Hello everyone, here is the first of my last two posts that I will be doing for this blog. It will be basically an overview of my experience, including what I have learned, how I have grown, and whether I would do it again.
When I stepped off the plane on September 28 in England, I had absolutely no idea what I was in for. The fall term was a crazy yet enjoyable one. While I was in England, I visited Oxford, Coventry, Birmingham, London, and Lemington spa. For the most part though I stayed on campus and though that may sound boring, I had adventures there that I will not soon forget. Assassins guild, karate, late night walks and talks, watching youtube videos, listening to crazy songs, dancing around the dorm, having unforgettable nights at the SU, a huge Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas socials, meeting new people, attack yogurts, modules, and class work all made up my time while I was at Warwick. There were times when I was home sick and longed for the States. There times when I wished for familiarity and a school system I was used to, but all in all, this was one of the best experiences I have ever had. Through the late nights, tears, laughter, and craziness, I had an awesome term and one of the reasons I am now glad I did this blog is that I now have documentation I can look back on to remind of everything that I went through there.
I have learned so many things and grown in so many ways by going to Warwick. I learned that one can make friends anywhere, and now I have made so many promises to go back and see everyone that I hope I can somehow keep them all. I have learned a great deal from my modules, which is to be expected. I have grown by being exposed to a different culture and what it is like to live in a different country. I am more open-minded now and hold more diverse views. My friends there taught me to think in a different way and see things in a different light, as well as look at myself differently and to first look at my own actions and myself when a problem occurs. I learned quite a bit in Karate and am resolved to continue with it at Cornell and beyond. I learned how to cook Thanksgiving dinner successfully for 19 people, and how being with friends on a holiday can make things a lot brighter when all you want is to be at home. I learned that I am great at keeping myself alive in the assassin's guild long game, but that I am a horrible assassin. I learned how to improvise on ingredients to make recipes I made in the States, and that my mom's cheesecake recipe is extremely popular. I grew as a person, a student, and a professional, and I learned that late night laundry runs and walks are great ways to get to know people better.
If someone were to ask me right now, would I do it over again? My answer would be yes, definitely. I had so much fun, learned so much, met so many great people, and made so many wonderful friends who I know I will keep in touch with for years to come. I know this experience will benefit me as a student, a soon-to-be graduate, and in my future career. I am certainly open minded now when it comes to the idea of relocation, and though I would rather stay in the States, the idea of living in a state other than NC is not such a scary idea now. If you have read this blog and have the chance to go study at Warwick Business School or in England in general, do it, go for it, you will not be disappointed. The people there are amazing and though it takes getting used to, England is a great place to live and it will not be long until you begin using British words like cheers or rubbish. My experience has been awesome and I am so glad that I went, even if I was a tad intimidated at the idea of going.
There will be one more post discussing my transition back to American society and being home, which I will be posting tomorrow. To summarize my experience in one sentence though, it was awesome. Like I said, if you get the chance to do an exchange or study abroad, do it. If you have any questions that were not answered in this blog, whether they be direct related to the exchange program, my personal experience, or anything else, please feel free to email me at Njw48@cornell.edu. I will be happy to answer and all questions. Thank you, cheers, and happy holidays!
