Student/Alumni Testimonials
Amanda Wagner
Radford University – Fashion Design
Studying abroad is not only a scholastic experience, but is a cultural adventure as well. Students journey on further outside of their academic walls. There are benefits to studying abroad not only in school, but living as a resident in the city, meeting new people, and discovering new and interesting settings, and events with opportunities to travel.
In my experience, studying abroad has positively influenced my life and education allowing me to appreciate other cultures around me. London was a cultural plethora of peoples from around the world all brought together in a busy metropolis.
Through the American Intercontinental University summer program, students were able to travel throughout England, and France on excursions and had the chance to participate in other extracurricular activities. Activities included sports native to the country such as cricket and football (soccer) and there were student gatherings such as a cruise on the Thames River, and various exhibitions and tours were provided throughout the city. These events made it easy to make new friends and to learn more about London's history, sites, and current events taking place. This program made discovering the area convenient within specific times during many weekends and evenings after classes and within affordable pricing.
I was able to visit Paris, France and to go on tours and social gatherings in the evening. On my own time on different occasions, I traveled to the Midlands in England and to Barcelona, Spain to relax during the weekend. It was possible to truly enjoy myself and to relax as if it were a holiday outside of my courses at times. Other students would travel throughout Europe a few days at a time and were able to arrange these trips through agencies (such as Ireland), which offered discounted student flights and land travel. Students should take every opportunity to venture out into their surroundings to understand the culture, which lies before them. After all, the whole point in traveling overseas to study is to absorb new experiences living in a different way of life. Other exciting events I participated in weekly were both hanging out with my new international friends and flatmates and going to restaurants, nightclubs, and parties to dance and socialize.
Also, I would go to Hyde Park to jog or do my homework in the evening by the lake. Like many girls I bought into the newest fashions and trends by shopping down Oxford St., Knightsbridge, and the Camden and portabella markets. On my own time outside of the prearranged tours, I discovered the nearby British Museum and Salvador Dali Museum, just to mention a few. As a lover for the arts and culture, I thoroughly enjoyed both. There was never a dull moment and if I ever wanted to participate in something exciting, I just walked outside my door and walked in a new direction of the city. I would encourage others to go out into London and discover new areas they never sought out. The public transportation systems there were very advanced and reliable, it was easy to find the way back home in the end.
Traveling throughout London and absorbing the culture was living what is only read in books and seen in the media here in the United States. The experience itself left a mark in my mind about how life really is in modern London with its surrounding areas, sites, and current events.
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