Madison

Madison Lee, originally from New Jersey, is a double major in Psychology, and Film & Media Studies at Washington University (Missouri, USA). She spoke to us about travelling around Europe, student support, and Goldsmiths' unique teaching style.

Why did you choose to study abroad in London?

I really wanted to be in a metropolitan area where there was always something to do. It’s really nice to have access to different museums, especially as they’re free! Also I love being able to walk around the city – there are always free things to do, to explore, to try. I’m a huge theatre fan too so I wanted to get out and see as much theatre as possible. It’s actually much cheaper here than in New York City, plus there are lots of opportunities to get free tickets – including the London Theatre class where I got to see shows for free every week.

Have you done much travelling since arriving in London?

I’ve been to Dublin, Edinburgh, Venice, and Brussels. I have plans to go to Paris, Amsterdam, Geneva, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Lisbon, Madrid, Berlin, and Santorini, which is really exciting. What’s also nice is that classes finish at the end of March so I have time to be in London, but also to explore other places in England. I’ve been to Oxford, Cambridge, Brighton, Bath, Canterbury, and Stonehenge. One of my friends from my home university is also here so I’ve been travelling with her, plus with lots of people I’ve met at Goldsmiths.

Have you explored the local area much?

I’ve been to Peckham, New Cross, Greenwich, and Deptford. I love going to cafes so I’ve been hopping around the different cafes trying different food and coffee and tea. My favourite café is called Greenhouse, which is by Deptford. I’ve also discovered oat milk, which is a very common thing here and a great vegan/vegetarian alternative to cow’s milk.

How have you found studying at Goldsmiths?

I’m taking two film classes, one psychology class, and then one theatre class. It was great that I was able to pick my classes across departments and be able to get credits for it, because not all programmes have that option. Also I was able to take different level classes, so I could do what interested me rather than be stuck with certain modules.
There are fewer contact hours here than in the States so I have a lot more free time. The way things are taught is also very different – for each class I mostly have a lecture and a seminar. I really like seminars because they facilitate a lot of discussion, and it’s very nice to de-brief about whatever we talked about in the lecture and to make sure everybody is on board.

The students here are very warm and welcoming. I have met lots of students through my modules who are very curious about learning – they are very passionate about the things that they are taking here. Having discussions with them about the class or what they like to do outside of class has been very interesting.

Has there been any advantage to being located in New Cross rather than in central London?

I like being in New Cross because it’s quieter and I get to relax while I’m here. It feels a bit more like home rather than living in chaos all the time in the city. It’s nice to have that separation. I don’t feel overwhelmed here.

How was the support and welcome before and after you arrived?

There was a lot of contact before we arrived. We got a constant stream of emails of activities that we could do and things that are coming and also how to set up everything. They were very clear about what I need to do on setting up my email, setting up for classes and looking at the VLE [Virtual Learning Environment]. When we got here we had orientation, and there were fun activities for us to do such as the pub quiz which my group won!

What are your plans for the future?

I want to go into entertainment consulting. From my film modules I actually learnt a lot about history and the business side of it. I take the business aspects of film and producing and creativity and then mix that with psychology, which is working with other people and learning how to best organise yourself and also understand and empathise with people.

Has coming to study in London given you an edge over others?

I think studying abroad in London has made me more culturally aware about how to talk to other people who are different than I am, and who are outside shared experiences. I’ve been able to see a part of the world that I don’t know if I’d be able to see if I wasn’t here. It also shows that I’m a good traveller so if they want to send me somewhere then I can work it out!