Learning, Living, and Growing in a Global City
For many first-year students, the transition to college begins on a familiar campus. For Chendan Wang 27Ox, it began an ocean away – navigating the streets of London, riding the Tube, and learning how to live independently in one of the world’s most dynamic cities.
Through Oxford Launch: London, a semester-long program that allows selected first-year students to begin their Oxford College experience abroad, Wang found herself immersed in a global classroom where the city itself became a teacher.
“Keep both your mind and your heart open. Allow yourself to feel afraid, excited, or unsure, and go anyway. The lessons you gain are worth far more than the fear.”
A City That Teaches
Arriving in London brought immediate contrasts to life in Oxford, Georgia—none more striking than the city’s approach to movement and access.
“The biggest surprise was public transportation,” Wang says. “I had grown so used to car culture, but in London I could get anywhere in under forty minutes. That freedom made learning feel tactile and real, it encouraged exploration.”
Living and studying in London deepened her understanding of British culture and global history, not only through coursework but through daily observation. Walking past centuries-old churches, modern financial skyscrapers, and neighborhoods shaped by migration helped bring abstract concepts into focus.
“Living in London truly emphasized to me London’s influence as a global power,” she reflects. “It made me realize how long London had truly been an important and central focal point in the development of the UK.”
In London, history was not confined to textbooks, it was right in front of her, waiting to be experienced.
Learning Beyond the Classroom
Oxford Launch courses, taught by Oxford College faculty, intentionally blur the line between classroom learning and lived experience. For Wang, that approach reshaped how she thought about education.
“In London, the city becomes part of the curriculum,” she says. “We might read about something in class and then walk ten minutes to see it in person.”
One moment that stayed with her came during a visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum with her architecture course. Initially skeptical of historical plaster casts, Wang began to see them differently while standing in the museum’s famed Cast Courts.
“They aren’t just replicas,” she explains. “They’re records, snapshots of an object at a moment in time. That experience completely changed how I understood preservation and history.”
Finding Community Abroad
While the independence of living abroad was exhilarating, it also came with moments of uncertainty, especially during the first few days.
“The first night felt intimidating,” Wang recalls. “We went from a very interconnected campus to complete independence overnight.”
That uncertainty faded through small but meaningful moments. A shared pasta dinner, complete with confusion over the stove and dropped spaghetti, became the foundation of the cohort’s bond.
“Even without a traditional campus, we created a community,” she says. “We looked out for one another - walking together, checking in, sharing tips. The kindness that defines Oxford came with us across the ocean.”
Growth Through Independence
Living abroad required Wang to navigate both the freedom and responsibility of independence.
“There were times I missed home cooking or wished there was a dining hall nearby,” she says. “But learning how to manage those moments showed me how capable I really am.”
That confidence now shapes how she thinks about her future. The experience made the idea of living or working abroad feel possible, even exciting.
“It taught me that new opportunities are often only as intimidating as we imagine them to be.”
A Moment to Remember
When asked about a moment she’ll always carry with her, Wang points to an early assignment for her architecture course.
Tasked with writing about a London building, she chose Farm Street Church, intrigued by its Gothic design. Realizing she couldn’t write about the space without seeing it firsthand, she set out alone one morning to find it.
“I got lost twice,” she laughs. “But when I finally walked inside, it was breathtaking.”
By chance, she arrived on a day when the church floors were being revarnished and the altar regilded, the space glowing with care and intention. A conversation with a staff member revealed the church’s history as a sanctuary following Catholic Emancipation in England.
“That experience reminded me that places matter because people care for them,” Wang says. “It allowed me to experience London in a way I never expected.”
Looking Ahead
For students considering Oxford Launch: London or another study-abroad opportunity, Wang offers simple advice.
“I’ve always enjoyed traveling, and when I learned that Oxford offered this unique opportunity for my very first semester, I was ecstatic to apply. When my dad read my acceptance letter and kept saying, ‘You’re going to London,’ I started crying. It felt completely surreal.”
As she continues her Oxford journey, the lessons of London remain close: curiosity, courage, and the understanding that learning gains its greatest depth when classroom study is paired with engagement in the world itself.