Hello everyone!
As I mentioned in my first post, one of my reasons for starting this blog was to document my study abroad experience from start to finish. It's about five months until I leave, and I plan to record updates at least once a month until I'm up and away.
Just in case you missed my first post, I'm in the process of arranging to study abroad this upcoming fall semester, fall 2014. The university I'm applying to is about 30 minutes outside central London to the south-west. My university here in the states has a partnership with the one in England, which played a major part in why I decided to study abroad there. In case you didn't know, studying abroad is very expensive, and I'm certainly not rich. Because our universities are partners, my home scholarship will cover my tuition abroad, which alleviates a huge expense. My parents are paying for some of the cost, and I'll be paying for the rest. Since making the decision to study abroad, I've tried to be extremely frugal and have taken on extra hours at work. It's a big commitment of time and resources, but I haven't spoken to anyone or read any testimonies online from people who regretted their decision. I know that if I had decided not to go, I would have regretted it.
So anyways, five months. It seems so far away and yet so soon (cliche, I know). It's especially nerve-wracking because nothing is official yet. I've made arrangements to make arrangements and talked to lots of people and starting planning, but nothing is set because I haven't been officially accepted into the program. Although my friend Gabby, who is studying abroad with me, and I have been making plans to study abroad for over five months, it was only last week that we were able to submit applications. I'm not sure when we will be notified if we've been accepted...but hopefully soon! If/when we are accepted we can apply for housing and pick our courses.
To prepare, I've been studying British history. Considering that my dad is a professor of British and Irish history, my knowledge of the subject is embarrassingly limited. By the time I leave, though, I will be an expert! I have a very basic textbook of English history that I've been making my way through and have been supplementing it with several other history books. Right now I'm about at 1668 during the reign of Charles II. I've really been enjoying my personal studies, and I know that when I'm finally in England I'll appreciate the historical sites so much more since I know the stories behind them. (I'm also visiting the Magna Carta exhibit at the Museum of Natural Science this weekend- yay!)
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| Bayeux Tapestry: Harold is crowned |
In addition to learning history, I've been reading and watching YouTube videos about other people's study abroad experiences and advice. Most people say pretty much the same thing: it was great, plan early, and don't over-pack. Gabby and I have already started planning some weekend trips around England. Two places I really want to go are Edinburgh and Bath. There are lots of places accessible by train from London, so it's tempting to try and do them all, but we've been trying to narrow down the list so we can make sure we have time to do the things that we really want. We haven't made a final decision about our big study week trip, but we're thinking of going to Rome and Assisi. (Although I've always wanted to visit Germany and Austria, I don't think that this study abroad trip is the ideal time. After graduating hopefully I can teach English overseas! I've been practicing my German so I'll be ready- I'll get there eventually!)
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| Edinburgh, Scotland |
Five months is a long time, but I'm already so excited! I have an adventurous spirit and tend to let my imagination get the best of me, so I have really been trying to be realistic and practical about this trip so I don't get let down. I know that inevitably not everything will go according to plan and that we won't visit every place we want, but I know that even if it's not perfect, studying abroad will be a fantastic experience.
I should also mention that I'm now officially a whovian. My family watches some Dr. Who and my sisters are fans, but before now I'd never watched enough to get addicted. That's changed, though. In the past month or so I've made my way up though series 4 of Doctor Who (Doctors 9 and 10), and I can officially say I'm hooked. Whenever I hear the theme music a shiver runs up my spine...I'm worried I'm forming an obsession! I still have all of the 11th Doctor to go and then Peter Capaldi as the 12th Doctor in the fall! I can't wait!
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| The Doctor and Rose Tyler |
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| The grammar enthusiast in me loves this! (4.5: The Sontaran Stratagem) |
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