Welcome Back!

Posted by Jessica Russo on February 6, 2012

Well non-trads, welcome back to the Spring 2012 semester at Binghamton University!

Winter breaks are always crazy for me as I try to pack in enough hours at work to allow me to be part-time for the spring semester and I attempt to get as many personal errands as possible done so that I can focus my time on school and upcoming classes. This particular winter break, however, was a doozy for me. The week classes ended I was packing up my apartment and ending my job in Endicott. I put everything in storage except for my cat and two suitcases worth of clothes then spent the next couple weeks with family before leaving the country to take advantage of the English Department’s London Program. 

The London Program starts two weeks prior to the Binghamton University semester, which left me with a shorter break and some major adjustments to be made. Going from living alone to sharing a flat with six other women, all at least a decade younger than myself, has proven to be entertaining, frustrating, a learning experience and a wake-up call.  I have been surprised and touched at their willingness to bring me into the group experience; I was very nervous that they would see me as an intruder on their good time, but so far, that hasn’t been the case. I have become the go-to person when it comes to food; the final judge on whether or not the broccoli has gone bad or how to correctly prepare rice without burning the pan.

I feel very lucky to have taken this chance to study abroad. It wasn’t something that I considered even in the realm of possibilities when I returned to school. Each day when I wake up in a shared room in the center of London I wonder whether I made the right decision, but each day so far it has proven to be the correct choice for me.

Not to say, of course, that there haven’t been challenges. As the semester goes on, I’m sure there will be more, but overall, this is an incredible program offered by Binghamton University, and a program that doesn’t make me feel very self-conscious about being a non-traditional student outside of my comfort zone.

If you want to learn more about this particular program, contact Kerry Cook, the London Program Advisor at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). If you want to learn about what other study abroad programs are available to non-trads, Head over to the Office of International Programs. They are located in the Nelson Rockefeller building across the street from the Lecture Hall.

So, non-trads, how was your break? Are there any classes you have been surprised by in your first week? Let me know in the comments below.