Shannon

ISEP University of Central Lancashire, England, Spring 2017

Tell us about yourself.

My name is Shannon Hardy and I’m a third year Anthropology and Psychology major. I’ve always been interested in traveling and learning about other cultures. During my senior year of high school I went on a trip with my classmates to England, France, and Italy. After that I knew I wanted to travel more, and studying abroad seemed like the best option.

Where did you study abroad?

I did an ISEP Exchange program to the University of Central Lancashire in Northern England for Spring Semester 2017. UCLan is in a town called Preston about an hour northwest of Manchester. I took one class for my major, and two humanities electives.

What is your favorite memory from your time abroad?

My favorite memory is going on a 16-day trip to 5 cities in 4 different countries with some of my closest friends and getting to spend time with them while seeing new places. I loved being able to make close friendships with people that I will have for the rest of my life. Having the ability to go to another country for a weekend trip also amazed me.

How has studying abroad helped your personal or professional life?

Studying abroad made me a more outgoing person, as well as making me more independent and confident in my abilities to navigate new places. Because I had close friends who were German, I decided to take German in school, which will give me a valuable skill for future employers.

What advice can you offer to students interested in studying abroad?

Don’t be afraid to go somewhere alone! You don’t need to go to the same schools your friends go to. Studying abroad without knowing anyone at your host school allows you to form whole new friendships, and since you are all in similar situations you will have lots of things in common. If you’re worried about being homesick and you don’t want to be gone for a semester, don’t forget you can facetime your friends and family and you won’t be homesick when you’re traveling new countries with your close friends.

Do you have any future plans or ideas to travel abroad again?

I’m actually already planning to go back to Berlin in summer of 2019 when my best friends have graduated to have a reunion and hopefully see some places I didn’t get to in my semester. I also plan to do more traveling within America in the meantime.

Email Shannon at hardys15@students.ecu.edu for more information about her experience!