A Week in the Life: NYU London

By Trisha Motupalli

London is beautiful and by far one of my favorite cities. I’m here as part of the Business and Political Economy (BPE) program requirement, which means that I take a few BPE specific classes plus an elective. I was planning to write about a day in my life while abroad, but realized every day looks a little different, so I’m going to do my best to give you a full picture of my experience here!

Monday/Wednesday:

10:00am:

I don’t have classes Monday/Wednesday, but the Guilford fire alarm goes off every Wednesday at 10 am, so like it or not this is the absolute latest I can sleep in.

11:00am:

Monday/Wednesday are housekeeping days, so I head to the Brunswick Centre right around the corner for groceries and anything else we might need in the flat. Though we do have our hand soap and sponges replaced by the cleaning service that NYU London employs, we buy our own paper towels and other amenities. 

1:00pm-3:00pm: 

With 4 of us in the flat, we try to find other places to study. Some of my personal favorite coffee shops are the Noxy, and Store Street, both of which make a good chai latte and have excellent wifi. My roommate also likes the Senate House Library, a perk of having a visiting UCL membership.

4:00pm-7:00pm: 

Depending on the weather, I either spend some time in Russell Square and watch the dogs that always seem to be there or browse Oxford Street for books I really do not need more of.

8:00pm-10:00pm:

Everything closes in London around 7pm, so I’m home by 8pm. Since we have classes Tuesday/Thursday, Monday/Wednesday is an early night (or at least we try). 

Waterstones’ display of the week!

Tuesday/Thursday:

My busiest days! All my classes are Tuesday/Thursday, so you can find me in the academic center for most of the day.

9:00am: I try to wake up with some spare time before class, so I can get ready and spend some time in the park before a tiring day.

10:00am: Walk to class from Russell Square. My daily walk to Bedford Square is past the British Museum, which is always so beautiful.

Bedford Avenue, near NYU London

10:30am-11:45am: Intro to Marketing

The class is technically a Stern elective but is required for sophomore BPE students so most of my program is also in this class!

12:00pm: Lunchtime

Depending on how I’m feeling, I either walk to a nearby cafe with some friends or stay in and snack on something I brought from the dorm. Some of my favorite nearby cafes include Burr & Co, Ole & Steen, and Chai, Crepes, and Coffee.

1:00pm-3:45pm: 

Tuesday: Political Economy

Usually this class is twice a week from 1:00pm-2:15pm, but this semester we divided up into two groups and have a longer lecture once a week. This is also a BPE class so all 34 sophomores are currently taking the class.

Thursday:

I will either walk back to my dorm or find a cafe to sit in since I don’t have class again until 4pm. This is usually a good time to take a nap or get a quick refresher on the readings for my evening classes.

4:00pm-5:15pm: Modern Europe

My elective class! This class has been such a unique experience because of the professor’s lived experience in Europe. We are currently studying British Imperialism, and most of our classes are heavily discussion-based. It is also a nice chance to meet other NYU London students.

5:30pm: Study Break

Since I still have one class left, and the walk back to the dorm isn’t super appealing, I often stay in the academic center. My favorite room is the basement study space, it's usually empty and comes equipped with an extremely large purple stuffed bear. It’s a good place to read a book, watch a TV show, or catch up on some sleep.

7:00pm-8:15pm: Macroeconomics

Another BPE class, and my last class of the day. Macroeconomics is a required class for BPE students, so if we didn’t take it freshman spring we take it sophomore fall! Other students are able to take macroeconomics in New York as an elective. BPE students who took this in the spring take International Economics at this time instead, (another BPE requirement).

9:00pm: 

After the walk back to the dorms, my roommates and I tend to wind down. Depending on how much work we have you can find us either in the Guilford study room or at our kitchen table just catching up. Often, this is also dinnertime. At NYU London we do not have a meal plan, and instead have kitchens in our flats.

10:00pm: 

Some Tuesdays we have friends who live in Guilford visit, and make plans for the upcoming week. Other days we call family and friends living in the States. For me, home is Texas, so the six hour time difference means the best time to talk to my parents is when their work day starts to end around 10pm London time. 

11:00pm: 

Tuesday: 

I aim to go to bed around 11, but honestly this hardly ever happens. Instead, I try to read a good book, or start watching a show I can’t seem to finish (right now it's YOU), and fall asleep around midnight. :)

Thursday: 

None of the BPE students have class on Friday, so Thursday night is a great time to see friends. If it isn’t a traveling week, having dinner at one of London’s many pubs and restaurants is a nice outing. Here are some pictures from evenings out with friends in London.

Friday-Sunday:

One of the perks of being in London is that travel is incredibly easy. At NYU London, we do COVID tests twice a week, which makes travel safer. When I travel, I fly out Friday morning and return Sunday night or Monday morning! Here are some photos from a trip to Madrid and Salamanca earlier this semester.