The Wait was Finally Over!
I debated long and hard about when I wanted to do the study abroad program Did I want to do it my sophomore year? Did I want to wait until my junior year? Or even my senior year? After thinking it over, I decided it would be best to wait until I was a senior to do the program. Why? Because it would give me a chance to save money for the costs, to complete most of the required courses for my majors so I wouldn't be eligible for graduation, and to really determine the right study abroad program for me.
Choosing a program was tough. Not only did I have to see which program would fit my financial circumstances, but whether I had a high enough GPA, whether the university and courses offered in London were the equivalent to the courses I'd take here, and if the program was centered around a certain area of study or if it was general. There was so much to think about, and I spent the next 2 years of college doing my research, talking to my professors, and saving my money trying to make the study abroad program a reality!
Finally, I decided on the AIFS study abroad program. I felt this program suited my needs, financial situational, and was overall the type of travel experience I was looking for. Not only that, I decided that I would go the fall semester of my senior year. With this decision in mind, I went back to the director of the experiential with my decision. From there, we set a plan in place and we discussed all the necessary factors that would have to be done before I could safely say I'm part of the study abroad program.
Boy, I did not expect the amount of time and effort it would take to complete all the elements of the study abroad program. I spent all of my junior year researching, planning, renewing my passport, saving up my money, filling out the required documents for the program and the university I'd be going to, registering for courses, and the list goes on and on!!! Especially with money, because you had to cover the cost of the roundtrip plane ticket yourself. That was a struggle in and of itself. Despite all of the hassle, the second to last month of my junior year I participated in the final study abroad meeting with other students who were traveling to discuss the travel, expectations, cultures, TSA, and how to make the most of the experience.
After that meeting, it truly felt official for me because it solidified the fact that I would finally be able to travel to London!!! At last, my dream would finally come true!!!! All I had to do was wait until August 31st, 2015 for my plane flight to London!!
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| Fun fact: Protest at Big Ben 2015 |
Finally, I decided on the AIFS study abroad program. I felt this program suited my needs, financial situational, and was overall the type of travel experience I was looking for. Not only that, I decided that I would go the fall semester of my senior year. With this decision in mind, I went back to the director of the experiential with my decision. From there, we set a plan in place and we discussed all the necessary factors that would have to be done before I could safely say I'm part of the study abroad program.
Boy, I did not expect the amount of time and effort it would take to complete all the elements of the study abroad program. I spent all of my junior year researching, planning, renewing my passport, saving up my money, filling out the required documents for the program and the university I'd be going to, registering for courses, and the list goes on and on!!! Especially with money, because you had to cover the cost of the roundtrip plane ticket yourself. That was a struggle in and of itself. Despite all of the hassle, the second to last month of my junior year I participated in the final study abroad meeting with other students who were traveling to discuss the travel, expectations, cultures, TSA, and how to make the most of the experience.
After that meeting, it truly felt official for me because it solidified the fact that I would finally be able to travel to London!!! At last, my dream would finally come true!!!! All I had to do was wait until August 31st, 2015 for my plane flight to London!!
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