As I think back on my study abroad experience in London, I am lucky enough to have my blog, pictures, and videos to help me remember my many experiences. As time goes on, the minor details aren’t as easily recalled, but having something to look back at has been incredibly helpful in being able to remember. Today, I want to take a moment to share why you should consider capturing your experiences and some tips to do so. While it is best to be present and enjoy your time abroad, I would also encourage you to find ways to capture it. 

Pictures

Pictures have become incredibly easy to capture. Whether you have a DSLR camera, point and shoot camera, or a smartphone, you can easily take pictures. So, make sure you take plenty of them! 

Tip #1 - Even if it seems like a minor picture, I’d encourage you to take it. You never know when you’ll want to look back at it. 

Tip #2 – Make sure you are comfortable with the camera you plan to use. While a DSLR camera will take higher quality pictures, it doesn’t do you any good if you don’t know how to use it. If you’re comfortable with your smartphone, I’d recommend sticking with it. 

Tip #3 – Save your pictures and back them up frequently. Whether you are using the cloud or an external hard drive, make sure you are saving pictures off the camera/phone in case something happens to your device. I’d hate for you to lose all your pictures versus a few.    

Videos 

Just like pictures, videos are fairly easy to capture with similar devices. The one upside of videos is instead of capturing moments, you can capture everything happening. My camera at the time didn’t take great videos, but I was able to take a few that I’ve enjoyed sharing, including the changing of the guards. To be able to share not just a picture, but the sounds and the excitement of the crowd, was helpful in capturing more of my experience. 

Tip #1 – Just like Tip #2 above, make sure you are comfortable with the device you plan to use. There is nothing worse than taking a video that doesn’t turn out. 

Tip #2 – Be mindful of what you say in the background of your videos. There is also nothing worse than ruining a video by something you randomly say. 

Tip #3 – Practice taking videos before you go, so you know how to hold the camera and your movements before you get there. If you don’t understand how your movements impact the video, then you might end up with videos you won’t be able to watch because the camera was moving too much. 

Blogs 

I ended up keeping a blog during my time abroad as part of a scholarship I received. That said, this was probably one of the best things I could have done. Not only did I get to share my experiences with everyone back home, but I also was able to document my experience for me to look back on in the future. 

Tip #1 – Determine what platform you plan to blog on and set it up before you leave. You will want to document your initial travel. 

Tip #2 – Share pictures and videos! Don’t forget to include pictures and videos in your blog. It makes it a lot more interesting and easier for you to remember the memories you share. 

Tip #3 – Set aside time to blog. One of the most challenging things is sitting down to write about your experience. There is so much going on, but if you set aside time every few days to write a blog post, it is a lot easier to keep up. You’ll thank yourself later. 

My Blog called London Adventures: https://hstoslondonadv.blogspot.com 

I hope you found these tips helpful and are able to plan out how you are going to capture your time abroad. Everyone’s journey is different, so take pictures of things you want to remember. You’ll thank yourself one day. I personally took thousands of pictures, which seemed excessive at the time, but 8 years later and I am so happy I can look back at all of my pictures.

Enjoy your time abroad and don’t forget to capture your experience! 

Heather Robinette is the London Study Abroad Editor for Wandering Educators. She notes, "During the summer of 2011, I studied abroad for six weeks in London at the University of Westminster with Academics Programs International. I graduated from Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS in December 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. I currently work as a marketing analyst for a small company in central Texas. I recently finished my MBA. While I was abroad in London, I was able to create many unforgettable memories that I will never forget! My study abroad experience helped me gain various skills, but above all else, it helped me to learn more about myself and the world around me." You can find her online at http://www.heatherrobinette.com/

Click here to read more of Heather's articles about studying abroad in London.