Tyler Bradshaw
  • Political Science
  • Class of 2020
  • Belchertown, MA

First Year Study Abroad Students Begin Journey

2017 Mar 6

On January 8, 12 freshman students from Western New England University embarked on a unique opportunity to study abroad at Richmond University, a private American University just outside of London, England for their entire second semester of college.

The First Year Abroad program in England is open to any freshman enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences who qualifies academically. Austin Lorion, a Secondary Education in History major, was eager to spend four months studying abroad. "My sister is a graduate of Western New England University and told me to explore the international programs. I had no idea I would be able to spend a whole semester abroad as a freshman."

Accompanying the 12 students is History Professor Theodore South, who has taken students to study abroad for many years. To ease the transition, the students arrived at Richmond University a week before classes began, to attended orientation sessions and settled into their new living quarters. Professor South helped students adjust by taking them into London to experience many of the popular attractions in the city.

"We took the Tube into London and it reminded me of the New York subway system, but it's much cleaner and quieter," said Brandon Kow, a Psychology major. "We saw Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, and stood outside Buckingham Palace to observe the changing of the guard. On Thursday it rained a lot, so we headed indoors to visited the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Science Museum, and the Natural History Museum."

Many of the classes at Richmond include freshmen and sophomore students from various countries around world.

The opportunity to both travel and study can be a life-changing experience. It will leave you with a firsthand understanding of our increasingly global society, an appreciation for other cultures and their business and political institutions, and often with improved foreign language skills. International travel strengthens candidates for graduate school and for today's increasingly global workforce.

View more photos of the students in London.