow studying, but I'll still be able to show her a handful of my favourite study spots: Waterstones, La Pain Quotidien, the Delaunay Counter... and we have reservations for afternoon tea at the Dorchester! Check back in tomorrow to hear all about our first day together in the city!

London | Day N° 14 | Belgravia and Hyde Park

Here begins my last full weekend in London. Next Thursday, my dearest Eli, who I haven't seen in three months, is coming to join me in London for three days, and then we depart for a tour of France!! I'm so excited to see her, to show her my beloved city, and to travel to new lands together! But I don't even want to think about leaving.... I love it here.

Today when I woke, I decided I'd go do some reading for my class (and blogging!) at Patisserie Valerie in Belgravia, after a friend recommended the cafe. Unfortunately, the Piccadilly line (one of the main Underground lines that runs through central London, and the one that I rely on most) was closed for the weekend, and I had to work my way around on various trains to get to Victoria Station, which is right behind Buckingham Palace Gardens and on the east side of Belgravia.

For those of you who don't live in London, don't watch BBC's Sherlock, and aren't familiar with luxury international real estate, Belgravia is the residential area behind Buckingham Palace Gardens. It's ranked by some as the most expensive residential area in the world, where flats (flats) can go for tens of millions of pounds. And, it is the setting for my favourite episode of television ever, 'A Scandal in Belgravia' from Sherlock. I was obviously in so much awe to see these beautiful (and expensive) homes and gardens... Honestly, I was geeking out!!    

Just the neighbourhood Louboutin shop

I strolled around for an hour or so before settling outside at Patisserie Valerie, to have a smoked salmon salad and then tea and scones.  The reverie was somewhat soiled by two American women who sat down at the next cafe over and were so loud that they attracted the glares and raised eyebrows of the hushed Brits, French, and Arabs that were also eating nearby. No wonder they think so badly of us Americans - every day I find another reason why I should be embarrassed by other Americans abroad, who are generally loud and inconsiderate (though often through ignorance, not on purpose).

One example: two days ago, all the residents of my small suite in High Holborn received letters warning us of complaints about our suite: the night before around 3 am, the two American boys who live in my suite had been drunkenly banging on each other's doors for hours and shouting profanities up from the street below, then vomiting in the hallway and leaving beer cans on the floors for the housekeepers to clean up. I was furious. How can people be so rude and oblivious? How can they care so little about others, and themselves? These are students who are studying at LSE, taking very difficult, world-class courses, and somehow manage to drink themselves to obscenity almost every night. It's beyond my understanding. Anyway, the sweet (and quiet) European girl who lives on my floor complained, among others, and I'm just beyond embarrassed to be grouped together with these stupid, selfish, oblivious Americans.

Anyway, after leaving the outdoor cafe and loud women behind, I went in pursuit of the Belgravia home of Irene Adler ('The Woman'), made famous by BBC's Sherlock. I'm very much in love with Sherlock and Irene and, being a geek, it was of huge importance for me to visit the spot where the show had been filmed. I jealously passed blocks of stately, gorgeous flats, all white with black doors and black rails and second-floor balcony gardens. The whole area was very quiet and peaceful, particularly for a Saturday afternoon. Almost no one was out and about. Actually, it was a little bit upsetting because each of these squares has a fantastic, beautifully kept private garden at its centre, with paths, benches shaded by huge trees, tennis courts, fountains, and statues - but no one was using them! It was a gorgeous sunny Saturday afternoon, and none of the residents were out enjoying their gardens or beautiful neighbourhood. I suppose most can take it for granted.

After a bit of walking I found Eaton Square, which is the street used for Irene Adler's home in Sherlock. Of course, it was stunning, and I was way beyond excited to see the place they staged her luxuriant boudoir. There was also a perfect little park directly across the street from her flat, with a little pool and palm trees. I creepily walked back and forth in front of no. 44 for a couple minutes, humming 'On the Street Where You Live' to myself, until I saw a security officer strolling a ways down the street and scampered off. I'm such a nerd, but it was wonderful. I would give anything to live in this neighbourhood... though no matter what I gave, it could never be enough! It's such a peaceful, truly beautiful, and elegant place, but the residents pay well to have it that way. I wish the gardens were open so that I could just come to sit and read. There's a tranquility here that one can't find elsewhere in central London.          

When I'd finished stalking the fictional Irene Adler, I walked up Sloane Street (which marks the western boundary of Belgravia) past all the luxury stores (including a baby Dior...). For your reference, the automobile demographic of this area consists of Audis, Mercedes, and BMWs, with a smattering of Porsches, Ferraris, Bentleys, and Aston Martins (actually, more than a dozen Aston Martins, more than I've ever seen in one place), a Maserati, and a single, very loud, and very beautiful McLaren. I kept stopping in the middle of traffic to gape. There are a large number of embassies in the area, which I hadn't expected, and a significant Muslim population, which I had expected. Here and in Knightsbridge (the luxe shopping area surrounding Harrods), it's quite common to see women not only wearing a hijab but a full burqa. Though I studied Arabic for four years, this is interesting for me because in the US, you will never, ever see a woman walking around in a burqa. Here, it's quite common, not only in the luxury shopping areas but around the city, on the train, etc. I don't remark on this with the intention of singling them out or discriminating, but instead to comment on the difference in acceptance between the US and Europe.  Many Americans consider all Muslims to be dangerous or extremists, which is completely untrue, but perhaps somewhat understandable because we are not at all exposed to their culture. Here, a more significant proportion of the population is Muslim, and the Brits are accustomed to their presence and culture. It's just very interesting and different, especially when I imagine the way Americans would react if they saw a group of women walking through a shopping mall or into a train wearing the burqa.

Knightsbridge and Belgravia both run along the southern border of Hyde Park, so I passed through on my way up to the Lancaster Gate tube station at the northern edge of the park. It was lovely but packed with people and pigeons, of course. Here, pigeons fill the streets and parks in the place of our squirrels in the US. I saw my first squirrel today at Hyde Park, a single little guy, almost tame from being fed by all the people. I had to laugh when two girls (who were clearly not from the US) squealed and froze in terror when he went scampering past them - to them I guess he was an oddity.

To me, the swans were the best part of Hyde Park. This is a creature that we don't see often in the US, and they're so large and handsome. In the UK, all swans legally belong to the Queen, no matter whose property they're on. There were dozens swimming in the lake at Hyde Park, along with the geese and ducks and paddleboats. Of course, there were many hundreds of people, but I was surprised to find a peaceful little swimming area and cafe to one side of the lake. There's also a beautiful and unique monument to Princess Diana in the park: a shallow fountain running eternally in a circle, with little waterfalls, but shallow enough that people can dip their feet and children can splash in the water.

Every day, I am so happily surprised by the beautiful things I find in this city. After experiencing something new, like the London Eye or Belgravia or a particular garden or cafe or bookstore, I marvel that I didn't know about this wonderful thing before. I wish I had the time to explore more of this city, but it's depressing to think that I only have a week left. I'll do my best to experience everything I can in the next week, but I like to think of it as making note of places that I can return to in the future, when I come back to London one day - hopefully in the not-too-distant future!!

Zab in London | Day N° 5 | Shopping and Ministry of Sound

The River Thames at night

Hullo! I had quite an adventurous day trekking all over London on Friday. The weather was beautiful, and made even more so by the fact that I didn't have lecture that afternoon!

I did have class in the morning, though, so after class I went back to Waterstones to relax for a little while. I purchased some cool (and expensive...) cards for my family and sat writing for a little while. Then it was off to the Sherlock Holmes Museum!

Damn the Sherlock Holmes Museum. I have been there twice, once early in the morning and once in the afternoon (both weekdays!), and there has been a line at least a hundred people long, probably more, stretching down the entire block. I tried to go yesterday (I had already bought a ticket!) and waited for about twenty minutes in line, didn't get anywhere, and gave up. I guess I have to get there one morning about an hour before it opens and hope to get somewhere near the front of the line! This tour had better be good... I've probably already spent an extra ten pounds just getting back and forth on the tube unsuccessfully! I did get a good shot of the front of the flat, though.
They have his hat hanging outside and everything, it's very cool. In the show, they cover up the museum (which is right below 221B) with Speedy's Cafe, which doesn't actually exist (stupid me, I thought it did). The cafe awning covers up the museum sign, and they use the same big glass windows. Quite interesting. I'm very frustrated because I would love to catch a glimpse of filming for the new season, but I can't find when or where they're actually filming. They're here somewhere though!

After my second attempt to visit 221B, I went back to Knightsbridge to do some shopping. I didn't end up returning to Harrods just yet, but instead went to H&M (the biggest branch I've been in yet, and of the biggest clothing company in the world - it was big!!) and Topshop (a UK fashion shop) and got a couple dresses and things to wear while I'm here, and a handful of men's clothes for my boyfriend Jared... notably, short European shorts! I couldn't resist.

The women's clothing here isn't much different from what I'm used to at William & Mary or the East Coast in general; it's definitely different from the way people dress in the Midwest, which is mainly in pajamas. The women do dress a bit better here, in beautiful dresses or professional attire, etc. The big difference is in men's clothing, though. Men in the US don't know how to dress (Jared, you are an exception!). The men here dress much better, in collared shirts and nicely fitted pants and proper shoes. The men in the US (even on the East Coast) wear sneakers and baggy shorts and t-shirts. Ugh. They have a thing or two to learn from European men.

Anyway, after doing a bit of shopping, I had supper at my favourite cafe, La Pain Quotidian, which is right next to my residence hall and is beautiful, full of natural wood and plants and glass windows. I was able to nap for a little while after eating, before getting ready to go and experience my first European club! I've gone out a handful of times with some girlfriends in Richmond, Virginia, but that's the extent of my club knowledge. It's much more intense here, of course. I was amazed to find that the tube was even more crammed at 23:45 on a Friday night than it had been at 17:15, during rush hour, earlier in the day!

Surprisingly, many people were not as 'dressed up' as I would have thought. Girls were wearing shorts and jeans and flats, where I had expected dresses and heels. The club was huge and packed with people: there are three separate rooms with three different DJs at any one time, a VIP lounge, and a loft. Another difference when compared to American clubs is that the men here seemed able to have fun on their own: in the clubs I'd been to in the US, single men would just stand off to the side, watching, waiting for a chance to creep up to a woman that was on her own. Horrible. Here, there were many gents who were on their own or with a group of friends, but they were all off dancing and having fun, without poor ladies to creep on. As a lone girl at the club, I was very happy to see that!!

I only stayed for a couple hours as I have tons of studying to do this weekend. Our midterm for this class is on Wednesday, after only six lectures, and this is the first chance I'll have to step back, breathe, and go back over the material that was covered in the first week. I'm destined for a boring but well-needed weekend.

Zab in London | Days N° 4-5

Sorry it's been a day or two since I last checked in! Honestly, there hasn't been anything terribly exciting to report... I've been spending most of my days on the LSE campus, and most of my evenings studying.

View from the top of the New Academic Building   

I have been getting to know the LSE campus a little better, which is good. It's actually pretty tricky: the little alleyways between buildings are convoluted and difficult to remember. I guess that's just one of the consequences of being in an old city like this. My classes are in a big theatre in Clement House, which is right on Aldwych and the Kingsway, a couple doors down from the Delaunay, and a few blocks from the Thames. LSE has older buildings and new buildings, some under construction at the moment, but they're all very nice and well kept. This photo was taken on the rooftop pavilion of the New Academic Building, which is one of the most environmentally friendly buildings in London and is really beautiful and new. The top floor is dedicated to quiet study but is made up of big glass windows, outdoor seating, and a balcony, and has excellent views of London.

LSE's mascot in front of Waterstones

I've also stopped in Waterstones, the famous British bookshop.  The LSE Student Union has a shop with LSE items in the centre of campus, and I had to get an LSE sweatshirt so I can show off when I'm back at William & Mary! I haven't had the time to do any intense shopping trips yet (note: yet), just stopping in here and there. I couldn't resist getting a commemorative Prince George mug at a souvenir shop: 'A Royal Baby, 2013'. Too funny! They have dining sets and puzzles, keychains and onesies... I don't blame them, though. I'm jealous that the British have this beautiful royal family to fawn over!

On Friday, though, I have the afternoon off (no lecture!) and have quite a busy itinerary for the day. When I get out of class, I plan on finally going to see 221B Baker St - I went early one

I couldn't help it: Prince George memorabilia! 

morning this week as soon as it opened to try to get in before my 11:00 class, but there was already a line with at least a hundred people in it, so I had to give up and head off to class. After visiting Sherlock Holmes' flat tomorrow, I would like to go to Oxford Street or Knightsbridge to do some real shopping, at Topshop and H&M. Then when I get back that evening, I'll need to take a nap, because much later that night I'm going with some other students to the Ministry of Sound! This is one of London's premier clubs, and LSE students were able to get a discount on admission tomorrow evening. And then the rest of my weekend will be dedicated to studying!

But for now, I'm in my room doing schoolwork. Learning so much material (in such a difficult subject!) over a short period of time is rough. I am essentially in class four hours a day, and the professor speeds through the material. Each individual lecture during summer school is equivalent to at least a week of 'real' class during the fall or spring semester, so there's a massive amount of material to go through each day. And I don't have much time to review and make sure I know everything: the next morning, it's on to a new topic!  I've been spending most of my nights going back over the problems and formulas and examples that we're supposed to know, but the volume of material is so great that I'll be lucky if I can remember half of it by next week.

My lovely sister Emily made my day a lot better by sending a really wonderful care package to my residence hall! It's been surprisingly hard to find granola bars here (I know, weird... but most of the 'granola bars' here are sweet yoghurt bars and such, not the uber-healthy KIND and Two-Moms-in-the-Raw bars that I love in the US), and it's always difficult to find healthy snacks. These are perfect for running off to class and bringing with for a snack... I've just been buying sweets at coffee shops this past week. Not the greatest option!

I'm sorry there's nothing more exciting to report, but my days this week have been filled with school. During the weekends I'll have more time to tour and shop, but right now studying and figuring out British quirks have taken up all my time. I'm getting the hang of central London and some of the everyday British lingo, so as not to look like a complete fool, but adjusting to living in downtown London is almost enough to worry about on its own!

london | day one

I’m in London! I don’t think I’ve wrapped my head around that yet…

Some pretty typical sights: Houses of Parliament

I survived my ten-hour flight from Richmond to Heathrow, much thanks to my Aunt Suzanne and grandmother Rhonda. I had jet-lag pills, blankets, pillows, eye shades, everything I could ever want for a comfortable flight: and I did get some sleep, which is quite an accomplishment because I have never been able to sleep on planes. My first sight of Europe was the western coast of Ireland. I could see the seaward cliffs from the airplane, and the land looked so rich and green, patched with the huge shadows of clouds up above. The island was bigger than I thought, too. As we drew closer to London and I looked down, I had that instinctual tug that something was amiss – and of course, the highways are opposite what I’m used to! I was excited about this stupid little detail, smiling to myself on the plane. But I feel like I’ve learned so much about this culture, reading endless amounts of British literature and watching James Herriot, Miss Marple, Sherlock, etc. It's a huge deal for me to finally see these things for the first time! 

Big Ben

Like I said, it’s hard to wrap my mind around London. Most of the time that I’ve been here (so far!), it just seems like any other city I've visited, Chicago or New York or Washington DC, perhaps more beautiful and green. But then little things make me smile to myself. My check for lunch was in pounds sterling! That monument is 3500 years old! This is where Sherlock Homes and James Bond had their adventures (not fictional to me)!

Anyway, when I arrived at the airport (and was delighted by the ‘way out’ signs), used the toilet, and went through the customs line, the first uniquely British thing that struck me was that it was much more quiet. In the restroom, none of the girls were carrying on conversations between stalls, shouting at children, talking on their phones, not even ‘excuse me’ or ‘thank you.’ Silence. And it was wonderful! The hallways and customs lines were also noticeably more silent than in American airports or public places: there was only hushed conversation within parties. It was different and very nice!

the London Eye

I took the Underground to my dorm, which is on High Holborn, several blocks from both the Holborn Station and the LSE campus. I successfully used my chip-and-signature card in Europe without any problems. And when I stepped down into the tunnel to catch the train, as soon as I heard the clattering of the rails and the whoosh of cool air coming down the passageway, I couldn’t help but think of the Chronicles of Narnia, when the Pevensie children are swept into Narnia by a passing Underground train. I’m such an nerd. I was also delighted 'please carry dogs' sign when I was getting on the train.

I found my way to my residence hall (without the help of internet or maps, thank you very much!) and found that I wouldn’t be able to check in for four more hours. Immediately next to the hall is a little French café, so I went down for lunch: delicious watermelon and cucumber juice with chilled gazpacho. Not very British, but it was actually pretty hot outside. Then, following the recommendation of my Grandpa and Rhonda, I boarded a hop-on, hop-off tour coach around the city. It was quite an exhaustive trip! After three hours, I had seen all the major tourist destinations and much more besides. Again, it was difficult to believe that I was really here, in the UK, in London. Hopefully tomorrow, after I’ve caught up on my sleep, I can go back and visit some of the more prominent tourist stops before my class starts.

St. Paul's Cathedral

The other students are still arriving tonight and tomorrow, and I (officially) register for my class at LSE tomorrow afternoon. I may take the rest of the evening to nap… 

preparing to study abroad in London

Jaime Olivares photography

I'm off for London in almost TWO WEEKS! Earlier this year, I was accepted for summer school at London School of Economics, and I still can't get my head around the idea. I'll be taking a finance class at LSE from July 29 to August 17, and though I already have my class, airfare, and accommodations in London all set up, there are some final preparations that I'm working through this week. I wanted to share them here so I could 1. start off my travel journal, and 2. share them with other American students who will be studying abroad in London! 

 
Here is my checklist:

Make sure your passport doesn't need to be renewed - or apply for a passport if you don't have one! Applying for or renewing a passport will cost you around $100, and will take about a month. So do this well ahead of time! 

Verify whether or not you will need a visa. If you are a student from the EU or EEA, you don't need a visa to study in the UK. But students from the US and other areas of the world do need some type of visa. Because my program is for less than six months and I'm from the US, I qualify for a Student Visitor visa. This means that I only need to show proof of my enrolment (like my acceptance letter), along with proof that I'll be in the UK for less than six months (my return ticket), I'm over eighteen, and I have enough funds to support myself while abroad (cash or a credit card). I'm also bringing proof of my accommodation and tuition payments just in case. I need to show these documents to the immigrations officer once I land in London, and voila! Student Visitor visa. However, students from other countries may need to apply for a visa, for which they will need a visa letter from the institution they'll be attending. More information about this can be found here.  

Also, if you're studying full-time in the UK for more than six months, you must apply for a Tier 4 Student visa once you've been accepted at your institution. More information about that can be found here. Whatever type of visa you'll need, it's best to start figuring this out several months in advance of your program date: applying for and receiving a visa can take weeks, if not months, and it's best to not put off.   

APACS

Get a credit card you can use in the UK. Unfortunately for American students trying to study in the UK, Europe is a step ahead of the US in credit card security. Many retailers in Europe are unwilling to accept the credit cards we use in the US because they're not very secure. Instead, European cards use chip-and-PIN or chip-and-signature technology, which are embedded with a computer chip and are supplemented with a personal PIN or signature to verify ownership of the card. Your traditional American swipe-and-sign credit cards won't work; the chip-and-PIN card needs to be inserted into a machine which will read the computer chip, and then you'll need to enter a PIN or sign. Additionally, many European retailers don't accept American Express cards. If you're going to be in the UK for any extended period of time, just be on the safe side and get a chip-and-PIN card. You can still use it in the US and it'll make life much easier when you're abroad. The problem is that they're difficult to find in the US. Only a few banks offer them. Eli got hers through Bank of America, and I am getting mine through Chase. It's also handy to find one that has no foreign transaction fees, since many cards will charge you an extra fee if you use it abroad.

Notify your bank. Whether you're planning on using your American credit/debit card, or are getting a chip-and-PIN card, notify your bank before leaving the country. It's fine to do this the week of, but even if you don't plan on using your debit card abroad (like I do), notify the bank just in case. You never know if you'll have to use it at an ATM or in a case of emergency. Most banks won't allow transactions abroad (or even in other US states!) if you haven't given them prior notice - they'll just put your account on hold. So do it just to be safe.

Notify your health insurance company, and purchase travel insurance if you think you'll need it. Similarly, notify your health insurance company before you leave. Hopefully there won't be any emergencies, but just in case, you don't want to find out that your health insurance doesn't apply if you're abroad. I called mine (Anthem) and asked if I could use my insurance abroad, and they said that I could use my insurance abroad in case of emergencies, and they had a list of physicians on their website that were covered in cases of non-emergency treatment. Easy! Don't assume that you'll be covered, though - make certain before you go. Many students also like to purchase travel insurance (often offered through your school or study abroad program) in case anything is lost or stolen abroad, or if you have to cancel with short notice and wouldn't otherwise receive a refund.  

Stock up on any medication you take regularly. Because you can't be sure that your medication will be available abroad (or what price it'll be!), stock up on any medication you need before you go. I'm even bringing my own non-vital meds, like ibuprofen and Nyquil. It's better to know you have it rather than having to hunt through an unfamiliar pharmacy in a different country to find the right medication while you're sick. If your insurance covers your medication, you'll need to get their permission to get more than the normal dosage from your pharmacy before you go.

Get any vaccinations required for travel abroad.  As a US student traveling to the UK, I don't need any vaccinations, but if you're traveling elsewhere in the world, it's likely that you'll need to get a few vaccinations beforehand, or at least bring proof that you have the basics already. Make sure to check several months in advance so that you have time to get whatever's necessary.   

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Figure out what you want to do with your phone. There are a number of options to consider when deciding how to use your mobile phone abroad. It seems to me like there are three viable options: use your existing phone with an additional package from your provider, use your existing phone with a new local SIM card, or get a local prepaid phone. If you're going abroad for a shorter period of time (like I am) and want to use your existing phone number, keep your contacts, etc., I recommend just contacting your service provider and asking about the packages they offer for using your phone abroad. Instead of paying huge international usage fees, you'll pay for a certain amount of service to be used abroad, and for your friends and family back home, it'll be no different. I don't plan on using my phone much; I'll rely on Skype and Facebook and the like to communicate with friends and family back in the US. However, I know I'll use my iPhone frequently for its apps and internet. Because I'll be in London (where wireless internet abounds at cafes and the like), I'm just going to turn my cellular data off (in Settings) and Wi-Fi on and use whatever Wi-Fi is available. I also downloaded Pocket Earth, which is a map app that operates offline.

If you're going to be abroad for an extended period of time, it might be wise to get a local SIM card or a prepaid phone while you're abroad. Getting a local SIM card and having it put in your phone will give you a local number (remember to give this number to all those back home!) and may make you lose your contacts, but you'll be using a local provider and be paying local fees. However, make sure to contact your usual provider and have them 'unlock' your phone so that it can be used with another provider. If you're not too attached to your mobile phone anyway, you might want to just buy a prepaid phone (usually less than $50) and load it up with minutes, texts, and data. You'll be able to use it locally and pay for more minutes as you need them.

Make copies of all important documents. Once you have your passport, flight information, course information, and accommodations all figured out, make photocopies of all these things, along with your driver's license, health insurance card, travel insurance information, credit cards, and anything else that you could possibly need in any emergency situation. Give a set of copies to your parents or significant other here in the US, and keep another set of copies for yourself in your baggage. In case of any emergency, or if anything is lost or stolen, it will make matters much easier if your emergency contact in the US and you have copies of your important documents. Also, back up your laptop and phone before you go.

Get comfortable. If you're studying abroad, you're going to be doing hours and hours of traveling, whether by plane or boat or train. Before you set off, invest in a few key pieces that will make your travels much more comfortable. Magellan's is a good source for many of these things. I have a pillow/blanket combo (where the blanket is stored in the pillow) for in-flight comfort, along with a pair of earplugs and eyeshades. I also have homeopathic No-Jet Lag pills to help with jet lag on the nine-hour flight. Make sure you wear clothing that is comfortable (but not just pyjamas, especially if you're flying to Europe!), is layered (so you can adjust to low/high temperatures during travel), but where jackets/belts/shoes are easy to take off for security. And if you're going to London, pack a mini umbrella!

Travelon Executive Wallet

Invest in a passport wallet. It's going to be easier to have all your important forms of identification (passport, ID, insurance, credit cards, cash) in one place when you're traveling between countries and locally. You don't want to end up needing your passport for identification, only to have left it back in your room; you don't want to have to switch between your regular wallet and a passport wallet. I just have one good passport wallet that I'll use while I'm in London. It's also helpful to have one with RFID-blocking technology. All passport wallets made in the last five years have an RFID chip, which can hold your personal information and a photo. However, these chips (and even your credit card) can be read with scanners from up to ten feet away, so many passport wallets now include RFID-blocking technology so that thieves can't get your personal information. Good investment to consider!

Do as much as possible here. It's better to know you have something for a fact while you're abroad rather than to have to search for it in an unfamiliar environment. You might not know for certain that day-to-day products you rely on (toiletries, medication, certain snacks) will be available where you're going. This might not be as big of a problem in London, but if you're traveling from the US to a less-Westernized area, like Africa or the Middle East, you definitely want to pack those day-to-day things that you don't know you'll be able to find abroad. Even things like hand sanitiser, wipes, or tissues might be needed in a hurry when you're abroad but you won't know where you can buy them. Just have them on you in the first place.  

Also, here is my short to-do list of things to do immediately when I arrive in London:

Get an Oyster card. I'm flying into Heathrow, which has a direct Tube line to my accommodation in Holborn. And though my room is only a few blocks from the London School of Economics campus, I know I'll be doing traveling throughout the city as well. If you plan on doing any significant amount of travel throughout London, invest in an Oyster card - it's a prepaid card (the size of your credit card) that you touch to a yellow pad before and after you ride on the Tube. You stock it up with a certain amount (£5-50) and can reload it whenever you need. Additionally, your rides will be discounted if you use this card (rather than buying a ticket for each ride). You can buy one of these cards online or at any ticket station once you're in London.

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Exchange your currency. Though I plan on primarily using my chip-and-PIN card when I'm abroad, I feel like it's also helpful to always have a bit of cash on me, for emergencies or quick small purchases. It's possible to convert some of your cash here (call around at local banks and see who has some of the currency you need), but easy to do it once you're abroad. You can have it exchanged at the airport (usually for a higher fee) or at a bank once you arrive. I'm going to exchange a small amount here (because I feel like it's easier to land in a new country with some money already on me), and then exchange a larger amount when I'm in London to keep for emergencies.

Well, that's my list so far! I hope this is helpful to any students traveling abroad in the future. Please comment if you have any other advice for me, or further questions about anything here!