Submitted by Anna Reynolds on the 2022 spring semester program in London, England…
This past week was my first week of in-person classes. One thing that is different about classes in London is that classes are 3 hours long, but you only go to them once a week. Going into classes was stressful because I had trouble paying attention in the 50 min/75 min classes that we had back at the University of Delaware, but once we got into classes, it was not as bad as I thought. We get one or two breaks depending on the class to get fresh air outside or just rest our brains for a little bit, but it allows the class to come back together and refocus. It was a shock walking into class for the first time, but they work a lot like University of Delaware classes work. The classrooms are set up about the same with desks for students to sit at, and the professor will lecture for a bit, and then we’ll have discussion time.
The one thing that is very different about classes in London that I have not experienced in the States is that we will be doing field studies where we travel around to different parts of London to learn in an immersive environment. Going on my first field study trips last week showed me how much going out into the world and immersing yourself in what your learning allows me to learn better. I have always enjoyed learning about history this way, but I’ve found that it helps to go to places to learn about Theatre and English, which are two courses I’m taking while I’m over here. Not only was I able to learn about my topic, but I was able to learn about London in the process. It’s a way of learning that I would like to continue throughout my life.
