Studying Abroad: My London Story

posted by: Katie

My name is Katie, and I am a junior Communications major in the
Television and Radio track at Rider University. I really do love my school, sometimes I would rather be there than home. So it's probably really weird as to why I would want to study abroad for a semester. There's just a whole mix of reasons that eventually culminated in choosing to study in London, England at Richmond, The American University for four
months.

I guess a major reason why I chose to study abroad were the
classes. Although I enjoy my classes at Rider, there are just some that my school can't offer, and I can only get while studying in another country. For example, I have classes about the European Union (which I never learned about in American in general) and one called Foreign Trade Policy. That class is probably the most interesting, basically because of the group of students that make it up. I am the only American, and sadly, only speak one language. Everyone else in the class have experience with their parents' import/export businesses back home, in Germany, Yemen,
Nigeria and even Bulgaria; one student even speaks 5 languages fluently, while I only know basic Spanish. It's like I have the world sitting in with me in class. It's pretty interesting to hear what they have to say.

Another reason why I chose to study abroad was perhaps because I always wanted to, which is why I chose Rider. I guess even back then I knew it was going to be an awesome experience, to be on my own, in another country, for four months. The school helped me out a lot in getting everything together. They helped me figure it all out, especially my advisor, and the people in the Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences offices, they helped me get done what I had to do to study abroad, and helped me get in contact and apply to programs and schools for studying abroad.

Lastly, I realized recently that so many people seem to be proud of me for studying abroad, doing something out of the ordinary, which I learned that only one percent of American students do. My mother told me before I left that she was proud of me, and it meant so much, because she had always wanted to study abroad but never got the opportunity. So I guess she's living vicariously through me. And it makes me feel good that my sorority house is cheering me on back home, and that when I return to Rider, I'll still have my home waiting for me.

Katie
ps. I am the one on the right in the picture it was taken in front of Big Ben with my friend Chelsea from Texas.