{"id":3898,"date":"2024-12-17T12:00:25","date_gmt":"2024-12-17T17:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/?p=3898"},"modified":"2025-04-09T11:08:53","modified_gmt":"2025-04-09T15:08:53","slug":"study-abroad-in-london","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/2024\/12\/17\/study-abroad-in-london\/","title":{"rendered":"Study Abroad in London"},"content":{"rendered":"

This past summer, I had the wonderful opportunity to study Shakespeare\u2019s life and works in London, England, for two weeks as a part of Cedarville\u2019s <\/span>CU in London<\/span><\/a> study abroad program. On this trip, I learned so much about myself, Shakespeare (of course), and working hard toward a dream. I’m excited to share all about my journey and help you decide if studying abroad is the right option for you!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Preparing for the Trip\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

When I first applied for this program, I wasn\u2019t sure how I would pay for it. This might be a barrier for you as well, but I encourage you not to let this stop you. Even before I was approved, I immediately began saving money I earned from my job on campus and my job back home. I also asked my family members for money toward my trip for Christmas instead of asking for presents. Saving my hard-earned money taught me what it means to work toward a dream. Yes, I had to make a lot of sacrifices and hard choices, but in the long run, it was well worth it. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you want to stay for a few extra days before or after your trip, it is encouraged, but you are responsible for paying for your own lodging, food, etc. for those days. For more information, please visit the \u201c<\/span>Paying for Your Program<\/span><\/a>\u201d page on the Study Abroad website. Note that your regular financial aid can offset some of the cost, and there are a few scholarships specifically for study abroad opportunities.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Coursework\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Once I arrived in London, my class had the opportunity to visit <\/span>The Globe Theatre<\/span><\/a> four different times, the first of which was for a tour. They had a golden throne, pictured below, that some of us took turns sitting in. Two of the other three times we went to the Globe were to watch the plays we read, <\/span>Richard III<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Much Ado About Nothing<\/span><\/i>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

During the first week, we spent a night in Oxford, and while we were there, we attended a lecture by a Shakespeare lecturer and went on a guided tour of Oxford.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We went to Stratford-upon-Avon during the second week to tour the cottage of Shakespeare\u2019s wife, Anne Hathaway, and see Shakespeare\u2019s grave. Our bus got stuck on the highway on the way back, but it was well worth it to visit Shakespeare\u2019s hometown.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Jillian<\/p>\n

\"Anne<\/p>\n

\"William<\/p>\n

If I had chosen to take Shakespeare this fall on campus, I would\u2019ve read many more Shakespeare plays. However, I wouldn\u2019t have had the firsthand experiences of watching a couple of Shakespeare plays performed at the Globe, visiting Shakespeare\u2019s grave, touring Oxford, or seeing some of the popular tourist spots in London.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you do not want to miss, and going on a study abroad trip is the perfect opportunity to experience exciting opportunities like this. It can be more challenging to carve out time to travel later on in life, so studying abroad reserves a time for you to explore the world and visit a place you\u2019ve always wanted to travel to.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fun Stuff\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Although the main purpose of this trip was to study, there was still time to be a tourist and cross things off my bucket list. My favorite things that I saw were Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, and Big Ben.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Tower<\/p>\n

\"Buckingham<\/p>\n

\"Jillian<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

My class also went punting in Oxford. Punting in Oxford involves three people in a long, skinny wooden boat. One person stands at the front or back with a long metal pole, someone sits behind them with a wooden oar, and the third person sits along for the ride or switches with one of the other two people if needed. We were fighting the wind on the way back to the dock and had to be towed in, but it was a fun experience that I\u2019ll never forget.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Students<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Some of us also went to the <\/span>British Museum<\/span><\/a> and saw famous artifacts like the Rosetta Stone. We also went to the <\/span>National Portrait Gallery<\/span><\/a> and saw paintings of famous figures like Shakespeare (of course!), John Bunyan, and the king and queen of England. Then we went to the <\/span>National Gallery<\/span><\/a> and saw The Arnolfi Portrait and many other famous paintings.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On the last day, we attended a high tea, and then some of us went out to explore one last time. We ended up at a Lego store that had a Lego Big Ben and a Lego William Shakespeare!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"A<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Can I Study Abroad If I Have Dietary Restrictions?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

One concern that I had when considering studying abroad was accommodating my food allergies, as I have not one, but three allergies. Let me reassure you that it was absolutely doable for me on this trip. Whenever I ate out in London, I didn\u2019t do a lot of online research, and instead informed a restaurant staff member of my allergies. If they had options for me, a staff member would help me navigate the menu and inform me of their cooking processes. I have a little bit of social anxiety, so I was nervous about speaking up for myself, especially considering I relied on online menus and restaurant websites in the U.S. However, these experiences taught me that I can and should be my own advocate and stand up for myself, especially regarding my health.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There were a couple times my friends asked me to look at the restaurants in the area to find one that had options for me. In these scenarios, I either picked out the restaurant that everyone went to or went to another restaurant or grocery store near where everyone else went. To be honest, I don\u2019t always like to be the center of attention, so I felt awkward at times having everyone plan around me. However, I also felt grateful at the same time because it showed they were willing to do whatever it took to make sure I had something to eat, even if that meant eating pizza when they really wanted fish and chips.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Side note: I created a guide that lists all the restaurants and grocery stores I went to in London, Stratford-upon-Avon, and Oxford, and I shared it with the Study Abroad office. If you contact them <\/span><\/i>here<\/span><\/i><\/a>, they\u2019d be happy to share it with you.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Random Tips\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here are some other random tips for studying abroad based on my personal experience, my classmates\u2019 experiences, as well as from Dr. Andrew Wiseman, Director of International Programs.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n