Advice for future London facutly

This is just a quick post for those faculty friends considering the London program. Here are some thoughts:

1. GET A CHIP AND PIN DEBIT CARD! Oh my! My swipe card worked fine in the UK, but I always had to sign for my stuff and people rarely had a pen. It became annoying. In Germany, my card didn’t work at all. SO, do whatever you have to do to get your bank to give you one of these bad boys.

2. Clothing: Layers. Nothing too heavy. It’s hot! Also, I brought 3 dresses, but only wore 2 of them. You don’t really need fancy clothes. You also don’t really need sweaters. It just doesn’t get that cold and even when it does, you’d rather have some layers and such than a sweater. Plus, you can buy anything you’re missing at Primark or H&M for crazy cheap. I definitely packed too many clothes and/or the wrong clothes. You’ll also want a rain jacket. Umbrellas are pretty useless. It’s too windy and/or it’s not really raining, just spitting. So, definitely bring a rain jacket (or buy one there). But, buy one that’s breathable or you’ll get too hot. I had my long rain jacket and only wore it once or twice because it was too hot. I ended up buying a weather proof jacket mid-semester and that was perfect. Also, it’s hot if you go in July. Take some summer clothes! No A/C means it’s hot!!

3. Shoes: You need like 2 pairs. Tall boots and comfortable walking shoes (for me these were my Toms). Really anything else is a waste. I wore my other shoes very rarely. Well, except for my running shoes. Whatever you bring, make sure you can walk in them. You’ll walk a lot!

4. Packing: Bring less! You’ll be taking back a lot! I had to pay for an extra bag (both ways), but on the way back it was also a bit too heavy. So, more fees.

5. Class prep: The more of this you can do before you arrive, the more you’ll enjoy London. I spent way too many hours prepping classes. Partly because they were new and partly because they weren’t subjects I have a huge background with. Either way, if you can do some of that before hand, you’ll be glad you did!

6. Depending on how well you want to be connected to the world, some advice on technology: I loved my T-mobile free international texting and data! It was so crucial at some points. Really great. Not sure I’m excited about my coverage when I get back home, but maybe they have improved. Facetime/Skype/Google Hangouts are great for family/friends. The Ooma Box was great for work calls and dealing with life stuff (banks, doctors, etc.). I also super enjoyed my Slingbox. Watching stuff on my DVR at home was always a nice way to relax at the end of a long day and gave me a little taste of home. I also got to catch some Aggie football and a bit of the beginning basketball season.

7. Grocery shopping: If you don’t live near a grocery store, I can’t recommend the online grocery shopping enough. It was lovely having that stuff delivered to my house and not having to worry about navigating the bus/tube. There were times when I went to the store because I wanted to pick something out in person, but otherwise it was great for getting big stuff delivered.

8. Museums. There are so many! I thought I’d save them for when it got cold, but it wasn’t cold long enough to really see them. So, start early. Even if it’s nice outside. Go on a weekday to avoid crowds.

9. Be ready to spend money. London is expensive. Just accept it. Save money before you go. I eventually stopped thinking about it because I wanted to enjoy my time there. You definitely want to be aware of the price of things, but also don’t be afraid to enjoy the food/events/excitement of London.

10. Speaking of excitement, always get a Time Out magazine on Tuesdays. Also, check their webpage every day for what’s happening in the city and for great deals. Groupon is also good. So is Travelzoo UK. Check them all out! Some of my favorite things came from those deal sites.

11. Run/walk for fun: The city has so many great parks and places to run/walk. Even if you’re not a runner, go for some long walks. Early in the morning. Really. You can see some great stuff.

12. Put a QR scanner app on your phone and carry a set of headphones w/ you. So many museums and statues and other things around Europe have these now as an alternative to the audio tour and I was bummed whenever I didn’t have a scanner on my phone.