...what money.

[caithream]

While supposed to be studying for my Gerentology exam (HA HA OKAY) scoured teh internets for study abroad sites. Two of them sound very promising.

This one is in Bath, which is, I think, about 90 minutes outside of London. Pictures of the area are beautiful. It's $3,950 for five weeks, which is fantastic, compared to some stuff that I've found. With this, you even get two courses. The FAQ says there's only 35 students during the summer, though, and I think you have to actually qualify to get in. Write an essay or some such thing. That would be the draw-back, obviously. That, and I think I'd like a bigger atmosphere where I can, you know, blend in or something. I dunno. Especially with it being my first time overseas, I wouldn't want to make a fool of myself or anything.

The other one is this, which I'm starting to like more and more each time I think of it. Kingston University, 25 minutes out of London by train. It would be from the end of June to the end of July for £1,750, which is roughly $3,100, I think? The accomodations are pretty sweet, considering. Two (2) scholarships are available, ahaha. I think I'd try to go for them anyway. It looks like a really nice place.

Tell me if I'm being stupid, or anything, but I think, for my first time in England anyway, I'd like to stick close to the cities. I like Kingston more because it's closer to London for one thing, and cheaper too (this may not necessarily be a good thing, however.) I'm totally naive to this whole thing, though, so I may be being duped into thinking these places are really great, I don't know.

BUT. But. I am striving to this not only because I've been an Anglophile since... a long time, not because I think it would be supremely awesome to travel abroad, because I love love love to travel, no, it is because while I sat in my Gerentology class taking notes a couple weeks back, a thought made every single thing around me screech to a halt and I, you know, stopped breathing and all that.

I'd be there in July of '07.

July 13th, 2007. A certain movie thing. Comes out. Premieres in London. I dunno.

July 7th, 2007. A certain Book That Will End All Books (tm) comes out, maybe. In London. With, like, a party? Hasn't been proven that it will, but neither has it been debunked.

Oh. Oh.


But as much as I nearly fell out of my seat and dropped dead at this thought, that really isn't what it would be all about. I ache. I ache in my bones to do this, and I don't really know why, because all the time horrible thoughts come into my head of every horrible thing that could happen in a situation, because I'm shy and become easily unsettled, because I get easily lost in new areas, and so many other reasons. But I just know that I have to do this, maybe (hopefully) more than once. I love school. I love England. Let's put the two together and have happy fun times.

So, I don't know, really. I'm going to research this bigtime this summer, do scholarships and stuff. Omg.

Seriously, if anyone has any input/advice... I grovel. Just a little. :D


And speaking of school, my schedule for the fall '06 semester:

Monday/Wednesday
11:00 - 12:15 Ancient History I
2:00 - 3:15 Contemporary Lit (Deborah, are you regestering for this class as well?)

Tuesday/Thursday
11:00 - 12:50 Astronomy of the Solar System

And a telecourse of World Regional Geography.

Oh yeah. That's hot.

Comments

[erolas.livejournal.com]

Do it! Doitdoitdoitdoitdoit. I didn't do it - I wimped out, for all the reasons you just listed and more - and have regretted it ever since.

I can't give you any advice about either Bath or Kingston University as I now nothing about either of them (except Bath is supposed to be very nice and, I think, Jane Austen lived there for a while) but look at it this way: even if it is a disaster (and that's the worst-case scenario and highly unliely) it would be an incredible learning experience. And I think it's probably worse to regeret something you didn't do than something you did.

[berreh.livejournal.com]

Go for it. My answer to "should I travel" is always "yes". Despite the money woes, and the stress of being in a new place, it is always worth it. As to which one to choose, I'd say go with the program that will cause you the least stress/guilt. If that means the cheaper one, do that. Or if it means the most academically-valuable one, do that. Yay travel! \o/

[stargazertook.livejournal.com]

YOU SO SHOULD DO IT! OMG Sarah, please take all the opportunities to do cool things, because believe me, when you get to my age you're gonna wish you could go back and do them if you never did. Yay, it's so exciting. Go for it, honey, it'll be awesome!

[https://users.livejournal.com/-flashinglights/]

Of course go for it!!!! The places look nice! But be comfortable where you're going, or like within which group, because you will be there for x amount of days. I wouldn't pass it up though!

[hellogloworm.livejournal.com]

yes, sarah.. i'm registered for that course.

and i'll sell you my world regional geography book for half the price they're asking at school. whatever that is.. i'll leave it to you to find out.

i'm super jealous of the studying abroad thing.. go for it. i think it'll be good for you.