spotlight on honors
honors students abroad
nicole smith - england
JUNIOR, special education MAJOR & reading minor
SEPTEMBER 2009
Hello! My
name is Nicole Smith. I am a junior, Special Education major with a
Reading minor, studying at Edge Hill University in Ormskirk, England. I
have only been here 2 weeks but it is amazing! I just started classes &
am lucky enough to only have classes Monday through Wednesday so I will
be able to travel a lot. The classes are different from the States. You
have lecture & then a seminar which combined total 3 hours. My language
classes are definitely interesting & are going to be my favorite. So far
I have to Liverpool quite a few times & also to Conway Castle in Wales &
the Chester Zoo. The transportation system here is great & it is so easy
to get around places. I am looking forward to travelling to London the
most! My mom is coming for a week in November & we are travelling to
London. We also get an independent study week so myself & some others
are going to travel to Paris & Italy. The town of Ormskirk is amazing &
it looks like the town from Beauty & the Beast. There are lots of little
shops & the people are very friendly. It’s been great so far & I hope
the rest of my time here will be even more amazing!
It’s hard to believe that I only have one month left at Edge Hill! I
have been travelling so much and seeing many different sights. My
classes are going great and are very interesting. They are very in-depth
with their degrees over here so it is nice to really dive further into
my subject area. The classes are not as difficult as they are in the
States.
There are no real tests or quizzes. I just have small papers throughout
the semester. I only have classes 3 days a week I have been travelling
from Wednesdays to Saturdays. I have been to London, Edinburgh, Rome,
Venice, Pisa, Paris, and am going to Dublin and Stonehenge before I
leave. I have loved the experience of being able to travel and see
things that I have always wanted to see. My mom just left today from
being here a week. We went to London so she could see the amazing sights
of the city! If you have any questions about studying abroad,
please feel free to contact me! I am on Facebook under Nikki Smith or
email me at nsmith22@indstate.edu. I have loved the experience but am
very ready to come back to Indiana and get back into a routine! I hope
you enjoy the pictures and please feel free to ask me any questions!!
Italian food is awesome!
When in Italy, eat as much gelato as you possibly can!
The Leaning Tower of Pisa
Marissa, Holly, and I on a gondola ride in Venice
Notre Dame in Paris
The Eiffel Tower!
The Tower sparkles every hour for 5 minutes
My mom and I on the London Eye
DECEMBER 2009
It’s hard to believe my time in England is almost over & that I will be
home this Saturday! Since my last update I have been to Dublin, London,
& Stonehenge. I went to Blarney Castle & the Cliffs of Moher while in
Ireland. The Cliffs were gorgeous! I went & saw Michael Jackson: The
Official Exhibition while in London and also saw the play Peter Pan.
Both were great & very surreal. I also went to The Movieum & saw many
Harry Potter props! This past weekend I went to Stonehenge and Bath. My
friend & I did a tour where we were able to go inside the rope barriers
& touch the stones (we weren’t supposed to touch them but we did
anyways). Edge Hill also held a Thanksgiving dinner for us since we
weren’t home with our families. Overall, the experience of studying
abroad has been out of this world & something I will never forget. My
pictures have done no justice to the things I have witnessed & seen
these past 3 months. I have learned a lot about myself & how great I
have it at home. If you are even the slightest bit interested in
studying abroad, talk to Janice in Stalker Hall 215. It’s a great
program that I recommend to anyone!
Temple Bar in Dublin
I kissed the Blarney Stone! Very scary!
Queenstown/Cobh - The last port of call for the Titanic
Breathtaking doesn't even begin to describe the Cliffs of Moher!
One of the Liverpool Penguins!
Harry Potter's outfit from the the first task in the Goblet of Fire
Very close shark at Sea Life Aquarium in London
The Christmas tree in Ormskirk!
Just some gorgeous Liverpool Christmas Lights
No words to describe Stonehenge...
My friend and I at Stonehenge
I touched Stonehenge! I've been blessed to touch the Colosseum and the Eiffel Tower as well!
The Roman Baths at Bath
For more information about studying abroad, please visit ISU's Study Abroad website or contact Janis Halpern, Coordinator for Academic Programs Abroad, at (812) 237-3427 or jhalpern@indstate.edu.
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