A day in London: My trip abroad with The Creative School

One of the coolest experiences I’ve ever been a part of was my trip to London, England with The Creative School this past summer that I took along with my two friends from the Journalism program. I really enjoyed exploring what was beyond the confines of our Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) classrooms. 

I first found out about the opportunity through a newsletter sent out by the Journalism department last December. After joining the virtual information session about the summer course, I decided to apply! It was a two-week course in July worth one credit, where our class of creatives got together to learn about artificial intelligence (AI), tackle multimedia projects and print our own 3D objects. With that said, I would love to share with you what a day in my life looked like in London!

On average, we were required to commute to campus at the University of Westminster (external link, opens in new window)  just a few times a week for classes. On the days we didn’t have lectures, we enjoyed day trips around the city with our class or made plans with friends. 

This course was structured so students had the opportunity to soak in the city beyond learning in the classroom. So, our assignments were designed to be completed while we explored the city!

This reminds me of taking the Tube in London, and how it is a big part of the city’s culture. There are always buskers around the stations either playing their instruments or performing. I also saw an abundance of unique company advertisements both inside and outside the Tube station, no matter where I looked. All of these elements I noticed were actually an important part of our assignments. For example, I was involved in a group project where we were required to make an advertisement for a busker and their art.

After a 15-minute Tube ride, I arrived on campus in the heart of Marylebone, which is an area in London. We took the course FCD 580: Project in Creative Technology, which focused extensively on the application of AI in fashion, technology and architecture. These topics were something I’d never explored in the Journalism program before. I’ve always loved art, so I got to see the way colours and textures work together in structures. It was also interesting to learn about modern day AI and seeing how simple it is to create deep fakes through various AI platforms.

Our lectures took place in the Design and Technology lab at the university. However, we applied our learning by turning various other sites into our classroom, such as visiting art galleries or taking the train to the city of Manchester. Our professor, Jonathan Anderson, was so great at encouraging us to explore the city while balancing tourism with course work. 

An assignment I loved was recording the audio of locals, and compiling it into a silly minute-long sound bit. When visiting Borough Market, I was able to capture the essence of London through the speech of others. Not only was the assignment one of my favourites, but I also got the chance to finally try the viral chocolate covered strawberries here that had been all over my social media. They were so worth the 12 pounds.

During our lunch break, we explored the Marylebone area and discovered small coffee shops and antique stores. The classic — yet modern — architecture made me fall in love with the town, and it didn’t help knowing that the famous Daunt Bookstore was a five-minute walk away from campus. My friends and I went to the bookstore every single time we were at the university, just for the fun of it. 

One of the main reasons I applied for this course was because I wanted to connect with London’s people and environment. As an aspiring journalist, my main goals were to build networks and have a story to tell once I got back. By exploring the norms, practices and people that make up the city, I feel I accomplished my goals there. I’m currently in the process of sharing my insights about diverse backgrounds, behaviours of locals and more about the city’s culture through my journalism work.

Around midday we made our way to Notting Hill after class, which is a street filled with small businesses and vendors selling aesthetic trinkets and vintage products. The town is well known for being featured in the film Notting Hill from the late 90s, and it’s one of the main reasons I felt that I needed to go in the first place. I loved it so much that I ended up going back twice, and I got most of my souvenirs from there as well.

Remember when I mentioned that guard figurine I scanned for my assignment? After I 3D printed it, I was required to take a cinematic photo of it placed in a setting where it originally belonged. After I took a photo of it in front of a brick wall in Notting Hill, I had to edit the picture to resemble a piece from my favorite artist — I chose director Greta Gerwig and her work in the film Lady Bird.

We made our way back to our residence after a long day of touring different parts of London. We took the last couple hours of our day to make some dinner, unwind and chill in our rooms together before the next day began. 

Since we had five small assignments to complete over the course of two weeks, we would typically spend some time each night gathering our findings from the day and implementing them into our work. 

That evening, we decided to stop by at our local grocery store and get some vanilla ice cream with Maltesers to have along with our movie. All four of us then crammed together and ended the night by watching the first Harry Potter film.

London was truly a dream and I can’t wait to visit again. A huge thank you to The Creative School for this awesome opportunity, and thank you for taking the time to read about my day abroad!

I highly encourage you to explore exciting opportunities like this when you come to TMU! From webinars to in-person programs, be sure to check out our future student events to never miss the chance to learn about experiential learning opportunities. 

Bye for now,

Hadiqah