The Spring 2019 study abroad class stands on bridge in London.
On Feb. 15, seventeen students and English professor Maria Cochran boarded their plane to London, where they will be spending the next eight weeks studying and exploring the city.
While they are across the pond, students will take several classes revolving around London’s culture and history: Major British Writers, Encounters in Humanities, Composition II, Creative Writing, and Fundamentals of Oral Communication, all taught by Maria Cochran. They will also take a class in British Life and Culture, taught by British professors. Classes are located just two blocks away from the British Museum.
In the words of English professor and study abroad coordinator Lauren Rice, “Students use the city as their classroom.”
Cochran’s assignments are designed to get students to do exactly that. Before leaving for the trip, students completed an “Imaginary London” assignment which asked them to pretend like they had already arrived and write about their expectations of life in London.
Another assignment was inspired by Virginia Woolf’s essay “Street Haunting: A London Adventure,” where students will write a similar essay about their own London adventure. The final assignment will be a farewell letter to London.
Students will not be spending all of their time studying though; there are several activities and day trips planned, such as riding the London Eye, visiting Stonehenge, spending the day in Brighton, and a weekend trip to Scotland. Cochran is also planning optional trips to Windsor and Paris.
Rice and Cochran offered several reasons why students should study abroad. Rice said, “Travel changes you, broadens your horizons, and changes the way you look at yourself.”
Cochran said that although they are there to study, some of the biggest lessons they will learn simply come from “going native” and living as Londoners.
According to Rice, if you are thinking about studying abroad, the best time to do it is while you are at DMACC. It is much cheaper than four-year college programs. In total, the trip costs students about $11,000. This price includes everything, from flights to books. There are scholarships available, and financial aid can be used to cover costs as well. For more information about the program, contact Lauren Rice at: lrrice@dmacc.edu.
If you want to travel but eight weeks abroad is not doable for you, there is still time to sign up for a nine-day trip to Italy, led by Maria Cochran as well. Six students are signed up so far.
They will travel to Italy on May 12 and join other travel groups as they explore Rome, Florence, and Venice. Cochran is also currently planning a trip to Russia for students in 2020. If interested in either of these trips, contact Cochran at mecochran@dmacc.edu.
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