A hub of culture, business, politics, and academia, London is a metropolis with nearly infinite opportunities for those who aspire to become global citizens.
Every semester, about 200 Notre Dame students choose to do just that—by living and learning at Notre Dame London.
They are welcomed by a student affairs team headed by Daliah Primrose Bond, a native Londoner and a historian with a specialty in 18th-century Scottish chapbooks who teaches early modern history classes in Notre Dame London’s Fischer Hall. Bond’s charge, and her passion, is to support the academic and personal development of students.
Each term, Bond shares a few key pieces of advice with incoming students:
“No study abroad experience is alike. Reflect on why you chose to come to London and then be intentional about what you are seeking and what you are learning.”
“The best part of study abroad might very well not be setting foot in a famous venue or ‘big ticket’ attraction. Instead, it could be a collection of small things—finding your favorite Royal Park for a morning run, becoming familiar with a few residential neighborhoods outside of Zone 1, or mastering public transport!”
“Let ‘curiosity’ be your watchword.”
“Experience rather than consume. There is a difference between taking a picture outside a historic landmark such as Westminster Palace and actually asking yourself why Westminster matters and what it means to London and its people.”
“And experience a variety of neighborhoods, cultures, foods, and traditions so as to meet a diversity of Londoners and participate in everyday British life. We want to encourage students to develop their own relationship with the city.”
While the students begin to acclimate to London, Bond and her team have two tasks: Work to build community within Conway Hall, Notre Dame’s residence hall in the city, and, simultaneously, encourage students to move from “London tourist” to “London resident.”
“Shared meals, a movie night in Conway Hall, or time to sit quietly, read, or talk—all are offered and encouraged to create a home, a safe space, for students,” Bond explained. “Then, initiatives I started like Foodie London or Artsy London, which each occur six to eight times a term, nurture curiosity and reveal the many facets of London by exploring the city’s diverse cuisines and myriad artistic offerings.”
Bond said another message she works to convey to students throughout the semester is one she hopes they take with them, as they deepen their understanding of themselves while exploring the world:
“We can’t avoid or remove every difficulty; the goal of adulthood is to learn to navigate the challenges that life inevitably brings. A challenge now might be taking a city bus to a zone far away from Conway Hall, or learning how to mesh with eight flatmates, or living, for the first time, an ocean away from friends and family. Learn to be comfortable in the uncomfortable until it becomes familiar. That is where the growth occurs.”
Back on Notre Dame’s home campus, Notre Dame Global and Student Affairs work together to help international students settle into their new home.
With more than 500 incoming international students this year, these efforts extend to every residence hall.
Rectors are key to making sure international students feel at home.
David Diamond, rector of Morrissey Hall, exemplifies that commitment. A retired US Army Special Forces colonel and fluent Arabic speaker, Diamond visited more than 60 countries during his tours as a military ambassador and knows the challenges of acclimating to a new culture.
“This year,” he said, “Morrissey Hall welcomed seven students from Brazil, three from Gaza, two from Canada, and one each from Colombia, England, Germany, Ghana, India, Japan, and Spain—19 in all within the hall’s first-year cohort.
“My role is to help these students become part of the Notre Dame community and, very importantly, to flourish in their lives after college. Most of the international students will return to their home countries. I help them explore: ‘What does flourishing look like in this very moment, and also—in your 20s, 30s, and beyond?’”
Diamond gives high praise both to the international students for their efforts to find ways of making the Notre Dame campus their second home, and to their American counterparts—some of whom might already be familiar with the campus and its customs.
“The men of Morrissey are intentional in building community. After the prescribed activities of Welcome Week, no one stopped. Students were still playing volleyball, becoming acquainted around the fire pit, or holding conversations in their rooms,” he said. “There was really no division between domestic and international students.”
Diamond knows there are important practical tasks to accomplish early in the settling-in process.
“From instructions on how to do laundry in August to making sure that everyone has a warm coat in November, it’s important to reduce the anxiety of entry and to make students feel comfortable in this culture and climate,” he said.
“Also, getting international students connected—literally—to classmates here and with their people back home is key to getting them off to a good start. I make sure a local phone is purchased, and an internet connection is set up during the first few days. Then, the world is back at the students’ fingertips.”
Diamond added that the taste of home can often make students feel comfortable on campus.
“Last year,” Diamond recalled, “a dinner of homemade tamales during Thanksgiving week and an array of Mediterranean foods in February were shared by all the residents of Morrissey and made for powerful bonding experiences. As a result, I’ve planned more food-centered experiences this year.”