By Sarah Sell, University Communications and Marketing
Whether searching for 2,000-year-old artifacts on the River Thames, eating amazing Indian food or navigating the underground Tube, students who participated in the USF in London program over the summer described it as a life-changing experience that will help them in their careers.
In June, more than 125 students from the St. Petersburg and Tampa campuses embarked on a four-week study-abroad trip to London. The group immersed themselves in British culture, took classes and navigated their way around one of the most diverse and vibrant cities in Europe.
The USF in London program is celebrating 10 years in 2025. There are more than 75 study abroad programs offered through USF annually.
This year’s participants, representing 30 majors, took courses taught by USF professors in psychology, public health, behavioral sciences, English, business and criminology.
“It’s life-changing for so many of the students,” said Jennifer O’Brien, an associate professor of psychology at USF St. Petersburg. “They are often experiencing their first travel internationally, on their own, without the support structure of their family.”
Keyara Augustine on the skydeck at The Shard, one of London’s most iconic buildings and the tallest in the UK.
Students see all the iconic spots, such as Big Ben and Buckingham Palace, but the focus is on experiential field trips related to their field of study. They take two classes in London and learn to navigate the city, often by bus or the underground transit system, nicknamed the Tube.
“It definitely tested my ability to survive out on my own,” said Keyara Augustine, a marketing major at USF St. Petersburg. “The public transportation over there is immaculate. You can go anywhere.”
Augustine got a crash course in maneuvering the city’s public transit after discovering her cell phone wasn’t working one day. She traveled around the city for about an hour on a bus before realizing she was lost. She eventually found some free Wi-Fi and got to her intended destination.
“I think the coolest thing I saw while there was the Camden Market. It was endless,” Augustine said. “It's a market with food and vintage stuff like clothes and leather goods. I just thought it was awesome to be there, and I want to go back so bad.”
Augustine and her friend Sha’Tina Scott, an accounting major on the St. Pete campus, took advantage of their free time in Europe. They traveled to Italy and Paris between classes and field trips with USF.
Sha'Tina Scott at the Chelsea Football Club, the Premier League football (soccer) team in London.
“I've never been outside the country, so I wanted to see something new,” said Scott. “I thought this would be a good opportunity to explore my horizons and learn about cultures other than my own.”
Augustine and Scott are self-proclaimed foodies and said the Indian food in London was one of the trip's highlights. They learned it’s been popular in the United Kingdom since the British colonial presence in India introduced many residents to Indian cuisine.
Other stops included a visit to the Freud Museum, the final home of Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, and a trip to the River Thames, where students went mudlarking, searching the banks for artifacts at low tide. The exposed riverbed is the longest archaeological site in Britain.
"This trip was such a wonderful reminder of the importance of exposing yourself to new people and cultures,” said Christian Hardigree, regional chancellor at USF St. Petersburg. “A study abroad program can be truly life-changing – for both faculty and students.”
Hardigree visited the USF in London group for the program's kick-off, which included a welcome dinner and celebration with USF alumni in the UK.