In a classic Northeastern tale, I’ve just handed in what was only my second class assignment since this time last year.
Having been on co-op during the spring semester, I had not completed coursework since last December before beginning this program. Thankfully, the Hansard Society Scholars program combines both academic and professional experiences and therefore has eased me back into to student life. Through this program, I am enrolled in two classes as an associate student at the London School of Economics and Political Science: Parliament & Politics and Politics & Public Policy.
Parliament and Politics focuses the context, procedures and politics of British parliamentary democracy. This course has been particularly helpful in understanding the British system as, though it is often compared to the United States, the UK is actually quite different. Assignments for this course include one essay and the final exam.
The Politics and Public Policy course is aimed at understanding the basis and implications of public policies such as Universal Credit, public procurement processes and NHS funding. For this course, we are graded on the basis of two policy memos and the final exam.
While there are some small differences in lecture style between professors in the US and UK, the most significant difference is the course structure: in the US, courses typically follow a planned structure with several smaller assignments that lead into a final exam at the end of the course. As seen through my courses on this program, UK courses are not necessarily so neatly laid out.
Though it may seem daunting, having fewer assignments has allowed me to better apply my knowledge from the courses into each and also makes it easier for professors to provide feedback before assignments are due.
Classes on the Hansard Society Scholars program only take place one a week, but it is still easy to build relationships with the professors as they are very responsive to questions and utilize the last thirty minutes of each class session as their office hours. In addition, the classes are only attended by other Hansard Scholars which means they are typically quite small and allow for more individual attention.
Last week I handed in my second assignment of the program, the essay for Parliament and Politics. The fact that this was only my second academic assignment since this time last year is somewhat unbelievable but I am excited to be back in the classroom and am glad that I will be returning to a full Boston course load in the Spring.
After turning in my paper last week, I decided to give myself a break for the weekend as a friend of mine was visiting from Dublin, where she is currently studying abroad. Her visit was a welcome opportunity to do many of the quintessential London things I have failed to since arriving (class & work & travel have all kept me pretty busy!).
On her first day, I brought her into Parliament and gave her my attempt at a tour and treated her to the best hot chocolate in London (found at one of the cafes in Portcullis House). Afterwards, we enjoyed some suspiciously sunny weather on a walk through St James’s park toward Buckingham Palace followed by some traditional pub fare (burgers and Scotch Eggs) in Whitehall.
As a history major, my friend was awed by London which reinforced my belief that this city is a history buff’s paradise. With this in mind, we visited the Churchill War Rooms the next morning. As this was my second visit, I was surprised to find a whole section of the museum I had not seen last time and was truthfully blown away. It is an outstanding museum and may be unseating New York’s Museum of Modern Art as my favorite.
After enjoying the holiday market on the South Bank (it seems early, but holiday decorations go up directly after halloween in the United Kingdom since they don’t have Thanksgiving), we rode the London eye. Unfortunately, Big Ben has been under construction since just before I arrived in the UK, but the view is still spectacular.
To be able to share these things with my friend, whom I met in high school, was incredibly special and I can’t help but be grateful for how many opportunities Northeastern provides students to go overseas.
So many of my experiences abroad have been enhanced by the other students I was traveling with or the friends I met up with along the way. I am lucky enough to have friends who live/work/study all over the world, most of which attend Northeastern.
It is truly a special thing to know that, wherever you’re going, there’s always someone you can ask for recommendations and tips. It feels even more special when the stars align and you end up in the same place at the same time: I’ve seen Northeastern friends in Paris, in Belgrade, London, Germany and so many more places.
Some of my best friends in Boston are people that I met in Bosnia on the Balkans dialogue and my two roommates from co-op, who started out as strangers, are now some of my closest friends.
I am immensely grateful for all of these experiences because, as they say, the people make the place. I find this exceptionally true when traveling abroad as every experience is what you make it and with the right group, it can be spectacular.
On my current program, the other Hansard Scholars have been perhaps my strongest resource for learning given that we come from such diverse backgrounds. This allows for a vibrant social culture among our group, but also lively discussions in class and perspectives we may not be able to get in a normal classroom.
This has enhanced the academic portion of our program beyond measure and helped me to learn more than I thought possible in such a small time frame. Combined with the work experience component, guest lectures and the study visits to Scotland and Wales, my UK academic experience is extremely well rounded.
