Evaluation

The course actually was pretty close to how I expected it to be. I remember reading the evaluations from the former class, and can recall that some of the students thought the posting schedule became problematic or in conflict with their other classes or traveling. On the contrary, I really do not feel that this course was an imposition of my life in London. The only aspect that made me nervous was the actual act of blogging, and knowing that anyone can see what I write. However, after the first few were posted, I think I began to relax a little more with writing them. I also really liked that we got to choose the books we wanted to read about our location. I know that I was lucky enough to find really entertaining books, but either way, I find that one is more inclined to pay attention to a book that is relevant to one’s daily life. I even found that most of the selections from The Art of Travel really spoke to the experience I was having.  In fact, I’m going to go pretty far as to say that "The Art of Travel" is the only course from which I will actually conclude this semester having learnt something! This statement partially comes about as a response to my frustration with the academic program in London, but taking the time to really think about what’s going on around me, and how I’m behaving in or reacting to a new city was vital to my intellectual and personal growth. I was able to incorporate my interests into academic and creative writing. I also have kept a journal since being here, but it is still has not been as helpful for recording my memories as the blogs have, for I tended to get lazy with a personal writing, and having a topic for the assignments provided a way for me to focus in on specific ideas amidst the array of experiences I was having. Finally, I think that for any student, taking the time to write regularly greatly improves the way one thinks and expresses oneself. I feel strongly that a course like this would benefit anyone studying abroad.