Now that I've started taking the predeparture class, it's starting to sink in that, Lord willing, I'll be spending a month in London this summer. THAT'S CRAZY. I've been trying to keep my study abroad experience on the mental back burner to keep from getting overwhelmed, but I'm realizing that now it's time to start digging in and learning everything I can to try and prepare for my trip.
Why am I doing this?
When I look into myself and ask why I wanted to go abroad in the first place, the answer has long roots. Since I was a preschooler, I've wanted to go to England, and London in particular, and I knew that studying abroad was one path to get there. I have always been fascinated by the gloomy overcastness of the city, the quaint feel of old-meets-new and all the centuries of history London encapsulates, and the cultural differences and similarities between America and the UK. I've had this dream for a long time, to go to London alone and live there, to really know what it feels like to be a part of the country that so captivates me. Fulfilling this dream is crossing a huge thing off my bucket list, and it will satisfy a lot of childhood curiosity.
Of course, there are many other reasons I want to participate in Roehampton's summer program. The class I hope to take focuses on London's popularity as a setting in British literature, and it would give me valuable insight into understanding Brit lit; nothing can compare to the value of firsthand experience, and walking the city on field trips with local professors is an incredible opportunity for my field of study. I am also really looking forward to living independently. I'm a commuter at MC, so my independence is already more limited than most students. I did live in a dorm for a time, and I'm excited to have that experience again, because it will at least bring a little familiarity into an otherwise new environment. I think I need to test the strength of my independence, to see whether I can care for myself completely on my own, without the support system I have here at home, and to show myself that I'm capable.
What do I want to learn?
Before I head across the pond, I am going to try and carve out as much time as possible to learn more about London, especially the specific area of the city where Roehampton is. Using TripAdvisor, student blogs, and other resources like travel guides, I hope to arrive knowing how to get to at least one good coffee shop, and with a basic knowledge of what sorts of things will be available to me within walking distance. I want to have plans for my free evenings and weekends; I hope that preparing ahead of time will help me really make the most of this trip.
Once I arrive, my goal is to soak up as much of London as I can. My class is London-centric, so I hope to be able to gain more local knowledge from the course than I'm able to on my own. I'll have to fight my introverted tendencies and push myself to speak up and make friends, but I know I'll have a better experience the more I invest in it.
After studying abroad, I'm really excited about applying what I'll have learned in class to my classes here at MC. I have several more Brit lit classes in my paradigm, and I can't wait to see how my understanding of the texts will change once I can visualize exactly what the settings, people, and culture of England look like.
So, three things I want to do to maximize my experience are:
1) RESEARCH BEFOREHAND!!!
2) Push myself out of my comfort zone and make new friends.
3) Experience as much of the city as I can, both on trips with my course and on my own.
How am I feeling?
In short, I am overwhelmed. I have a lot of trepidation about the vast unknown of this experience, and I'm hoping that this class will ease some of that anxiety. In the end, I know I'm capable of handling myself well and navigating stressful and new situations, and I know I'm determined as heck to make this a worthwhile and satisfying summer. I'm SO excited to consider that in a few short months, I will be landing in London with a month of experiences ahead of me. Now it's time to learn how to get there.
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