Spend a Semester Abroad in London

The study abroad program offered to students here at DMACC is now taking applications to attend class 4,178 miles away from the DMACC campus at the University of London with Professor Lauren Rice.

The DMACC study abroad program consists of a ten week semester, eight of which happen in London, starting February every year. DMACC works with the American Institute for Foreign Study, or AIFS, to set up the semester abroad.

While in London, students take twelve credits that work on their transcripts the same way all of DMACC’s classes do. The only difference is that these credits would come with a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Learning in London is going to be very hands-on. Students will get to read about and then actually see and explore British and London history and culture.

Travel around Europe from London is also very cheap, which is why the classes in London are only four days a week. This gives students a three day weekend to book a trip to someplace with a completely different culture, like Scotland or Iceland, and then explore that, too. They spent their weekdays learning about Europe and then their weekends getting exposed to it. “Nobody can possibly understand the feeling until they experience it for themselves. It’s life changing,” says Jennafer Uitermarkt, a DMACC student who studied in London last year.

Professor Eden Pearson, who was faculty at London last spring, said a lot of students who travel abroad also get internships, which makes the semester in London an amazing opportunity to advance and grow in your career. Studying abroad also looks good on any resume, she says.

“Not only are you getting to travel, but you’re also going to college, being immersed in a completely new culture, and possibly getting an internship or a job in a foreign country, if you take advantage of that,” says Pearson.

The Study Abroad program is a home-stay program, meaning students would live with and in the homes of London residents. Through this, students would also be provided with a room, kitchen facilities, laundry, and weekday breakfast, along with the very real experience of living like a Londoner.

Every year, DMACC picks a new professor to go overseas and teach classes at the University of London. This year, the students will travel with Lauren Rice, an English professor on the Newton campus. She’s done a lot of traveling on her own time, and is both nervous and excited to add teaching in London to her resume.

Despite the nerves, Rice sees most of her worries as “good challenges” and “rewarding.” She’s going to be doing a lot of flexible teaching; she wants her students to get the most out of their trip, which means allowing them time to see things and experience them.

“It’s going to be a very exciting opportunity professionally, especially because I’m really interested in experiential learning,” said Rice. She’s also been working with the National Collegiate Honor Society on something called “places text”. Places text encourages freedom to explore and experience while learning things.

The cost for this program is broken down into four main chunks: the AIFS program fee of $6,000, an airfare cost of $1,100, 12-credit DMACC tuition of $1,716, and finally any extra money for things like weekend travel, entertainment, and dinners, estimated at $2,000.

The program fee includes a homestay, all of the transportation within London, two half-day trips to Bath and Stonehenge, two theater shows, and a ride on the London Eye, the Ferris Wheel overlooking the Thames Rives.

Study abroad coordinator Maria Cochran also says that despite the initial cost of nearly $11,000, taking advantage of the study abroad program now is going to save students money. First of all, paying tuition for community college classes while learning at a university with other university students isn’t going to be an option available to you at a four-year school. Secondly, DMACC offers scholarships for study abroad and allows students to use their financial aid. Lastly,  AIFS puts students right in the center of London, which is going to give them a prime opportunity to utilize the cheap cost of travel in Europe.

The application for this year’s semester abroad is due November 16th.