Curious about what Verto life in London is like?! This week, we’re featuring Verto Education Trailblazer Noah Jaffe! As a Trailblazer, Noah will share stories of his fall semester in the United Kingdom. Read more to hear all about Noah’s dreamy adventures around London!
*** This is an example of a student’s experience from Fall 2021. Specific programming and activities are subject to change semester by semester.
Student Blog: What Does Free Time Look Like in London?
To me, most days in London are an adventure. While studies stay a priority to me, I often have time to be immersed in the city where I live. My favorite thing to do in my free time is explore the city. The beauty of living in London is that the joy of exploration is feasible by multiple means of transportation.
Verto Students in London are pro tube “surfers!” What’s your favorite form of public transportation?
Verto students can be spotted catching the 55 or 243 to school, or taking the tube to Soho or Westminster when not in school. During my third week in London, I decided to take a (calculated) risk and try biking. Since my first-time city biking in London, I always consider this option for transportation.
I find it refreshing to bike from school and back. For a class, my professor gave me a scavenger hunt-style assignment. I traveled around London to find embassies and high commissions buildings to take photos of. Then, I traveled from our study center to Trafalgar square. This 25 minute bike ride involved me riding through a roundabout in the centre of London –– and it felt riveting. Now, biking is seamlessly integrated into my everyday life.
Noah took this INCREDIBLE picture of his friend! Our students are SO talented and we love seeing what they create!
A few days ago, I spent the weekend in Edinburgh, Scotland. During this excursion, I went on tons of individual adventures. Right after arriving, I spent some time at the national gallery. Beautiful paintings and other art pieces covered the walls, aging back from the early 1600s.
On Saturday, I walked around Edinburgh castle and absorbed the rich history that pertained to Scotland. Then, I took a bus to the coast of Scotland, reminding me of familiar buses from the city of London. The coast was absolutely gorgeous –– so I took out my camera and snapped some photos. This photo was one of my favorites from the trip.
The views in the UK are absolutely stunning!
After spending some quality time on the coast, My friend and I decided to take the road less traveled by. We took the footpath back to Edinburgh. During our hike back, the weather was rather unusual compared to “typical” Scotland. Sunny and in the mid-50s (Fahrenheit), golden hour struck at around about 4 P.M. My friend and I passed a small mountain and made the spontaneous decision to hike the mountain and catch the sunset. It was SO worth it! The experience of watching this magical sunset in Scotland became one of the highlights of my trip thus far.
When I have time readily available, I like to be spontaneous and seize the moment. Having a large metropolitan area at my fingertips enables me to do this easily. I challenge you to seize the moment in your free time and learn a little more about yourself.
Till next time,
Noah
Interested in learning about how you can start college like Noah?! Read all about our semester offerings and check out our admissions process! Don’t forget to stay tuned for next week’s blog post –– We can’t wait to share more stories like Noah’s!
