Auriel Anderson

The White Tower, London.

It has been a personal dream of mine to study abroad in London, England. Although the price tag was a lot more than I could afford, I did not want that to stop me from following my dreams and gaining the learning experience that a textbook couldn’t give me.

I have always been drawn to London because of its rich history and beautiful scenery. I thought to myself, “Why not take my last Sociology elective in the city of my dreams?” Due to the fact that I am a fifth-year undergraduate senior and I will be graduating in May, I decided to take a chance and apply for the Winter 2016 Study Abroad Session.

My study abroad experience was the best thing that ever happened to me. I have done things that I would have never dreamed of doing, including touring inside royal palaces and castles to learning about England’s rich history in historic museums. How many people can say that they have been inside Queen Elizabeth’s weekend castle, seen the crown jewels, and have had afternoon tea at the Kensington Palace where Prince William and Kate reside? Up until now, I never quite understood the power of learning in another country. You can make the experience your own and you will get out of it what you put into it.

The only regret I have is not studying abroad for a full semester session. However, I loved the Winter Session because it was more affordable for me and it gave me just enough time to enjoy an amazing experience. I made a list of everything I hoped to accomplish while I was there and I was able to do everything and more. I also like that the Winter Session did not interfere with my class schedule so that I stayed on track to graduate. Overall, I think studying abroad is something that students should take advantage of. I know that I procrastinated the experience because of financial reasons, but now that I have had this experience, I realize that it was worth every penny and nothing compares to it. I would do anything to study abroad again and life is too short not to follow your dreams. My love for traveling and education has been enhanced and I can happily say that traveling to other countries will not end after my graduation ceremony.

– Auriel Anderson