Tower Bridge Exhibition

Since finishing Michaelmas term last Friday as well as my internship, I've had a lot of time on my hands. Free time is something that I rarely encounter, so I do try to take advantage of it! Apart from getting organized for next term and the job search process as well as working on capstone work, I've been trying to see more of London.

Despite having studied abroad for four months and living in London since last September, I've actually never done the exhibit at Tower Bridge. That is…until yesterday. I've down the Tower of London numerous times which always resulted in photos of Tower Bridge and the numerous jaunts across it. However, yesterday, I finally got to go inside the world famous bridge!

The exhibit starts with a quick elevator trip to the top and a video discussing the history.  The video is brief, but also features the worse depiction of Queen Victoria ever.  Anyways, once the film is done, you are allowed to explore the walkaways that connect the two towers. The walkways are now enclosed, but there are tiny windows that can be open to get the breeze and the best photo! 

London

The Shard at Sunset

Looking into Greenwich and Canary Wharf 

There is also a quick glimpse into the old engine rooms that were used to raise and lower each side of the road before electricity was introduced.

Spectacular views and at a fairly reasonable price cannot be beat! Make sure to check out Tower Bridge the next time you are in the area!

Another Term Ends...

As I write this on a dreary, London day, I'm excited to announce that I've completed another term of grad school. 

Four semesters down, two to go!  

I can't believe how close I am to being done as well as how close the real world is! 

The end of this term was much quieter than my fall or spring terms during my first year at LSE. I had a non-graded essay, or rather a formative essay, due last Monday for my policy paper course. My policy paper is due in May, but I wanted to gain some more feedback about my proposal, etc.   The main assignment that I had due last week to complete the term was a 1500 word case analysis for my 'Organizations, Power, and Leadership' course. 

While I do have to work on an essay over break as well as capstone work, I can officially say that I finished another semester with a bang! 

Last week, I also finished my internship. It was so weird to think how quickly my time went at the Embassy.  I gained so much knowledge and acquired tons of new skills that I will take with me into my next endeavor..aka 'the big girl job.' 

I get to enjoy a few more days in London before I head off to America for a few days! 

Holiday Parties!

It's that time of the year again! 

The holiday season has officially taken over all aspects of my life. From the small decorations I have in my flat to the Christmas lights twinkling around London, you can't escape the feeling!  I had three different holiday parties this week as well as the LSE Christmas Concert!

Tuesday, some of the girls and I grabbed tickets to see the LSE Christmas Concert. There was both a choir and an orchestra!

Earlier in the day, my office had a Christmas Luncheon! Last week was my last week at the US Embassy for the internship, so it was great getting to have one more outing with the friends and mentors that I've gained!

Thursday evening, I had two holiday parties to hop to. But of course, what is a holiday party without an ugly Christmas sweater! This year, I went for the sweater inspired by the movie, 'Home Alone 2.' The slogan? "Merry Christmas, Ya Filthy Animal!"

The first party on Thursday was the Pi Phi UK Alumnae Holiday Party! We tried out a new bar in the Holborn area. It was great catching up with old friends and meeting new ones!

Maryann and me

Later in the evening, I headed over to Islington for the MPA Christmas Party! It was great to see a lot of people before we head off for a four-week break!

Capstone Partners 

Alyssa, Susannah, and me!

How many holiday parties are on your calendar this year? Any great Ugly Christmas Sweaters?

Time Flies

The other day, I read over my blog post entries from last August. 

Crazy to think that is has almost been a year since I started grad school, huh?

The entries from last summer clearly focused on my preparations about London and grad school. Those pages still get tons of page views weekly, so I do hope they are helping others! If you can't tell, this summer, I don't have the same preparations as I did before.  

My visa is still active until after I graduate next June, my phone plan is still ongoing with direct payments from my UK bank account, and my housing is all set.  It's nice to have everything set up ahead of time while I was gone this summer. Although, I still have qualms about packing to go back in a few weeks. 

Not worrying about finding a new landlord or putting my belongings in storage was the best thing that I could have done. I'm staying in my same flat with the same company. After all, you can't beat Notting Hill/Ladbroke Grove! 

As for the preparations that I have made this summer, the majority of them focus on what is next. Of course,  I made a list of courses I'm interested in taking. I filed the paperwork to change streams from public and economic policy to public management. And, I even have my internships set for the fall! 

What remains on my to-do list before I depart at the end of September is preparing different versions of my resume and other career documents to prepare for the upcoming job applications. Luckily, though, I can do that in the comfort of my home with my dog at my feet. 

I've got about a month left before I hop the pond again. Stay tuned!

And, so the 2nd term comes to a close.

I literally feel as if I just stepped back off the plane at Heathrow in January. 

Time flies. So quickly. 

And, yet, my second term of grad school is now officially over! 

The weeks were long with numerous STATA assignments, readings, essays, and group projects. But, as always, it will be worth it in the end. 

For now, though, I've got a five week vacation to start.

See you Monday, Dad!

Lent Term Begins!

Ahhhhh...the smell of a new semester! 

Or, term as they call it over here.

Lent Term officially begins today. While my schedule and courses stay the same for the semester, I'm looking forward to getting back into a routine. My day consists of my usual four hours of econometrics for Monday, but I'm actually really looking forward to dealing with STATA and problem sets today!  

One change that I will see with my courses this semester is that my economics class will begin to focus on macroeconomics until final exams. As for everything else, I will be interning with the internship that I landed at the start of the Michalmas Term. It was delayed starting, but I'm looking forward to having a few other things in my life besides math and game theory!

If you will excuse me now, I need to get coffee and get to work!