During the 2013 Summer II semester, a group of 64 students studied abroad in London. Students of all grades and majors from a consortium of schools including MSU took one of 10 courses at Queen Mary University of London.

Psychology junior Patricia Biera took the criminal justice course, which focused on the differences between the US and UK justice systems. She originally wanted to take the sociology course, but it was cancelled due to lack of enrollment.

“The criminal justice course was more fun than I anticipated,” Biera said. “I had never taken a criminal justice course before, but I ended up learning a lot of useful things.”

The students had opportunities to do more than just sit in a lecture hall and take notes. They had many hands-on experiences which reinforced their areas of study.

“They’re able to go and do things in a business class that they couldn’t do here,” Administrative Assistant of Study Abroad Dena Hardin said.

Each class goes on different site visits. For instance, the World War II History class gets to attend British Parliament while criminal justice students go to Supreme Court and do a mock trial at the Royal Courts of Justice.

The History of English Language students travel for an overnight stay at Stratford-upon-Avon to see the birthplace and burial place of William Shakespeare, in addition to enjoying a few plays performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Royal Shakespeare Theater.

“A typical day consisted of looking at your schedule to see if you were going on a site visit or going to class,” Biera said. “After that, London is your oyster. That was the best part.”

The group toured London during the first weekend before classes started, visiting St. Paul’s Cathedral and the London Eye, which is the largest Ferris wheel in Europe.

“The first weekend was very structured,” Biera said.

Biera’s class met with her teacher first, she said. He was from New Mexico, and it was his first time teaching in London, so the criminal justice and photography group paired up.

“We took a fantastic tour of London,” Biera said.

She took pictures of everything on her phone, which helped her navigate the sprawling city throughout her stay.

“Very seldom do you stay on campus all day long,” Hardin said.

After class and site visits, students were allowed to travel and explore as they pleased.

“I went to Paris just because it was there,” Biera said. “I did the tourist stuff: Eiffel tower, museums, and we saw the Moulin Rouge. We ate French food.”

During the five-day mini break, students were able to travel throughout England and Europe alike and explore their interests.

“Me and my travel companion went to Highclere Castle where they filmed Downtown Abbey,” Biera said. “We got to go in the garden. We went to Cardiff, where we had the Doctor Who Experience. We explored Cardiff. We went to Manchester where we saw Macbeth with Alex Kingston.”

No two individuals can have the same experience while studying abroad. The experience is personal and each person takes away something different.

“The students gain a broader worldview,” Hardin said.

Carolann Peterson, a senior in respiratory care, said she couldn’t have asked for a better group of students to travel with or better professors to have this summer.

“I was lucky enough to get to experience going to Europe,” she said. “And what a better way to explore London and surrounding areas by participating in a month-long study abroad.”

Peterson also said her study abroad trip was a dream come true.

“It was a dream of mine to go to Europe,” she said. “I have learned so much about life after this trip.”

According to Hardin, the students that study abroad are typically good students academically. They also have inquiring minds and are open to new world experiences.

“I always wanted to travel, and studying broad was the easiest way to do it,” Biera said.

Nursing senior Tekumafor Njimgye has siblings England and got to enjoy his breaks visiting with them throughout his four-week stay.

“I enjoyed every moment. It was an invaluable experience,” he said, “except for the last weekend. It was difficult to leave my family again.”

In addition to the experiential benefits, studying abroad is something impressive to put on your resume, Hardin said.

“Do it,” Biera said. “Don’t even think about it. It was totally worth it because you get six credits and you get to live there for four weeks. Find a way to do it.”

The price for graduate-level study abroad was $6,500, and for undergraduates it was $6,300. The price includes round-trip airfare, tuition and fees for 6 credit hours, housing, and all program-related transportation, Hardin said.

“Financial aid pays for 80-90 percent of our students, [including] both loans and grants,” Hardin said.

She advises students to start saving money early in the year because the cost of the trip does not cover your food or recreational expenses.

“Now is the time to start planning for next summer,” Hardin said.