Queen Mary & Westfield College - University of London (QMW)

The dollar to pound ratio is killer. Save money by buying at Sainsbury's or Tesco, not the little shops. But markets are great for cheap stuff, like bedding. Especially on the east end, where everything is a bit cheaper.

Well, it's London. They speak English there. Though the accent was a bit hard to understand at first. Having an American accent was annoying after a while because people sometimes assume you're just a dumb tourist. But overall, it was not a big deal.

Don't pack too much. In fact, pack too little. Always keep about 2 days worth of necessities (like contact lens supplies, a change of socks, etc) in your carry-on. That was one piece of advice that I felt was unnecessary, but paid attention to anyways. And it paid off, because the airline lost my luggage and it didn't arrive in London when I did! STA is a rip-off. Always book flights on-line from Go Fly (the best), Easyjet, or Ryan Air. It's so much cheaper. And go to Stansted--it's very easy to get there, and not as overwhelming as Heathrow. Just make sure to take the Stansted express train from Liverpool St, not the bus because it never comes on time. Plan out a budget. Multiply by 3. And forget about travellers checks, they're mostly a waste of time and a pain to get changed over. Just use the almighty ATM and credit card.

Favorite night spots? Too many to mention! Rather than list them all, just check Time Out. They did an awesome job of previewing events and listing things. Best cafe? I don't think I ever ate at a cafe, usually just the pubs and fast food places. Food was expensive, but there are tons of great restaurants and such. Also, too many great events to list. But definitely do the Guy Fawkes fireworks, promenades, all the touristy stuff because it gives you pictures to show the parents when you get home... But the best advice I can give is to just get off at a random tube station and walk. It's amazing what you'll find.

The accomodations were great--always kept very clean, and with relatively spacious single rooms--which is a change from sharing rooms at a US university, of course. Great location on campus. In general, quite nice and probably much better than what I would have found on my own.