Student Reports: Engineering in London, 2015
Bletchley Park
One of the most exciting and unique parts of this trip is visiting Bletchley Park! You get an incredible perspective on the foundations of computer science that literally no other study abroad trip could match. The basic scenario was this: during World War II, German forces used a practically unbreakable form of secret communication. Anyone could read the messages, but they were encrypted in a way that could only be deciphered if you knew the settings of the Enigma Machine used that day. Without knowing the settings, there were just short of 159 quintillion possible choices. I cannot even think of a way to describe to you just how big that number is. That’s 1-5-9, followed by 18 zeros. It’s 159 trillion millions. If you stacked that many pennies it’d go from the earth to the sun and back 800 million times. The Allies needed a way to decrypt these messages, and it just wasn’t going to happen by hand. Alan Turing has an idea however—let’s build a machine to help us try and crack the code.
Bletchley Park was the base of operations for that project and during our visit there we saw a remarkable amount of history. A war that engulfed the world, a secret facility owned by a secret branch of the British military, the grounds where computing was realized—it really does sound like something out of a movie. Besides seeing the campus itself, the biggest exhibits were The Bombe (deciphered German messages), the set materials for The Imitation Game (a recent movie detailing these events), and The Colossus (world’s first electronic/digital computer used to decipher high ranking German messages). If you find these things interesting or would like to know more, the movie is a great place to start (though not 100% correct, it does a decent job).
This experience has been completely unbelievable—literally the place you read about in the textbooks and you could not possibly get any closer to history than this. If you are a computer science or engineering related major, then this is a dream come true. It is the actual roots of your field, and you even get to see it all in action since they demonstrate the machines for you. Regardless of your major, this field trip was still an awesome experience. Technology and computers are a huge part of everyone’s life now and the history behind it all is fascinating. I love being able to say I have seen where it all began and I absolutely cannot wait to see where the future leads us with these newfound tools.
-Justin Boling
Thorpe Park
During our extended weekend, Dr. Berry suggested a side trip to Thorpe Park, a roller coaster park, for those who stayed in London. We met bright and early Monday morning and purchased a train ticket to Staines. It was great to get out of the city and view the countryside instead of the London traffic. After getting off the train, we hopped on a bus and arrived at Thorpe Park shortly thereafter. We had a blast there, sometimes literally! There was one coaster, Stealth, that accelerated us from 0-80 mph in 1.8 seconds, which is an under sung engineering feat. I even hopped on the teacups to go for a spin!
After a few more coasters, we continued the tradition of previous groups and ate at KFC before continuing our roller coaster journey. After riding all the rides, we eclipsed the day with ice cream. Overall, we had a great day at Thorpe Park and made a huge day of it. Unlike the parks in the states, Thorpe Park was priced exactly like everything else fun to do in London, so it was a cheap trip to spend time with my new Engineering in London friends and one of The University of Tennessee’s best professors!
-Treavor Johnson
Tips on Exploring Alone
Congratulations! You’ve been accepted into a study abroad program, one that takes you close to places you’ve wanted to visit your whole life. You, and people you may or may not know now have time between classes to explore your surrounding region. Each of you now has a choice every day: Do you visit where you want, or visit where the group wants? You can now read about someone who mainly did the former on his trip to London with the Engineering in London study abroad program through UT.
Firstly, it is possible to go places alone safely, so long as you know yourself, and know your abroad city. I, for instance, am a male over six feet tall, in a country with a stable government. Knowing this, I could make a safe bet that I wouldn’t be bothered during the day by anyone with malicious intent, and maybe even at night. If you feel safe in your environment, then nothing should be stopping you from visiting a less popular attraction among your peers.
The second step to travel alone without any problems is to take precautions. Check your routes to and from wherever you want to visit before departing, have enough cash for an emergency, charge your phone, and let someone know where you plan to go. A phone plan is required for your program, but you should also have data to get finer directions when you arrive. I personally got around paying for a lot of data by downloading a local map of the area without using a data.
Following these guidelines, you are well and truly free to make your trip abroad your own. Typically, I visited museums that others did, just on a day that better suited me, but the following places were some things I did that many did not try. Some places I would recommend whether with or without a group are: The Grant Museum of Zoology, the Welcome Collection, the Museum of London, the John Snow water pump, the annual Open Garden Squares Weekend, and the Kew Gardens, The Attendant, a Victorian bathroom-turned-café, and finally something unique here that I have always wanted to see, the Horniman Museum’s famous overstuffed walrus.
-Graham Jones
A Trip to Oxford
On one of our free days, a group of us decided to go to Oxford. We took a train from Kings Cross Station in London and made it to Oxford in time to get brunch at an open-air market. After brunch, we went to Oxford Castle and climbed the mound by the castle, which was the original sight of a wooden mottle and bailey castle in the 11th century.
We spent the rest of our day exploring Oxford, especially the many colleges within the city. As we walked from college to college, we saw a group of graduates walking through the town. We divided our remaining time between the Museum of Natural Science, the Bodleian Library, and the Oxford Oratory. The English countryside was beautiful. As amazing as London is, Oxford was a fantastic breath of fresh air, and it was great to get out and spend time with classmates outside of classes. We finished our day with dinner at a local pub before heading back to London on the train.
-Libby Fortunato
Harry Potter Studios
Harry Potter is one of the greatest series of books ever penned, and on this trip you will have the opportunity to visit where they filmed its movies! A short train ride takes you to Leavesden, where the actors Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson became famous. Now you may be thinking, “What does any of this have to do with Engineering?” Actually, a lot of Magic just does not happen, and the Harry Potter film series would be nothing without the extensive “movie magic” that the thousands of background people carefully and painstakingly inserted into the series.
From the animatronic Buckbeak, the convoluted stilts used by Lupin’s werewolf form, to exciting Quidditch scenes, engineers and designers were utilized in all facets of the films. You truly get a sense to the depth of engineering discipline as you see the technical aspects of how motorcycles were made to fly, and dragons came to life.
Even if you do not appreciate the “movie magic” work put in, there are still plenty of fun things to do! Ever want to ride a broomstick? Take a train to Hogwarts? Drink some butterbeer? Well you can do all of those things here! Not to mention, the incredibly large gift shop to get Slytherin robes and Voldemort’s wand. The staff is unbelievably knowledgeable in all things Harry Potter, so feel free to test them on difficult trivia!
-Jia Rong Chong
A Trip to Dover
One of the best parts of this trip is the multitude of opportunities to explore the British countryside. On one particular weekend, a group of us took a day trip to the town of Dover on the British coast. The trip started bright and early, as we had to catch a bus at 7:30 in the morning! We were tired when we arrived, but with some coffee, this faded and we were off to hike the white cliffs of Dover. The hike actually began with the long trek to the park along the side of the road!
Once we actually made it to the park, it was all smooth sailing. We hiked around the park to a ledge that was relatively secluded, and where we ate our lunch and enjoyed the beautiful view in front of us. After we finished our lunch, we continued to walk around and take in the amazing sites, which included going right up to the edge of the cliff! Some of the more daring sat on the edge and took some awesome pictures. We also enjoyed some delicious ice cream at the old lighthouse in the park. After the ice cream, the clouds started to darken which signaled to us that it was time to head back. Luckily, we made it back to the town without any rain.
Once we made it back to town, our expedition was nearing its end. However, we had one last stop to make, dinner! We decided to eat at an old, family owned pub called The White Horse Inn, which was famous for being the first stop that swimmers who attempted the English Channel would stop at. We were served by the father, mother and daughter who owned the Inn, and after some delicious food, it was finally time to head home. Thus, our day trip to the town of Dover came to an end, though the pictures continue to remind us of the beautiful sights.
-Tyler Stuessi
Paris
In the middle of our trip to London we had a three day weekend in order for us to travel. For this weekend, Jia Rong and I decided to take a trip to Paris, France. It was an amazing weekend. We saw all of the sights everyone always thinks about when they think of Paris. On the first day we traveled to the Louvre and got to see all of the amazing art they have there, including the world famous Mona Lisa.
After this, we went to see the Eiffel Tower, which is the most iconic sight that Paris has to offer. We even went to the top of it and saw the amazing view from the top! The following day we went to see the Arc De Triomphe and the gigantic roundabout which encircles it and after, the Notre Dame Cathedral. Within the cathedral we saw a ton of amazing statues, shrines, and other religious symbols.
Rounding out the trip to Paris, we visited the monument to the former Bastille. Overall, it was an amazing trip and I am very glad I had the opportunity to go to Paris!
-Andrew Bennett
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London Museum of Water and Steam
On our last Saturday of the trip, we went on a trip to the London Museum of Water and Steam near Kew Bridge. I don’t think I was alone in rolling my eyes at the thought of yet another museum especially one was an hour outside of London; however, my attitude quickly changed once I arrived.
After taking a rather circuitous route to the museum that saved money and happened to offer a great view of another part of London, Dr. Berry and Dr. Parsons directed us to a garden. It was one of the quaintest gardens I have ever seen, built on what remains of sand beds that were once used to filter much of London’s water supply and decorated with miscellaneous remains of old steam engines.
When we entered the museum, we had some time to kill. Between a rather exciting children’s water works exhibit and freebies supporting water conservation, we actually found a lot of great information about the conditions that necessitated the invention of steam engines. Inadequate water facilities repeatedly spread disease and cost thousands of lives.
When the demonstrations of the steam engines began, they cemented everything we had been learning in Thermodynamics. The gradual innovations across the steam engines physically represented many of the improvements to cycles that we had recently learned. We finished the trip with a bubble blowing relay race, but several of us stayed a little more to see a demonstration of the largest operational beam engine, a 90” steam engine that operated for over a century, the sheer size of which was unbelievable!
This trip to the London Museum of Water and Steam completed my understanding of thermodynamics. This is the reason for the Engineering in London trip. The historical remains and physical demonstrations facilitate learning in a truly unparalleled manner.
-Drew Farlett
Greenwich
Early one morning, we met at the Embankment Pier and boarded a trolley boat that took us up the infamous Thames River to Greenwich. We were given the day to explore several of the important sites explaining London’s history as a trade port.
We began by boarding the Cutty Sark , a famous sea clipper that in its time visited every major port in the world. On board, we saw each level of the ship in detail including the living and working quarters for those on board. Next, we visited the National Maritime Museum, which explained many of England’s endeavors at sea and their exploration of new worlds.
During our lunch break, we were able to explore the grounds of Greenwich Park, and we saw beautiful views of London from One Tree Hill.
Finally, we made our way to the Royal Observatory, which was the main attraction during our trip to Greenwich. Here, we learned how longitude came about as a measure east and west from the prime meridian to improve sea navigation. We were actually able to stand in both hemispheres at once and took pictures across the prime meridian! The Royal Observatory is also home to several of the world’s first and most accurate clocks and the UK’s largest equatorial telescope.
The house that was the original observatory, or the Flamsteed house, was designed in 1675, so there was an incredible amount of history behind time and sea trade throughout our visit.
We finished our trip with an unbeatable view from the Royal Observatory. Looking down on the 17th-century queen’s house, we were able to see the entirety of London in the background.
-Elissa Heckman
Conquered Rome in Two Days
For our three-day weekend, some of us woke early with a flight to the ancient city of Rome. We have scheduled to see not only the Colosseum and Ancient Rome but also the Vatican City, including Rafael’s Rooms along with the Sistine Chapel and Saints Peter’s Basilica. After getting off the plane, the first thing we notice is the change in weather, specifically the heat. It was 90 degrees Fahrenheit and only predicted to be hotter as the weekend continued, so as we made our way to our Air BNB in the heart of Rome. Then, we found out our apartment had no air conditioning, which is common around Italy. I would be lying to you if I told you we were happy about that. After eating the most amazing pizza ever made, we wandered around and made it an early night to prepare for our tours the next day.
After a very long night of sweat and no sleep, we made our way to one of the most incredible sights I have ever seen, the Colosseum. After watching Gladiator and hearing the stories, I could not wait to see the real thing. Lucky for me my tour guide was an actual archeologist that had completed digs in Rome; unfortunately, I was split up from everyone else. After seeing a countless number of breath taking views and monuments, I made my way to the exit in hopes they had already finished their tour and they were waiting for me there. This was not the case. I wandered around Rome for about 4 hours today praying I found them, and thankfully, I did as I made one last pass in front of the Colosseum. After some more incredible dining experiences, we went souvenir shopping, which included being harassed and berated by countless number of street venders that were selling some not so legal merchandise. With aching feet and full stomachs, we waddled back to our apartment, and I have never been more excited to sleep, even if it is only for 4 hours.
On the last day, we woke up at 7 AM and made our way to a nice Italian bakery for some breakfast before our tour of the Vatican City. This tour really hit home for me because of my religion and the anticipation was near killing me. After going through the Vatican museum and Rafael’s Rooms and seeing the most amazing art pieces, one of which had Sylvester Stallone in it, we made our way to the Sistine Chapel. Wow is just about the only word to describe what I saw. That ceiling combined with Saint Paul’s basilica, which is what we saw next, left me speechless.
Unfortunately, the great touring was short lived as we had to rush back to catch our flight back to Nido to get some sleep before classes on Tuesday.
-Daniel Colburn
Edinburgh
Midway through our stay in London, we were given a three-day weekend to take a break from studying. A group of eleven of us decided that a trip to Edinburgh to experience Scotland would be a great way to spend the weekend. After some headaches with the tickets (always get to the train station early in case something happens), we boarded a train for a five hour ride to Edinburgh. It was nearly 10 PM when we arrived, but the city was stunning even at night when the streets were empty. We spent the night at a hostel, a first for most of us but a fun experience.
Sunday morning we got up early and found breakfast at a local coffee shop. The food was wonderful and the hospitality even better, a trend for our time spent in Edinburgh. We spent the rest of the morning exploring Edinburgh Castle. In addition to amazing panoramic views of the city from the castle’s walls, there was also a lot of history to explore. We read about the many times the castle had been attacked and walked through the prison cells where thieves, prisoners of war, and traitors (i.e. Americans) were held. We also were able to see the Scottish Crown Jewels, which have been buried multiple times throughout history to prevent enemies from obtaining them. In the afternoon, we explored the Scottish National Gallery and Princes Street Gardens since Edinburgh was experiencing unusually beautiful weather.
Monday morning was an early start as well. We spent the majority of the day at Holyrood Park where we hiked up to Arthur’s seat, the highest point in the city. It was a relatively short 45-minute hike, but the views from the top were absolutely worth it. We could see for 20-30 miles in every direction, and all the major landmarks of Edinburgh were visible from where we were standing. On the way back to town we detoured through a valley in the park and explored the newer section of the city for a while. We ate a late lunch at The Newsroom, which I highly recommend to anyone traveling in the area. Not only did they have good food and service, they also had fantastic milkshakes. Most of us had an early train back to London so we left soon after, but we all thoroughly enjoyed our time in Edinburgh.
-Caroline Hill
Camden Market and Back
Early in our trip, my roommate Treavor and I were looking for something we could do on a weekday after class. There is a bevy of museums in every corner of London, but we were thinking of something different. We decided to go check out Camden Market – host to street vendors peddling extraordinarily cheap “designer” products, multiple pubs per road instead of the usual one, and wacky performers.
It was actually a specialty shop called Oddballs that attracted me to Camden Market, but Treavor and I figured there would be other things to see and do there and that’s what convinced us. Oddballs stocks juggling equipment, yoyos, and skateboards among other things. London is so huge with such a large population that these specialty stores can exist and thrive – I’d be shocked if there were any niche product that you couldn’t find in London.
When we stepped off the bus, the first thing we noticed was the incredible crowd. We had experienced the London “rush hour” on the tube and on foot, but this was nothing like it. Not only the sidewalk, but also the entire road was full of people slowly making headway in either direction. Cars still came through, but they were boats on the sea of people. We gawked on our way at all the vendors and got a particular kick of seeing obviously fake beats headphones on sale for thirty pounds. After finally getting to the store and looking around, I got a souvenir yoyo and we went back out on the streets.
We had intended to grab a bite to eat, but the swelling of humanity led us to believe it would take hours to find a real meal so we simply began walking back to the bus. However, on the way back, we snapped some pictures of some street performers.
After seeing these performers, we came upon two or three protesters who I won’t talk about other than to say that they had signs and were angry about things sexual in nature. Everyone (un)surprisingly gave them a wide berth. We ignored them and went onwards to the bus and left for more peaceful pastures – but the trip was definitely interesting as it precisely mimicked my previous idea of a “big city”.
-Samuel Walters
First Day in London
As soon as I landed in London, I was tired, but happy to be here (I didn’t sleep at all on the plane). After a long ride on the tube, we popped out right next to a small market selling bread, and I immediately saw my first double-decker bus. I quickly realized that these things are everywhere — you can see around five of them on the street at any given moment.
After a quick unpacking, my roommate Elliot and I ventured out for some lunch. We were both tired, but orientation was in a few hours and we didn’t trust ourselves to wake up if we slept. At lunch, I learned that chicken sandwiches were more expensive than burgers!
Following lunch, we had a quick tour of the (very nice) student housing that we’re staying in, called Nido Student Housing. Then, we took our first ride on the bus using our unlimited Oyster cards, and we went shopping for international sim cards and cellphones. Breanna had heard of a pub nearby called Rising Sun, so we went in for a bite to eat. On the way home, we stopped by a big department store for some forgotten items. Fun fact — even though Apple Pay is not officially supported in London, just about everywhere has “contactless payment” and Apple Pay works great. After we got back to Nido, it was finally late enough to go to bed, and I passed out immediately.
-Kyle Bashour
Blog Edited by Treavor Johnson