2020 Spring, Semester

Blake Page: Post 1

Blake Page AIFS Universitat Autonoma Barcelona, Spain Spring 2020 When deciding where I wanted to go for my semester abroad, it came down to architectural landmarks and architecture classes. AIF’s program in Barcelona, Spain met both those requirements, as Barcelona is a beautiful city with breathtaking architectural landmarks, while also offering architecture classes. I chose to stay with a host family because I heard great reviews of experiences while doing a homestay abroad. I am definitely looking forward to meeting my host family and eating traditional Spanish food, while also learning Spanish. I am also looking forward to the wonderful […]

2019 Fall, Academic Year

Thomas Salamon: Post 3

Thomas Salamon London School of Economics & Political Science London, England Fall 2019 Thankfully, for me, the UK is an English-speaking country. That’s not to say that I would be uncomfortable had I studied somewhere I needed to learn the language; after all, I did fine in Germany two summers ago. I can say that learning advanced topics in mathematics and finance would be a lot more difficult if I had to learn a language as well. The classwork is pretty demanding, and mostly is taught in a way that you need to get the foundation yourself and use the […]

2019 Fall, Academic Year

Thomas Salamon: Post 2

Thomas Salamon London School of Economics & Political Science London, England Fall 2019 Every city has a pattern. Some are organized into grids- some about a central expressway or an intersection of those. Some are oriented in a way to divert traffic to certain districts. London is all of these. It’s a constant reminder of its rich history as an evolving city from the time of the Roman Empire. It isn’t in a grid of streets or even circled about a central location like many European cities. The river Thames cuts it in two, so it’s an easy reference point. […]

2019 Fall, Semester

Will Driskill: Post 3

Will Driskill Semester at Sea Fall 2019 As we enter our tenth day at sea, crossing the Atlantic Ocean from Europe and Africa, and head towards South America, I am very aware that Semester At Sea is quite a different and unique study abroad experience. Unlike any other study abroad program, it offers a college semester traveling by sea on a large cruise ship to eleven different countries, and three continents in the span of three plus months. While on the ship, more than four hundred students are taking classes, studying, exercising, eating and socializing while traversing the globe. When […]

2019 Fall, Semester

Will Driskill: Post 2

Will Driskill Semester at Sea Fall 2019 It has been a little over a month now since I started my journey with Semester at Sea. It is hard to believe that I have already been to five countries in Europe and am now headed to the second continent with this voyage, Africa. Starting in Amsterdam a little over a month ago, I had no idea what to expect. I have never really done solo travel, let alone traveled to five completely different countries in such a short amount of time. Looking back now, it is amazing how much I have […]

2019 Fall, Semester

Will Driskill: Post 1

Will Driskill Semester at Sea Fall 2019 I started my Semester at Sea adventure about a month ago in Amsterdam, Netherlands and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Most of my travels before Semester at Sea have consisted of family vacations up and down the East coast. But, my travel bug really started several years back when I traveled to Pamplona, Spain to Run with the Bulls. For many, running with the bulls would be well outside their comfort zone, but I considered that to still be well within my comfort zone because, I traveled to […]

2019 Fall, Academic Year

Thomas Salamon: Post 1

Thomas Salamon London School of Economics & Political Science London, England Fall 2019 I only applied to one abroad program because I wanted it to improve upon the studies I was doing at Hampden-Sydney. I had already taken a May Term Abroad in order to study German with some fellow students of mine but when I chose to apply to the LSE, I knew it would be a different experience- for one, I was applying alone and wasn’t going to be abroad with a fellow Hampden-Sydney student. What I knew about the London School of Economics (and indeed, London at […]

2019 Spring, Semester

Laken Williams: Post 5

Laken Williams Akita International University Japan Spring 2019 Saying Sayonara to Japan and All of My Friends As much as I enjoyed every minute I was in Japan, I knew it had to come to end at some point. For most, the end of their adventure in Japan was the last week of July and the first few days of August. But, for me, I had an archaeological excavation that was part of one of my classes and ended August 7th. So, as one of the last to go, I had to say goodbye to everyone. Some left quietly on […]

2019 Spring, Semester

Laken Williams: Post 4

Laken Williams Akita International University Japan Spring 2019 Working with AUWA Since being at AIU, I have done my best to stay busy, whether that be with studies, clubs, events, or friends. That plan has been a resounding success, but, on the down side, I have not had much time for retrospection or blogging. Nevertheless, I wanted to take the time to talk about my wonderful adventures with a club on campus named, AUWA. The premise of the club is to connect AIU students, especially International students, with the local community. During my time with the club, I have planted […]

2019 Summer, Summer

Ethan Gaines: Post 4

Ethan Gaines Virginia Program at Oxford Oxford, England Summer 2019 Overall, I am very happy that I decided to study abroad in Oxford for six weeks. While the program was certainly very challenging, it was a very rewarding experience and I am grateful to Hampden-Sydney for providing me with this opportunity. The stereotype of Oxford being an unexciting city where the only things to do are study and attend lectures is very wrong. University Park and the Thames and Cherwell Rivers provide excellent places to relax and hang out with friends, and there are numerous bars and pubs throughout the […]