Study Abroad at RHUL: Shakespeare's Globe and The White Cliffs of Dover

I seem to be averaging two trips per week where I leave my campus and Egham, the surrounding town, to explore other parts of England. I think that's pretty good! My third week at Royal Holloway I went to Shakespeare's Globe Theater and the White Cliffs of Dover.

Wednesday October 8th: Shakespeare's Globe Theater

This was one of my solo trips, mostly because I'd only learned a few days before that there were only a few shows left for the season. Due to limited planning time and the fact that I could go on a Wednesday afternoon when many of my friends can't, my options were either go by myself or not go at all--easy decision. To make the most of my trip, I decided to get to the Globe by going to St. Paul's Cathedral via tube then crossing the Thames on the Millennium Bridge.

 

St. Paul's Cathedral

Crossing Millenium Bridge

If you're unfamiliar with the Globe Theatre, it is a reconstruction of the theatre of the same name that many of Shakespeare's productions were performed in when he was alive. It was built in the 1990s to almost exact specifications of the original, including a thatched roof. I got lucky and managed to make the very last tour for the day, without even planning to go on one. I even got to see some of the actors warm up!

A model of the Globe

View from the seats

Some of the actors warming up!

The Globe has an open top, so you can either buy seats and be covered by the roof or choose to stand in the yard as a "groundling." I chose to take advantage of the cheap tickets (and the great view!) and stand in the yard, which means that I got pretty wet when it was pouring before the show started. Luckily, the rain stopped right before the play began and didn't start up again for the duration.

Waiting in the rain

The people behind me in the yard.

My view of the stage (!!!)

There's no photography allowed during the show, but take my word for it that it was amazing. I barely even noticed that I was standing for the full 2 1/2 hours because I was so enthralled. I laughed the entire time, and the actors were wonderful. One of the leads had had a part in Sherlock for an episode, so that was cool.

After the show, I bought a bunch of stuff from the fantastic gift shop. That gift shop is the bomb. I got a Shakespeare's Globe tote bag and some magnets with a quote from each Macbeth and As You Like It, my favorite drama and comedy, respectively (at least, that I've read so far). I wanted so much more, but I do have a semblance of a budget to stick to. All in all, it was a great day and I'm really happy that I decided to go despite having to make last minute arrangements.

Saturday October 11th: The White Cliffs of Dover 

I went to Dover with my friends Lauren and Kiana. We got up early to catch a bus from London Victoria station to Dover that took 2 1/2 hours, which wasn't super fun but was about a fifteenth of the price of taking a train. Unfortunately, the tickets we booked didn't give us a ton of time to explore all of Dover, but we got to spend a few hours on the cliffs taking pictures and walking around reveling in the beauty.

The majestic Dover Castle

If you squint, you can see France!

When we were approaching the cliffs it was raining, but that cleared up fast. Although the skies and view got prettier, the mud did not automatically go away when the sun came out. At the end of the day all of our shoes were covered in mud from walking along the paths and climbing the hills. I would recommend wearing really sturdy shoes if you ever visit Dover. I would also recommend that you visit Dover.

Despite our limited time and muddy shoes, all three of us really enjoyed the trip to Dover. If I had more time in England I would probably even go back, but as it is I think that I need to spend my time exploring other things. We capped off our day with a wild hunt for Mexican food in London, and ended up at Wahaca, a great restaurant where I tried my first ever mojito. Overall, a very successful day.

Until next time,

Study Abroad at RHUL: Trips the First Week of October

I've now been at RHUL for three full weeks. In some ways it feels like I've been here forever, and in others like I'm fresh off the boat. Though I haven't been here super long, I've still found time to pack in four trips to London and a trip to Dover. Not having class on Wednesdays or Fridays really helps, because then I have a whole day in the middle of the week where I can go explore London, and I have more time on the weekends to plan longer trips.

This are the trips from my second week here, the trips from the third week will be up soon!

Wednesday October 1st: Leicester Square and Charing Cross Road

I learned how to use the train and the tube on my first trip to London with Lauren and Kiana. It's practically idiot-proof, so I felt like I could go into London and get around by myself no problem. Of course the first thing I did when I had the chance was go book shopping. I got off the tube at Leicester Square (pronounced Lester) and just walked around all day, exploring the famous-for-bookstores Charing Cross Road and wandering to Picadilly Circus.

Part of Leicester Square

There are a ton of independent and secondhand bookstores in that area, and I went into four or five of them. I found some super cheap editions of Shakespeare plays that I will be reading for class at Henry Pordes, a fairly large secondhand store, and I spent hours in Foyles, a bookstore with six levels including the ground floor. I ended up with four books from Foyles.

The books I bought from Foyles

When I was in Foyles, I noticed that a there seem to be far fewer hardcover books in the UK than in the US. Which was good for me, because they weren't nearly as expensive. It felt a little odd to see so many super thick paperbacks, because it seems like US publishers keep books in hardback for as long as possible. I also rediscovered that in the UK only single quotation marks are used for dialogue instead of double quotation marks. (Sidenote: It might be a good idea for me to see if that applies to academic papers too...).

After I wandered pretty far up Charing Cross Road to Foyles, I went back toward Leicester Square and down a few side streets. I went into a really cool store that had signed copies of a lot of popular books. I was surprised at how recently some of the signed books had been released. I also checked out Marchpane, a store for rare children's and illustrated books, but they were closed when I passed by. They had a signed first edition of Harry Potter in the window, though, so I'll probably be back at some point to see what other treasures are inside.

When I had lunch I discovered that saying you want cream with your coffee means you want whipped cream on it. It was awesome. I started One Day by David Nicholls while I was there, and I ended up continuing to read it on the train back home even though I'd intended to read for class (whoops). 

After lunch I walked to Picadilly Circus without even realizing it. I realized that things are a lot closer together than Google Maps would lead you to believe. It was really busy, but there were a lot of souvenir shops around so I stopped in one and picked up some things to bring back home. 

After a quick stop in Starbucks for a very American Pumpkin Spice Latte, I headed back to Waterloo station and got on a train to Egham. I think it went pretty well for it being the first time traveling to London on my own. 

Saturday October 4th: Bus Tour of London and the British Museum

I went on this trip through Royal Holloway's study abroad office. It was a bus tour where we got to get out and take photos at quite a few different places, while also getting a feel for London as a whole. Our guide, Kevin, was super awesome. He was funny and made sure to tell us the important things and the things we would find interesting. I could tell that he really enjoys giving the tours.

Me in front of Buckingham Palace

I'm really happy I went on this trip, because I got to do some of the more touristy things that my British friends aren't super interested in. Buckingham Palace was our first photo stop, and it really wasn't as grand as I expected it to be. Unfortunately, we'd just missed the time of year they let visitors inside. But it was still Buckingham Palace, so it's automatically cool. I found out that the Queen likes to spent her weekends in Windsor Castle, which is actually really close to Royal Holloway. That is definitely on my list of places to visit.

Big Ben

If you went to London and didn't take a picture of Big Ben, did you really go to London? Fun fact: Big Ben is actually the name of the bell inside the clock tower, not the name of the clock or the tower. 

Tower Bridge

Another fun fact: Tower Bridge is the super pretty one that you want to take pictures of (even when it's raining, like it was when I took this one). London Bridge is just a normal bridge that cars go over like nbd. I was actually taking this picture from London Bridge, so I can attest that it's not very cool.

---

After we finished our tour of London, we went to the British Museum. It is both huge and free. There are so many exhibits there that we only got to go to a few in our two hours, so hopefully I'll be going back before I leave to spend more time there. 

The chess set that inspired the one used in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

The head from a huge statue of King Ramesses II

I also want to go back for the gift shop, because there were so many awesome souvenirs there. I couldn't even begin to think of what to buy while I was there the last time, so I didn't end up with anything. That will have to be fixed. 

Although I had to get up early on a Saturday for this, it was definitely worth it. I met my friend Sophie on this tour, and now we're planning to go on at least two trips to cities in Europe together! So it was a great experience, though I certainly didn't feel as independent and awesome as I did when I went by myself. 

Until next time,

Study Abroad at Royal Holloway: Fresher's Week and My First London Experience

Fresher's Week

Fresher's Week, AKA Welcome Week, occurs the week before classes begin and is primarily for first year students. Both the university and the Students' Union host events throughout the week, and every night there are at least two different "official" parties to go to. I prefer a more low-key setting, so I skipped most of the bigger events and hung out with smaller groups to get to know people instead.  I had a lot of fun being able to go out any night of the week without having to worry about class in the morning! The difference in drinking age was a little disorienting at first, since I'm not used to having a university actually sponsor events with alcohol.

Fresher's week isn't only about partying, though. The degree seeking students have introductory lectures for their courses, and other commitments to help them understand the next three years in their department. I didn't have to go to these because I'm a visiting student, so I used my days to get to know the other girls in my hall, learn my way around campus, and explore Egham. 

Part of the High Street in Egham.

Royal Holloway is technically located in Egham, which is a lot like Oxford, OH. It is close enough to walk to from campus, and most of the shops, restaurants, and bars are on one long street. It's really convenient for students studying at Royal Holloway and there are a lot of housing options for upper-class students. There's even a Tesco grocery store, which is like Wal-Mart (but not nearly as big). 

My main motto for this week seemed to by "Buy all the things!" Even though I packed my own suitcase, I think I didn't fully comprehend how little I was actually bringing with me until I got to Royal Holloway and didn't have many of the conveniences I'm used to. Such as full sized bottles of shampoo. And a bed-sheet. And food. Let's just say I've been to Tesco quite a few times.

My First Trip to London

Even though Royal Holloway is part of the University of London, it's actually about a 45 minute train ride to get from Egham to Waterloo station in London. So although it's unfortunate that I can't access it from my doorstep, if I lived directly in London I wouldn't be able to live in my Hogwarts substitute castle, and that would be a shame. 

I made it to London my first full weekend after arriving. I went with two other visiting Americans, Lauren and Kiana. They both go to the University of Florida, but didn't know each other until they got here. Lauren's been to London multiple times on shorter trips, and she showed me and Kiana how to use the tube (it's actually incredibly easy). She  also knew where to go to get the perfect phone booth shot with Big Ben in the background.

Me, doing the tourist thing.

We started the day by just walking around Southbank and taking pictures of the recognizable parts. The crowds were so crazy that it was sometimes hard to keep track of each other. That's what you get for going on a Saturday, I guess.

I didn't ride it on this trip, but I will before I leave!

Keeping with the theme of crazy crowds, we spent the rest of the day shopping on Oxford Street, which is a really long stretch of stores that vary from inexpensive (Primark) to more high-quality (Topshop), but there aren't the super high-end designer label stores there. If you want Chanel or Dolce & Gabbana, you can find them on Bond Street. 

Oxford Street is so long and busy that stores actually start repeating themselves. Walking from Topshop to Primark (less than a mile) I saw many stores three times.

The crowds were crazy, but that didn't mean that I didn't enjoy exploring English fashion. I bought my first pair of ankle boots from a store called River Island. Riding boots, unfortunately, aren't nearly as popular here as they are in America.

One thing I really like about fashion in London, as described by my friend Lauren, is that the philosophy seems to be "if you like it, you wear it." There's a wide variety of what's "in" and I wouldn't say that there's any sort of unofficial dress code at Royal Holloway like there sometimes seems to be at Miami. Most of the students here do dress fashionably, however, so I once again chose a school wear sweatpants are not frequently seen in class. Score.

We were so tired after spending the afternoon shopping that we left London right after we finished on Oxford Street. I'm so glad I have the rest of the semester to go back and see as much as I can before I have to leave, because although I enjoy buying clothes, there's so much more to do in London. Such as spend hours in the bookstores and explore some of the museums. 

Studying Abroad at Royal Holloway: Settling In

The Flight

I left the US from Port Columbus International Airport. I was very surprised when they put my suitcase on the scale and it was actually about seven pounds under the weight limit. I was sure it was overweight (mostly because my whole life is in one suitcase, but also because I could barely lift it). The guy checking IDs at security asked if I was single and if I date 28 year-olds, to which I said no. Somehow I don't think that's part of his job description.

My first flight, to Toronto, was on a tiny propeller plane that fit about 25 people. I actually had to walk outside to enter the plane. I thought that only happened in movies, but I guess that's standard for small planes.

I had a three-hour layover in the Toronto airport, which is awesome. There are tons of tables with iPads on docks, and they let you surf the internet and check your flight status from them for free.

Unfortunately, I was stuck with a middle seat on my seven-hour flight from Toronto to London Heathrow, but I sat next to a really nice woman from Zurich, Switzerland who was on her way back home from staying in San Fransisco and Seattle for a few weeks. It was weird to me that she was traveling in the US in the same way I want to travel in Europe.

Arriving

Once I arrived at London Heathrow, I had to go through customs before I could get my bags. It was slightly nerve wracking because the customs agent didn't show any facial expressions the whole time he was looking over my paperwork, so I had no idea if I'd done things right or not. But he let me in, so I guess I couldn't have gotten it too wrong!

A student representative from Royal Holloway was waiting outside the terminal for international students, which was awesome. From there we went and waited for the bus that would bring us directly to campus.

My Room

I checked in and found my room in Founder's Hall fine, but the building is huge! There are two wings, the east and west, and then the quads are the North Quad or the South Quad, and you have to leave the building to get from one wing to the other. The hall has student rooms, two dining halls, a library, the health center, a chapel, and even more that I haven't discovered yet.

In addition to a corner of the building, you can see my friends Julia and Erin!

My room is a single, and it's pretty small, but I like it! I didn't bring much stuff at all, so I have plenty of room for everything.

I had to go to Tesco (Pretty much Wal-Mart) for the sheets and duvet cover, and my friend Julia's mother offered to drive us there before she left! It was so nice of her. Since then, I've made another Tesco trip for more essentials.

I have a sink in my room, which is strange but really awesome. I wish more universities had sinks in the room in America. Super helpful. But I don't have a refrigerator, which is strange and not awesome.

The posters on my wall are from a sale at the Student's Union. I needed to buy them because my room was so bare, and they've really made the place feel more like home.

My Corridor

I seem to have gotten super lucky with my corridor, because we all spent the first afternoon sitting in the hallway talking and introducing ourselves. Many of us in the corridor pictured just sit outside in the hallway when we aren't doing anything, or we leave our doors open so we can chat with each other.

All the five floors of Founder's are all painted a different color, and because our floor is green we've named ourselves The Green Mile. It's been really awesome to have everyone be so social and willing to get to know each other, since I'm here by myself. It's been so easy to make friends this way.

So far, I've met some awesome people and have had a great time. I'm starting to get a feel for the campus and kind of know my way around my own building. Sometimes. I still have a whole week until classes start, so hopefully I'll be able to navigate better by then.

Until next time.

The Bibliophile's Guide to Studying Abroad: The Books I'm Bringing

To prepare for my upcoming study abroad trip to London, England, I've been buying books in addition to other travel necessities. I hope to get a lot of reading done while traveling, both to England and when I'm taking my side trips in other parts of Europe.

The one print book I am bringing with me:

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed: I'm reading this book with my best friend, so of course it's the book that I want to be able to read even when my battery is running low. Also, it's about finding yourself through travel, which hopefully will be inspirational to me as I see other parts of the world for the first time.

The ebooks that I've been saving for this trip:

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins : I've read Perkins's first book, Anna and the French Kiss, which is about a girl at an American boarding school in Paris, three or four times. Each time I read it I want to see Paris more. Isla is a companion novel set at the same boarding school, though I've also read that there are more European cities in this one. I've been anticipating this book for years now, so needless to say I am incredibly excited to finally dig in. Maybe I'll even get to visit some of the places I'll read about!

The Expats by Chris Pavone: Yet another travel themed book, this one intrigues me because it is set in Luxembourg. Though it is a small European country that is often overlooked, my home school, Miami University, has a campus there. Students can study at that campus for a semester or a year, and though I am not participating in that program, I think it would be cool to know a little bit more about the country. Also, it's a mystery/thriller and that sounds like a major boredom buster.

Bad Feminist: Essays by Roxane Gay: Feminism is my favorite thing to become more educated about. I consider myself a feminist, but I am not in any way an expert on the topic. I've heard that this book is hilarious and full of truth, my favorite combination. Many people who have read it say that it should be "required reading," so consider this an example of my teacher's pet tendencies.

These are the books I've chosen as travel companions. I will be sure to report back once I've finished them. Expect another post at the end of my trip with all of the books that I'm bringing back with me! 

Until next time.

Study Abroad at Royal Holloway University

In less than one week, I depart from my hometown in Ohio to London, England for a study abroad semester that I hope will expand my horizons and expose me to the world in the way reading a book can't. I'll be abroad for 12 weeks, studying at Royal Holloway University of London.

Why London?

I've wanted to study abroad since high school, when I discovered that you could actually travel to a different part of the world and get academic credit for it. Until my first year of college, I wanted to study in Spain. That dream ended when I declared two majors in the English department (Literature and Professional Writing). Unfortunately, studying Spanish was no longer conducive to earning my degree. Bummer.

But never fear! I went online and found a semester-long study abroad program that fit my major and which I was able to use my Miami University financial aid with. Win-win. It also happened to be in London. Win-win-win. Who doesn't want to see London?

It seems to me that I couldn't have picked a better place to study English lit. Something about reading Shakespeare in his native England appeals to me. Not to mention the numerous book-related things to see, such as the Sherlock Holmes Museum, the British Library (the largest library-by number of catalogued items-in the world), Platform 9 3/4, and more!

A Little About Royal Holloway

Founded in 1886 as a college for women, Royal Holloway has since made a name for itself as one of the best undergraduate institutions in the UK. Now a coeducational university, it was ranked 12th in the UK by in the Time Higher Education World University Rankings, and placed as 5th in the world for international outlook. Out of 9,000 students, about 20 percent of them are from outside of the European Union.

I will admit that their pedigree is impressive, but honestly I'm more concerned with the fact that I get to live in this building:

The building I will live in. Me. Living there. For a semester.

My room will probably look something like this:

And I get the study in this library:

It's not quite Hogwarts, but I'll take it.

My Classes

<

Since one of the big reasons students study abroad is to achieve understanding of how the education system works in different countries, I'm going to be taking three English classes:

Shakespeare -- This one is a basic introduction to Shakespeare's plays, starting with the comedies in the first half and closing out the semester with his later Jacobian works.

Modernist Fiction -- In this class I'll be reading a lot of Henry James, and Joseph Conrad, with a few other authors thrown in. Modernist generally isn't my favorite, but I hope I learn some things about it that will give me a better appreciation of these authors.

Strange Fictions: Romance in the Middle Ages -- Honestly, I have a reading list for this class but I'm still not even sure what it is I'll be reading besides Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Nothing else is familiar.

---

I think Royal Holloway is a great fit for me, and that I will learn a lot in the short amount of time I have there. I'm very excited to move in and really see everything that I've read about online.

Until next time.