JUMP TO OTHER ALUMNI ABROAD STORIES:
Monika Di Bella 2008 Germany :
Katie Roberts Spring 2008 University of Sussex : Zach Gaeta Fall 2007 Argentina
Joshua Farnsworth Spring 2007 Oxford at England : Shannon Banks Fall 2006 Argentina

 

Spring/Summer Update

I had an amazing time on my travels during Easter Holiday. I got to see St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin, “Wicked” (the musical) in London, and snow in Inverness. The trip was incredible. I can’t decide which city I like more: Dublin, Edinburgh or London. My best friend and my mom came over to see me, so I also got a little taste of home in the process. When I got back, though, classes were in full swing.

My acting class had its final rehearsals and performance. We finally managed to nail down an ending five minutes before the first of the two showings. I can’t describe how scary and how much fun the whole class was. Needless to say, I have some great experiences under my belt to help with my future in acting, and the writing class was just as rewarding. I honestly didn’t know I could write that well. Granted, the pieces created in the class aren’t profound works of art, but they are definitely starting points for some of my best creativity. My American history course wound up nicely. We went a little further in history than I expected, but it’s been fascinating to see an outsider’s perspective on American history.

The city of Brighton is absolutely gorgeous. It’s wonderful to go into town, especially now that the weather has warmed up and I can enjoy the beach. The annual Brighton Fest is on now, so there are loads of things to do during the day and night. It’s a great place to be for school and just for fun. Things have been a little hectic around here lately, and I’ve been pretty busy with all the papers and tests. But classes are finally over, all the papers are done and turned in, and all I have left to do is study for one final exam. It’s a great relief and a sad truth. I’m glad to have a break from the work and excited that I’ll be going home soon, but it also means that I will have to leave Brighton. I’ll have time to see a few more places in London before I start packing up my room.

I have met many wonderful students and amazing teachers and will leave behind several friends. But I comfort myself with the memories of this life-changing experience. I thank you all once again from the bottom of my heart for making this trip possible for me. I cannot convey the depth of gratitude I feel for everyone’s support. I feel like I have gotten to know myself a little bit better while I’ve been over here, and I look forward to returning and sharing my experiences with everyone in person. God bless and see you soon!

Cheers!
Katie Robert

 

April Update

Dear All,

My first two months here in the UK have been a wonderful experience so far. I have met many new people, tried new things, and been to wonderful places. The students in my classes are very open and welcoming. I thoroughly enjoy getting to talk to them about their own studies and interests here. Many of the students I have met outside of class are doing American Studies here at the University of Sussex, and the fact that they have an entire degree dedicated to studying the many facets of America is interesting. The American studies course allows the students to study for a whole year in the United States, and I have already met one student who has studied at UGA and another student who will study at UGA next year. My American History class is fascinating. My professor is very enthusiastic and energetic and makes the learning the concepts of American history. I even get to attend a lecture and then meet the writer of one of my texts for the course.

My acting class has become challenging, but I love it. I have never worked with straight acting theatre before, so the whole class is a new experience for me. The work I do includes, research on the author of the stories we are devising out play from, movement choreography, and performance. The class as a whole gets to experiment with ideas on what kin of story we are going to tell, what information we will use, and how to present the finished product. I can’t wait to see where the whole process takes us. There is a lot of talent in my class, and it’s exciting to see what we can do as a group.

My writing for theatre class is pushing me to work in another way that I have never done before as well. The professor and the class are very supportive and helpful in improving my writing skills, and the play texts we are studying are completely different from anything I have ever read. It’s great to see writing used in ways I never thought possible. And the analysis of post-modern play writes is helping me to rethink my own writing and possibly brave new styles of writing myself.

I recently got to go traveling a bit with a university planned trip to Stonehenge and Bath. I got lots of awesome pictures at Stonehenge, and, even though it was horribly windy, I had a great time out there. I also got to see the Roman Baths and hot springs before exploring the city, but my camera battery died and, sadly, wasn’t able to get any pictures while in Bath. Bath was pretty busy when I was up there, and the long bus ride gave me a great scenic tour of some of the English countryside. It was absolutely gorgeous. It was fun to see so many historical sites and architecture folded right in with modern life. My next bit of traveling is only about a week away and I am beyond excited. I will get to travel all over Ireland, England, and Scotland while I am here during Easter vacation. I get a whole month of exploring some of the most beautiful lands in Europe. I can’t wait to get out there on my own and see what else this wonderful world has in store for me. I hope to come back with tons of pictures and great stories for everyone. Well, that’s all I have for now. I just wonder what I will have to tell next time I write.

Cheers, Katie Robert

 

Jan. 22, 2008 - Arrival and Adjustments

Greetings to everyone from the beautiful, sea-side city of Brighton! It's amazing to think that I have already been here for two and a half weeks! The time seems to have flown by with all the activities and adjustments. You wouldn't really think there would be much adapting to do, considering England is an English-speaking country, but the subtle differences are numerous.

I had a bit of a rough start getting here. The landing made me sick, and I wound up having to lug around two large suit cases by myself for a while. Thankfully, however, there were many, very nice people who pointed me in the right directions and even helped me carry my luggage down steps and onto trains. I actually spent my first night in a hotel in Brighton across the street from the Brighton pier. It was a beautiful sight at sunset with all the rides and arcades and pubs lit up out on the water. The next day, I finished the last leg of the journey with a short train ride into Falmer where the University of Sussex campus is actually located. The campus is small in comparison to UGA, but it is just as busy and exciting during the week. As soon as I got on track with the classes and the cooking, I found the University of Sussex to be a truly exciting and engaging place to be. I already love it here.

One thing I had to get used to is the fact that everything on campus (except one campus store) shuts down on the weekends. Everyone either goes into Brighton or heads up to London, but there is still plenty to do. The interactions between the students and teachers is a bit more relaxed as well. Most of the time, classes are just a free form discussion over readings and concepts important to the course, and there is a lot more personal study put into understanding the material. There aren't quizzes or papers graded every week, so the pressure is limited only to keeping up with the readings and outside work, which is be demanding enough on its own. However, the differences are what the experience is all about, and they make the time and the effort worth giving. I must say, I am truly enjoying the challenge of working in this different methos of university studies.

I have only done a bit of sight-seeing since being here. I have been into Brighton a few times to visit the local pubs and do some shopping, and the atmosphere is not unlike Atlanta on any day except people tend to stroll more. Everything is a bit slower around here, and it is nice to have a calmer air about you. London, however, moved just as quickly as New York City. There were signs for plays, shows, restaurants, etc. everywhere, and there was a general buzz of energy drifting about. My friends and I got to visit the market district on Portobello Road and the Globe Theatre and had a wonderful time traversing the streets and tubes of London. I can't wait to see more of the city and the gorgeous English countryside while I am here.

Alas, I have nothing more to report as of now. But I promise, many adventures and explorations lie ahead of me, and I plan to meet then head on, which will make for interesting updates in the future. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all at the Alumni Association again for your support. I would not have gotten here without it. I look forward to writing again. Cheers!

Katie Robert

 

Thank You Letter, Dec. 5, 2007

Dear Ms. Dietzler,

Thank you so much for granting me the Alumni Association scholarship. You have no idea how amazing this is for me. I could hardly believe my eyes when I received Ms. Larson's email, and it still seems like a dream. The one thing that could have held me back from this trip was the expense, but now I have the chance of a life time! My excitement is beyond words! I never thought anything like this could ever happen to me. Please, if there is anything I can do to repay you for your kindness, just let me know. I plan to send Ms. Larson, as well as my friends and family, periodic updates and pictures of my activities. I would like to include you on my list of update recipients, if you don't mind. I can't guarantee any grand adventures, but I will do my best to share my experiences. Please convey my deepest gratitude to all those who made this scholarship possible. I look forward to meeting you in person one day and getting to tell you of my study abroad experience. Thank you again.

Sincerely,
Katie Robert