By: Belinda Lee
Most people you meet in college will tell you to study abroad. They tell you that it’ll be the best time of your life and that there won’t be another opportunity like this after college. They will also tell you that studying abroad will look great to employers and on resumes. And what can I say? They’re right.
No matter the length of the study abroad program, I’ll always roll into the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport with an over-packed luggage (which I repacked about 4 times already that day and pray that it’s at most 50 lbs!), my backpack of miscellaneous electronics and snacks, and my dark blue U.S. passport in my hand. Like always, I start off my journey on this high of excitement- greeting my fellow study abroad peers, getting through security, going to my gate, finding my seat on the plane, and finally taking off to another country! I have to admit, I have a love-hate relationship with travel days. You literally travel all day; airplanes, buses, trams, trains, transfers, in, out, walk, run, sit and wait, and wait, and wait. It’s all worth it once we landed in the United Kingdom. As the coach bus drives around the bend of the hilly Northumberland road, we catch the afternoon sun gleaming onto Alnwick Castle. This is our home.
It took almost the first half of the semester to find my footing in Alnwick. In a town with a population of 8,000 residents, you wouldn’t think so. As much as I love to explore and go on solo adventures, I am a very anxious traveler who always needs a plan b and a backup-backup plan in case the first two plans fail. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the occasional group travel while bonding with others, but I find that I learn more about myself when I venture out on my own. When we’re on the go-go-go, we don’t realize how mentally and physically drained we get. Groups carry high energy and eagerness. My tip is there’s no shame in retreating back into your room and processing the experience on your own if you need to. It’s okay to have some alone time and just take care of you. Find a good book or people-watch at a café in town.
What a great time to put your problem-solving and communication skills into use! Take advantage of being a student. You get nice discounts with your student ID with transportation, museums, and local shops. When I share that I’m a student studying at Alnwick Castle, locals are more likely to strike up a conversation with me. I’ve learned so much more from unexpected conversations with locals than through lectures and textbooks. I had a great conversation on a bus ride from Newcastle to Alnwick (~1.5 hours bus ride) with a 17-year old about the English education system and what he sees for his future. Another time, I had dinner with a student from Germany discussing impacts of religion in their community.
There is so much more to studying abroad in the UK as a student from the U.S. than simply demolished castles, old churches, and that alluring Harry-Potter-Sherlock-Holmes-British accent. It’s about experiencing two similar groups of people who established two very different nations based on religious, political, and institutional views. It’s challenging your perceptions and introducing new perspectives to enhance your lens of how you see the world.
Whether you study abroad for a year, a semester, or even a few weeks, it will be the best of your college life. You will go through a roller coaster of feelings and adjustment. You will question your identities, suffer homesickness, meet amazing people, become a globe trekker, feel lonely, and still be happy at the end of the day. You’ll be placed in an environment where you will gain unique skills to interact, communicate, and build character. This will be the best experience ever, and you’ll return to the U.S. wanting to go abroad again.
Living my best life as a witch-in-training at Alnwick Castle