You’ve decided to study abroad in England in high school! You’re sure to have a great time at one of the many programs spread around the birthplace of the English language and soon-to-be birthplace of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s baby. But to make it even better, you might want to grab some tips for studying abroad in England!
There are literally *so* many things to love about high school study abraod in England.
The perfect place for high school foreign exchange programs, England will be a new country and culture for you to experience, while not being intimidatingly foreign. England is also one of the most developed countries in the world, so you won’t miss out on many of the comforts of home, like good WiFi and drinkable tap water.
You might even be impressed by some things they do arguably better in England, like their train system and quality, affordable health care. And the fact that they speak English there also helps make high school study abroad programs in England an easy and engaging experience.
While you might often find yourself amazed by all the little cultural differences in England, you’ll be able to fluently communicate this amazement with the English people you meet—although, you might sometimes wonder to yourself if they are in fact speaking the same language when they have thick accents and throw in the English slang.
If you want to make the most of high school study abroad programs in England, check out our list of tips and tricks for success here.
Related: Why Study Abroad in London? 9 Benefits You Can’t Argue With
9 tips to make the most of high school study abroad in England
1. Do your cultural homework before heading over
Before setting off to one of the many awesome high school study abroad programs in England, try checking out some English culture. It’s no secret that there are tons of great movies, books, and TV shows from England.
Whatever your preference is, from Shakespeare, to Sherlock Holmes, to Harry Potter, there is due to be some English book, movie, or series that fills your cup o’ tea. Netflix has tons of English series on it. If you want to learn about the (probably exaggerated) English high school experience, this author highly recommends The Inbetweeners.
The sky’s the limit during high school study abroad programs in England!
2. Get medieval in the castles
It’s no surprise that the country that created Robin Hood, King Arthur, and Monty Python’s Holy Grail has some castles. Both in the city and spread throughout the countryside, England is dotted with castles.
Taking a tour through one of these castles is a great way to get a taste of English history and culture. Some standout castles include Warwick Castle, Leeds Castle, and Bodiam Castle.
Wherever you choose to go, it’ll be an awesome way to experience an era of English history that has informed so much of our pop culture, without the peskier bits of the Middle Ages like the plague and torture chambers.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask questions
In your time abroad, wherever you are, you are bound to encounter new situations and likely some associated confusion. Due to the language barrier in some countries, you often have to just smile and go with the flow.
In England on the other hand, everyone is a walking, talking English-language guidebook to their country. So if you want to know something, go ahead and ask!
Generally speaking, most people are friendly to strangers if you approach them nicely with a smile on your face. This is extra true if you have a foreign accent. Most people want to make international friends, just like you do!
4. Go punting
We’re not talking about soccer balls here—although you could definitely find some soccer balls to punt in England (although they’re called footballs there, of course). In England, punting is a form of boating where a person with a big pole pushes a flat-bottomed boat down a river or other small body of water.
You can either hire somebody to punt your boat for you or give it a try yourself. It’s not too hard to pick up, although it’s advisable to leave your phone or anything else that you don’t want to get wet with the people sitting in the boat just in case!
It’s a fun, different way to spend a few hours exploring a city. Punting is especially popular in the university towns of Cambridge and Oxford, so if you have any trips to go to these historic towns, consider trying out punting them.
Tap into your fun & funky side in quirky neighborhoods like Shoreditch
5. Make local friends
One of the best tips for studying abroad in England during high school is to go out and meet people your age! They’re cool, like a lot of the same pop culture as you, and speak the same language. (Although there they call high school “college” or “6th form”—but, don’t bother asking them why it’s called 6th form, no one really knows. What Americans would call college the English call “university”—or just “uni” if you want to sound like a real Brit.)
There is always an interesting cross-cultural exchange when you meet someone from another country. Even though you and your English peers speak the same language, it’s amazing how many cultural and societal differences you can find to talk about.
It’s hard to run out of conversational material with a friend from another country when you both speak the same language fluently!
Related: A Parent’s Guide to High School Abroad in England
6. Pub grub
Now England isn’t renowned for its cuisine, like some of its other European neighbors. But you can totally still find some good eats in the country.
Possibly the most English of dining establishments is the pub. English pubs aren’t as alcohol-oriented as American ones, so teens who participate in high school foreign exchange programs in England can still enjoy them.
Standard pub fare includes foods like fish and chips, meat pie, and roast beef. While all those foods are pretty meaty, you shouldn’t be turned off English food if you’re vegetarian or vegan.
England has some of the highest rates of people electing for plant-based diets in the world, so so all the veg-heads will be able to find some tasty options too!
7. Get some culture in the museums
England, without a doubt, has some of the best museums in the world to discover while you study abroad in England in high school. The British Museum in London has a truly enormous collection of art and artifacts that span the whole course of history from around the world. (It’s worth noting that many pieces from other lands were taken without local consent during Britain’s multi-century imperialist romp. There is still lots of controversy about returning some of the artifacts, such as the Rosetta Stone, which Egypt would very much like back, thank you very much.)
Also in London, there’s the Tate Modern for modern art fans, Churchill's War Rooms for history buffs, and so much more!
Don’t be surprised if things get a little weird with your new study abroad besties!
8. Explore the countryside
The hustle and bustle of London or the intellectual vibes in Oxford and Cambridge might draw to one of the high school study abroad programs in England, but you should also get out into England’s beautiful countryside.
Once you get out of the urban centers, England becomes a sea of rolling green hills and the mystical woods that inspired the likes of Harry Potter’s Forbidden Forest. Be sure to check out the epic ancient megalithic structure of Stonehenge too, which is just a few hours away from London.
9. Sports
England and North America have a lot of culture in common, sharing a language and a long history. One area where they starkly diverge, however, is the realm of sports.
While the biggest sports in North America are baseball, basketball, and football (Hey Arnold head-shaped version), in England they have cricket, rugby, and football (version where you actually use your feet AKA soccer). When you study abroad in England in high school, trying to pick up one of these sports can be a fun way to explore English culture and maybe even make some local friends.
If you’re not too sporty yourself, you can go check out a match of one of the many sporting arenas around the country.
A word of caution if you want to try to get into cricket: this gentle(wo)men’s game has rules so complicated it makes baseball seem as simple as ping-pong. So either be prepared to do some research before you hit the pitch or be prepared to be in constant confusion.
Don’t be intimidated though—sometimes diving into confusion can be the best way to explore a new culture, and maybe even find a new passion.
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London + you = picture perfect
England is a great place for a high school study abroad experience, and tips for studying abroad in England will only make it better. Its rich history, vibrant cultural traditions, lively modern cities and towns, and the fact that they speak your language there all make England one of the best places in the world for high school foreign exchange programs.
England might not have the same cultural exoticism as heading to China or the adventure of trekking through the Central American jungles, but it’s a perfect way to get your feet wet in the big wide world of meaningful travel.
Once you finish your high school study abroad program in England, be sure to leave a review on GoAbroad so you can let the rest of the world know about your experience. Maybe you can even provide a few tips of your own on how other high schoolers can be successful in the same program too!
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