Here at UMass, we have a very special summer study abroad program — one that sends you to none other than the Oxford University in the United Kingdom. At Trinity College, one of the 42 colleges part of Oxford University, you spend six weeks taking two classes, each worth four credits, and an optional 2 credit “colloquium” for which you write two reflective papers about the weekend field trips you attend. All in all, you can receive 10 credits, and have a truly once-in-a-lifetime summer. If you’re still not convinced, here are some tidbits that might entice you further.
The bars look like this.
Yep — that’s an old renovated church. Located only a few minutes walk away from Trinity College, FREUD is among the most architecturally unique of the pubs and bars in Oxford. There are plenty of other famous places to get a cider and a pie, too. The Eagle and Child is famous for being a favorite of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. The Turf Tavern, or “The Turf” was a common place for the cast of the Harry Potter films to go after a day of shooting. The streets just beg for you to explore them, so nooks and crannies are easy to find.
The field trips change every year, but Stonehenge was one of the locations that we went on in 2017. Traveling to these sites as a group with all of your new friends is some of the most fun you will have. Seeing these sights together, followed by a night in the beer cellar singing along to the jukebox and talking until late at night on the Trinity lawn is akin to something out of a Jane Austen novel.
On the weekends, we were able to go on any sort of extended trip we wanted to, since no classes were held on Friday. The transportation in the U.K. is much more user-friendly than transportation here in the States, and much cheaper. Double-decker buses run from Oxford to London roughly every hour for 24 hours, 7 days per week. Small coastal towns such as Rye, Holyhead (Wales), and Cobh (Ireland) are all accessible by train.
While British food is commonly stereotyped as being “plain”, it’s still wonderfully delicious and unique in its own way. Stop by Fleet Street in London for an ironic meat pie. Try a full Irish breakfast. The meals served at “tea time” are essentially just three plates of desserts. Speaking of which, tea is both easily attainable and in all varieties imaginable. If you’re looking for an iced coffee, though, you’ll need to order an iced latte or Americano to avoid a confusing look.
The geographical sites are like those nowhere else in the world. Edinburgh Castle seems to rise from the mist on a rocky crag, like something straight out of Game of Thrones. The Cliffs of Moher in Ireland are among some of the most majestic vistas you will ever see. Over the course of the summer, you will learn about independence, ancient cultural sites and how to deal with the occasional curveball life might throw at you. I hate to repeat the mantra found on most travel blogs and Instagram accounts, but traveling abroad, even if for only six weeks, is truly one of the most life-changing experiences.
All images courtesy of author.