By Wendy Williamson

The other day I was thinking about how old I am and how much change actually comes with every decade of life. It’s mind-boggling to reflect upon the journeys that shape our values, attitudes, and behaviors, as well as the values-attitudes-behaviors that shape our journeys. It’s challenging to put into words what we go through, how we go through it, and what motivates us to merrily chug along whatever path we choose, or have been handed, depending at how you look at it. It’s sobering to think that as we are becoming, we are wasting away little by little, step by step.

Who really knows where we end up when we depart this world, but one thing is certain...we take our life with us and leave the rest behind. We can leave our stories and/or we can leave a pile of stuff. I don’t know about you, but I want to leave more than a pile of stuff. I want to leave a legacy, and I want to leave at least one story that makes a difference in people’s lives. Stories teach, influence, and bind people together. Stories carry meaning that goes deeper than the narrative itself. For this reason, our communities perpetuate and our lives are changed through stories.

As Director of Study Abroad, I'm proud of what I do, and I'm proud of EIU for making study abroad a priority. There are few college experiences that give you more stories, passion, and enlightenment than study abroad. "Knowledge is not information, it's transformation" (Osho), and Study Abroad is the largest international highway to a fulfilling education and wholesome life.

Ironically, I never studied abroad; instead, I joined the Peace Corps right after college. I worked for the Peace Corps on two different continents for four years. While I didn't realize it then, this time that I spent abroad represented the greatest turning point of my life. Fortunately, I have inherited a little corner of the OSA newsletter to share my life-changing stories with you. So, let's get started! You're probably not as excited as I am, but I'm going to at least try to put a smile on your face.

Today's story comes from my personal experience in Cameroon, West Africa. My village Songkolong, in the Adamoua Province, comprised of about 1000 people. Three things about my village... it took me two days to get to/from the city by bush taxi; it smelled like corn stalks mixed with the sweet scent of yucca, peanuts, mangos, and moist vegetation; and the people spoke French, Pigeon English, Mambila, and Fulfulde. There was also a village Chef (which does not mean "Cook," but "Chief" in French).

Similar to our Central Illinois festivals (i.e. BagelFest, the Cheese Festival, etc.), Songkolong puts on a fishing day every year! Young, old, male, female, children, and adults hunt for fish all day in the river. The catch (no pun intended) is you can’t use a fishing pole! Always up for a challenge, I put on my tevas, met up with friends, and followed their lead. They gave me a basket and a spear, and demonstrated how Africans catch fish. Let's just say I tried, because unfortunately, the only thing I caught was a crab.

Regardless of what I caught that day, it was fun to hang out with my friends and watch elders guide little children, at least until the hippo came along (another story for another time)! I learned that I was not patient enough (a recurring theme in my life); the secret was to stand in the water so still that even the fish didn’t know I was there. My white skin probably didn't help matters any, but I think mostly, I just couldn't stand still for more than 30 minutes at a time. I was afraid a snake would start slithering up my leg.

All said, I went to the Peace Corps believing the old adage; give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day...teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime. Not surprisingly, I left Peace Corps with a different belief and understanding; birds don't fly and fish don't swim, and it's okay, because that's what makes life beautiful, exciting, and downright fun: DIFFERENCE. Understand it, believe in it, live it! Take pride in being different from the rest. This is what makes study abroad so rewarding.

By Angie Norris

Imagine yourself learning about hotel management in Australia or art in Italy or even business in South Korea all the while meeting people both from that culture and other cultures as well.  This is what Study Abroad is all about.  Study abroad is the chance to see the world in a way that is more meaningful than just “hitting the hotspots” that are found in all the guide books.  It is the opportunity to live in and experience another culture from within.  Through this unique experience, you can learn so much more than any book could begin to describe.

Study abroad is more than the trip of your life.  It is truly an investment in your future. It is an experience you can put on your résumé that says you are an individual who is not afraid to take a few risks and try something new.  Not to mention all of the new things you can encounter first hand and the sense of accomplishment of personal growth you can experience while abroad.

Still, it is necessary to ask, “How much is this going to cost?”  This daunting reality check is all too necessary with all of the factors that go into financing studies at home and abroad. Unfortunately, not all programs are as affordable as a semester at EIU and the study abroad program of your dreams may come with a hefty price tag.  On the other hand, programs such as Universidad de Salamanca, Spain actually cost less than a single semester including spending money and airfare.  There are ways, though to help offset those costs and get you on that plane to your semester destination.

If you receive financial aid, much of your State and Federal grant money can be applied to your study abroad experience.  Low-interest student loans can most-definitely be applied to your study abroad.  And of course, there are scholarships.  You’ve heard it before, scholarships are like free money waiting for you.  There are National Scholarships like with the Fulbright and Gilman Scholarships.  There are tuition wavers for all of our exchange programs, and many more. There are even scholarships for taking classes in History or Foreign Languages.  Furthermore, there is the OSA Grant up to $5,000

I was once telling a friend about the semester-long exchange program at Ajou University in Suwong, South Korea; students who participate in this program are eligible for a tuition waiver from EIU and a Room and Board Waiver from Ajou University.  Afterwards he asked “Why isn’t every EIU student studying abroad?” That is a very good question.  If you can complete general studies or even courses for your major abroad and receive student loans and scholarships, what is stopping you from having the cultural experience of your life?

By Elizabeth Gergits

Melissa Ortiz, History Major with an Asian Studies Minor, studied abroad the during the spring semester at Sogang University in Seoul, South Korea.  The Office of Study Abroad  recently added Sogang University to its list of program options for students.  Melissa was the first EIU student to go.

This program is an exchange, where students continue to pay their tuition and fees to EIU, rather than to the host university.  However, students may apply for a special scholarship which waives their EIU tuition. Melissa received this scholarship and attended Sogang tuition-free. 

Below, Melissa shares her favorite memories and impressions of Sogang University…

How did you decide on Sogang University?
At the time, there were no other exchange programs through EIU to Asia, so I took this opportunity and was really glad I did.  There was a scholarship for the first students to go, I applied and got the scholarship, along with two others, so going to South Korea was cheaper than a semester at EIU.

What was your favorite course and why?
I liked the American Seminar, narrating Native Americans; this was a high level course.  This class was new to South Korea; the teacher told me that Koreans usually only see Native Americans in westerns, so this class was one of the first which tried to teach about them as they actually were and how they are now.  The teacher was Korean but spoke English really well.  She was able to make many comparisons between American and Korean culture.

Do you have any advice for somebody studying abroad?
I recommend ALL free food and trying everything (within reason), even if you think you will not like it, you will get farther on compliments and flattery than complaining and criticism. Learn the money conversion BEFORE you go, people are generally nice, but nice is not perfect, people can be nice and greedy at the same time, and you are definitely going to stand out.  Be prepared to get frustrated sometimes with communication and some of the stereotypes that that country has of Americans—do not get angry, show them otherwise, by acting better than the stereotypes! Especially in Asia, actions are greater than words.

Describe your typical day at Sogang.  What was similar-different from your typical day at EIU?
I lived in the old dorms (they opened the new dorms the semester after me), breakfast was at 7:30am and over at 8:30am so I got up and chose either western food or Korean food.  The Korean breakfast, lunch, and dinner was tasty---but dorm food is dorm food, do not judge Korean food by that, eat at restaurants and find a friend whose parents cook for them! I am not a morning person, so after breakfast I went back to bed until class...went to class…then had free time until I had to be back in my room at 11:30pm for roll call (plus they locked the gate until 5:00am). On weekends I would practice gumdo and/or go sightseeing. 

Tell us something unique about the South Korean culture and how it impacted your experience. 
On campus people studied with intensity.  They are really competitive, an A+ and an A is a huge difference to them.  So during midterms and finals, I basically was on my own.  The city itself was interesting because the prime time for people to be out was when Americans are tucking themselves in bed (after 11pm).  The streets in downtown Seoul were so bright and crowded that it was pretty safe to be out late.  Shops were very loud, people were always trying to get you to come inside and street venders were everywhere, they would sing or dance (literally) or something to try to get you to buy their stuff…and they had A LOT of different stuff. 

By Stephani Pescitelli

Every time my mind wanders back to that sparkling semester in Europe, the memories that occur to me initially are not the impressive sights of the Eiffel tower or even the fairy-tale castles in Germany. Instead I see myself sitting in a café with a book or drawing pad, doing homework or writing letters, but mostly just watching people interact and go about their business. Every place I traveled to, whether it was to Brussels, Aachen, Galway, Prague, Paris, or Amsterdam, I would take at least an hour or two to stop at a café so that my experiences could sink in and I could absorb my surroundings. When I traveled with a friend it felt good to reflect together, to let our minds wander and conversation seep out like the steam from our hot drinks. In many cafés, a small butter cookie or piece of dark chocolate is served with hot drinks, which come in small simple cups of glass or white ceramic. I would sip each drop with deep appreciation, nursing the two-euro liquid as long as possible. Some may avoid such a pause for fear of missing a “must-see” landmark or museum, but I find that I have a richer experience if I slow down and truly appreciate what I see. Besides, sometimes the most meaningful and memorable travel experiences have nothing to do with grand buildings or famous art pieces, but with ordinary people in everyday situations.

One late Sunday afternoon I was sitting at a café a few blocks from my room in Maastricht. The consistently gray weather was beginning to permeate my mood. The dull drizzle outside the window contributed to the weight of my approaching departure, pulling me down towards a melancholy trance. Sadness and anxiety were steering my normally pleasant and stimulating brainstorm. I had made so many beautiful, unique friends in Maastricht; our relationships had grown and flourished in the intensity of my short-term stay. I feared that I would never see the teachers, students, and local families that I befriended again. The nearby café, and all the little shops and churches in Maastricht had become scenes that I appreciated not only for their obvious charm, but because I had lived there and made the place my home.

As I let myself drown in doodles and notes, the café started to bustle. Cheerful, chatty adults in formal black attire began to gather, all holding shiny black folders with crisp white sheets of music inside. The café was no music hall, yet they squished into formation in the small space anyway. As naturally as one would begin to speak, the choir launched into song. Their bright voices filled every dark dingy corner of the room, and their faces radiated familiar warmth. I felt as though I were home, even though my birthplace was thousands of miles away. I realized that though I have many times felt like an outsider, isolated by cultural and language barriers, taking the time to listen reveals a level of connection beneath such differences.

A friend from a neighboring university came in and sat beside me, his mother was one of the musicians. I noticed that my eyes had started to tear up, but I was not ashamed of being moved by the simple, heartfelt music. We chatted about future plans and dreams of returning. As the scene evolved and whirled around me, I opened my senses to every stimulus in the environment: soaking up the bitter taste of coffee, the musty smell of old cigarettes and perfume, the rich dark colors of the wood furniture and velvet tapestries, and the sound of clinking and laughing at the bar. It was unexpected, wonderfully spontaneous events in ordinary places that I treasure the most from studying abroad—being not only a witness to something spectacular, but a participant in something smaller. These special moments touch part of one’s humanity and hold on to it. They tell the secrets of culture and people. The people. The true beauty and character of a place truly lives in its common citizens. The best part of studying abroad is the opportunity to learn from and live with people who turn out to be, underneath it all, just like you and me.

By Betsy Pardo

It was February 1, 2007, that day was unlike any other day I had experienced in my life.  What made that day so special compared to every other one?  It was departure day of this crazy adventure I was about to start for an entire semester, I was studying abroad in Winchester, England.  My emotions were all over the place, and my nerves were sky high.  I didn’t quite know what I had gotten myself into, but I knew it was going to be something. 

“We should probably get going,” I told my mom, even though I wasn’t so sure I was ready to get going.  My mom got herself all ready and headed out to the car while I followed behind her rolling my luggage out the door.  ‘Goodbye little house’ I thought, ‘See you in 4 months.’ 

My mind was racing the entire drive over to O’Hare International Airport.  I had no idea what to expect, all I knew was that I was scared, nervous, anxious, and excited all rolled into one big ball of emotions.  I couldn’t believe that this day had actually come and that all of this was really happening.  When we parked the car in the parking garage and got out all of my luggage it hit me like a ton of bricks, in less than 3 hours I was going to be on my way to London, England.  It was once we were inside the airport that I checked myself in, and had gotten rid of my luggage that we met up with my dad and step-mom.  They each handed me a note for me to read on the plane, at this point I knew that this was serious and was happening.  I wanted this time with all of my parents to last forever, but at the same time I was curious and excited about what was to come.

We stood around in the area right before security talking and just spending time with each other.  My eyes kept darting to the clock and with every minute that passed my heart seemed to pound harder and harder in my body.  My flight was scheduled to board around 6:15 p.m. and it was now 5:30.  As much as my parents didn’t want to tell me that it was time for me to go they did.  The lump in my throat was already in place, and I could feel the tears in my eyes starting to well up.   

My parents gathered around me, and I started the long goodbye by giving a hug to my step-dad.  Next to say goodbye was my step-mom, she was crying at this point and tears were quickly falling down my cheek.  My dad wrapped his arms around me next, and squeezed me as tight as he could.  We were both crying a bit harder now, and neither one wanted to let go but we both knew eventually we were going to have to.  Last to say goodbye to me was my mom.  Out of all of my parents she was crying the hardest, and now so was I.  We both embraced each other and told the other that we’d miss them over and over again.  I wanted that last hug to last forever but eventually my mom started to let go of me.  I said my last goodbye and got in line to go through the security line.  Once I was through security I looked back at my parents who were still standing in the same spot for one last look. 

After being on the flight for about an hour I thought that maybe I was ready to read the letters that my dad and step-mom had given me in the airport.  Even before opening the envelope my vision was going blurry because of my tears.  I pulled out my dad’s three page letter and only read a couple words before I had to put it away.  I looked out the window, put my iPod on and began to cry to myself.  After a minute or two the flight attendant asked in his British accent if I was alright and I said that I would be.  His accent didn’t help either, in fact I think it only made it worse and made me cry a little bit more.  Seven hours later and I was greeted with the standard message “Good morning, I would like to welcome you to London Heathrow where the local time is 8:42 and the temperature is 15 degrees Celsius or 60 degrees Fahrenheit.  Once again I would like to welcome you to London Heathrow Airport.”

Fast forward four of the most amazing months of my life. May 24, 2007 was the last day of classes for me and the day I was going to have to say goodbye to all of the English friends I had made.  After class was over I tearfully hugged goodbye to everyone.  Becki was the last person I said goodbye to and was the person I didn’t want to have to say goodbye to.  We hugged goodbye and eventually let go knowing it was time for both of us to go.  We walked out of Medecroft together and started walking up the infamous hill.  All too soon Becki turned down the street that would lead her to the parking lot where her Mini-Cooper was and I continued trekking my way up the hill towards Alwyn Hall.  

The night before I left I hung out with a bunch of friends, both English and American, in our corridor as we had done all semester long.  The morning of May 28 was a dreary one – cloudy, gray, and rainy – which was very reflective of how I was feeling that day.  My emotions were all over the place; I was incredibly sad to be leaving everyone that I had just spent the entire semester getting to know and love and I didn’t want to leave Winchester which had become my home for the past four months.  Everything had become familiar and comfortable to me that I just didn’t want to leave.  However, at the same time I was feeling excited to get back and see all of my friends and family who I had missed so much.  I was completely torn, half of me so desperately wanted to stay in Winchester while the other half of me was ready to get on that plane and fly back home. 

When I compare my feelings and emotions from when I left the U.S. to when I left England I think that I was feeling a lot of the same emotions but in very different ways. Every study abroad experience will evoke different emotions from different people, but one thing holds true for everyone: studying abroad will evoke very powerful emotions that will stay with you for the rest of your life.  

By Farhan Aziz

For a good majority of my life, I always wondered with which culture I identified with the most.  Some of you may be thinking that for long as I have lived, I should have that figured out, for the most part.  However, growing up the way I did, it can be quite difficult to identify with just one.  Not too long ago, I learned about the term “Third Culture Kids”.  And I think I’ve found some answers. 

I was born in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia as a Pakistani.  My dad got a job with an oil company called Aramco and he and my mom moved to Saudi Arabia in the 70’s.  Aramco was an American oil company at the time he got the job, and as a result, my family lived in the Aramco Residential area, locally referred to as the Aramco compound.  Aramco became a Saudi owned company in the late 80’s.  In the Aramco residential area, the Aramco kids went to the American School inside the compound, as did I.  So being a Pakistani, going to an American school, in Saudi Arabia was quite a hub of cultures merging together.  My neighbors were from all over the world.  Some were from Sri Lanka, Denver Colorado, Guam, Lebanon, and the UK.  So not only was I exposed to three distinct cultures, I was exposed to people from other parts of the world. 

At home, my family spoke both English and Urdu (the national language of Pakistan).  Dealing with social situations all depend upon where and whom we would be meeting.  If it was at a school event, my mind automatically switched to the American culture.  If it was a dinner party with another Pakistani family, my mind would switch to that mindset.  If we went shopping outside of the Aramco compounds, we could conform to the Saudi public laws.  It was like hitting a light switch.  We automatically adjusted; it became second nature, just like breathing.  But in doing so for so many years, I started to realize and starting asking the question, who am I really?  Yes, I can adjust to other cultures fairly easily, but have I lost myself?

This question really became an issue for me when I went on vacation to Pakistan to visit my parent’s relatives and their extended family.  I would go to Pakistan for a week or two at a time.  I was always called the “American kid”.  I took pride in that but at the same time, it also bothered me that I was not considered a Pakistani in the eyes of my relatives.  It probably didn’t help that when I spoke Urdu, I sounded like a foreigner and that my accent was very “American.”  As visits/vacations to Pakistan came and went, I started to realize that I am my own person, in that I cannot really identify with one culture particularly.  I felt like a foreigner in Pakistan, even though I am Pakistani.  But I identify the most with the American culture, because for one, I attended an American school, most of my friends are Americans, and I live in an American-based residential area.  But I always felt like foreigner in Dhahran, due to the nature of Aramco’s international community.    

When I went off to boarding school during my high school years, I attended Bahrain International School in the country of Bahrain.  It is an American Department of Defense Dependant School (DODDS).  Again, I experienced the same thing as I did in Aramco.  By the time, I was graduating, I pretty much identified myself most closest to the American culture.  But again, attending school in Bahrain, I felt like a foreigner with an American mindset. 

Just when I thought I had figured it all out, I came to Clemson, South Carolina to attend Clemson University for my undergraduate degree.  I was in for the shock of my life.  Even though I had an American mindset and pretty much grew up like an American kid, I quickly realized that I was again, a foreigner in Clemson.  And it is here, where I realized that answering the question, Where I’m from, was really hard to explain.  It couldn’t be answered in one sentence.  It would take like 5 minutes to explain and people would get flustered and confused by my explanation.  

When I got my graduate degree, it is at this point in time I realized that I learned that I was third culture kid.  Not being able to identify with one culture, but utilizing the cultures that I grew up with, I formed my own, just like all the other Aramco kids I grew up with. 

So being a third cultured kid (TCK), some of the most prominent things that I have learned is that TCK’s have a difficult time answering the question where they are from.  A lot of us had passports before having a driver’s license and flew on planes before the age of one.  A lot of us have restlessness and have the itch to travel majority of the time. 

Identifying myself as a TCK, has had a very calming effect on my identity.  Being a TCK has its advantages and disadvantages, but it also makes us unique.

By Dr. Dagni Bredesen and Dr. Newton Key

Dagni’s Story:
For the past nine years, I have been leading study abroad programs, mainly in South Africa.  But in 2006, I led the EIU English Department’s “Literary Landscapes” summer program, which gave me my first taste of life at at Harlaxton College, the British campus of the University of Evansville. Though the beauty of the Victorian manor and grounds set in the East Midlands were a far cry from Cape Town’s urban setting, I was delighted to be teaching English literature on site. The support of Harlaxton’s excellent staff, who facilitated day trips to places like Haworth Parsonage and the Yorkshire Moors (home of the Brontes) and over-night excursions to the city of Bath (a site featured in Jane Austen’s novels), made organizing events much easier than running things solo.  Centrally-located, Harlaxton proved an ideal base for moving into other parts of England with the students and a good jumping off point for students to do weekend travel in the UK or to other European countries on their own.  But short-term study abroad programs have their challenges.  Even with great support, the faculty director bears pretty much the entire responsibility for her students, which takes its toll. Another problem with short term study abroad is that it is, well, short.  The brevity of the experience adds an “If-its-Tuesday-this-must-be Belgium” (or, the Lake District) intensity in which experiences blur into one another.

Although still intense, the full-semester of teaching at Harlaxton has offered me a far more satisfying, much less stressful academic experience, one that has all the advantages mentioned above but none of the drawbacks.   While students are the focus of the College life, the ably staffed student affairs, administrative, and academic affairs offices take such good care of the students that all I have to do is show up to teach.  Most visiting instructors have fairly small classes and we all find it fun and stimulating to teach students from a variety of colleges.

Faculty are encouraged to get involved in College life in different ways; I sing in the College Choir, have organized the visit of a guest writer, and a field trip to see Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” and I serve as the partner college representative on a faculty committee that meets once a month.  But the burden of service is very light. Further, having one’s meals prepped, served, and cleaned up after by the Refectory staff, frees up a surprising amount of time.

Consequently, I’ve been free to truly focus on instruction in ways that have revitalized me as a teacher and I’ve also been able to press on with my own research.   The proximity to London (an hour or so by train from Grantham) has made possible frequent visits to the British library. The academic staff has also been terrific in acquiring books I need for both teaching and research.  The efficiency and helpfulness sometimes makes me feel like I’m at an academic spa (Special thanks to the incomparable Jan Beckett, Lesley Mees and Cynthia Marke!).

Eastern Illinois University has had an interest in Harlaxton for a long time. The English Department has been running summer programs based there since 1997.  In 2006, we became a partner college, this means that Eastern faculty have the opportunity to teach there each Spring semester. This year there are visiting faculty from partner institutions teaching in the areas of Environmental Sciences and Physics, Journalism, Art, Political Science, Marketing, Creative Writing, as well as English and History.  So EIU faculty from other disciplines might want to think about applying to teach here.

We have three students here this year: Ashley Nolan (English), Dagmara Sokol (Psychology) and Erin Wise (History).  All three enthusiastically endorse this program and tell us that this has been one of the best educational experiences of their lives.  But I’ll let one of them speak for herself.

Dagmara’s story:
My experience at Harlaxton has been nothing but filled with wonderful memories and adventures….  The British Studies professors here are absolutely wonderful; they are easy to talk to and great teachers.  Harlaxton would not be the same without everyone who is here now….  The traveling experiences are awesome: so many places to see and definitely not enough time.  I am having the time of my life here, and right now I am in no hurry to go back home….

Newton adds:
Greetings from sunny (at least today) Harlaxton!  I’d like to echo Dagni’s praise for the intellectual, cultural, and social stimulation provided by the Harlaxton experience.  For me, this has run the gamut from discussing political cultures in different centuries with one of the professors teaching in the British Studies program here, to helping with the basketball team (teaching them an offense against a 3-2 zone, which has resulted in the occasional point man crying out, “Run ‘Newton!’”).  I should also note that because I am teaching smaller classes than at Eastern Illinois, I have been able/been forced to refine and/or try new ideas in the classroom.  This has certainly not been a holiday, and so I would recommend that any professor teaching here try to offer courses related to those they teach back home (while also thinking of ways of integrating your coursework to the English, British, and European context that surrounds you here).  I plan on returning with new directions for my teaching in future. Finally, having also led Summer study abroad programs based here and in London, I also would like to lay out in the following paragraphs why Eastern Illinois students should certainly consider attending the well-thought-out study abroad semester program at Harlaxton.  

At Harlaxton, the inundation into British culture is very quick and very directed.  There is very little "down" time; professors and especially the live-in British professors are constantly around, and I note students talking to their professors—in the hallways, at dinner—much more than would be the case in a one-semester foreign university experience.  The organized trips are quite tied to their learning experience (there are also individual excursions although one can also do that attending a British or other foreign university).  The students certainly have fun, but even that often is integrated into the learning of British culture.  (For example, when the basketball team has played the South Lincolnshire and the Grantham teams, we spent some time talking with them afterwards.)

Most importantly, the central plank to the courses here, is the required 6 c.h. British Studies course, and it is taught by a first-class team of British professors who meet regularly to refine the program, the readings, share the main lecturing, as well as seminar, field trips, etc.  Add to that that many of the students are very strong and motivated, this would be a good addition to an Honors or other college program. It is the real thing, study abroad.

I note all this, because before coming here I had my doubts.  But the British Studies faculty are published academics, and the integration in British culture (meet-a-family, choir singing, etc.) is very real.  I did an MPhil at Cambridge and, of course, that was great. But, Harlaxton has the advantage of a one-term foreign experience where students start speaking and interacting with British faculty, staff, and locals, from the very first day.

Ashley Nolan adds:

Studying at Harlaxton College has truly been a life changing experience for me; the demanding scholastic and social requirements for such a trip have undoubtedly made me a more confident and worldly person. Together with my British Studies, Irish Literature, English Novel, and Norse mythology courses, I have been able to better appreciate the places we travel and the culture I am surrounded by. However, what makes Harlaxton an even more challenging and rewarding experience is the demand for social and cultural acclimation. One of three students from Eastern Illinois University, I have had to step out of my comfort zone and become even more outgoing—freshman year all over again! While befriending my fellow Americans was a challenge in itself, what was more difficult was trying to realize the customs and culture of the British. Through my meet-a-family experience and also our close proximity to Grantham inhabitants as well, I am better able to experience and unlock the values that drive this culture. Being at Harlaxton has helped me better understand myself and what it means to be an American; it has also been what I only hope to be the initial spark that ignites an everlasting desire to study and live among different cultures.

Erin Wise adds:

Four months of British culture, accents, and classes – all while living in a castle! This experience has been absolutely incredible. Harlaxton has given me the opportunity to learn and create memories in some of the most beautiful cities in Europe.