Fordham Abroad - London Centre

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to study abroad in London during my college career. So when my first semester of junior year was finishing up and I still hadn’t done this, I had a minor freak out; how can I study abroad before I graduate?

“Have no fear,” Fordham’s International & Study Abroad Programs (lovingly known as ISAP) website seemed to tell me last November as I scrambled to find out what I could do. And then I discovered I could study in London before my senior year at Fordham for four weeks in the summer. Perfect!

Big Ben in typical London weather

And it truly was perfect. I was required to take one liberal arts course, and I chose Writing for Magazines. For a few days a week, my class met at Heythrop College, where Fordham London Centre is located. We got to do so many incredible things for the class, including seeing a play called “McQueen” and interviewing the show’s stars afterwards. We also got to meet up with Fordham alumni who are now living and working in London, and they gave us tours of their neighborhoods. We got to see a whole new side of London that most tourists don’t get to see.

Of course, I also partook in the traditional touristy London and English activities; I rode the London Eye, visited Windsor Castle, stopped at Stonehenge, saw a couple West End shows, and ate lots of delicious pub fare. It was everything I wanted out of my study abroad experience and more.

Stonehenge rocks!

Additionally, spending four weeks abroad turned out to be the perfect amount of time for me. A semester would have had me missing my family, friends, and Fordham, so four weeks gave me just the right amount of time away to get me acquainted with London without feeling so homesick.

Notting Hill's adorable houses

Even if you can't spare a semester to study abroad, Fordham's ISAP allow you to spend a short time in a foreign city that could fulfill all your study abroad dreams!

Studying Abroad in Italy!

This past semester (Fall 2014) I was lucky enough to have the experience of a lifetime and study abroad! I spent some of the most amazing months of my life studying and living in the beautiful city of Florence, Italy.  I had taken Italian language classes for all four semesters of both my freshman and sophomores years at Fordham so Italy was an obvious choice in my case!

The process of studying abroad began in the Fall of my sophomore year, I set up a meeting with an advisor in Fordham's study abroad office (ISAP) to discuss all of my options.  I knew that I wanted to go to Italy but I was not sure what program or what city I wanted to be in.  This meeting was extremely helpful, the advisor showed me how to use ISAP's website in order to discover the numerous programs Fordham has agreements with all over the world. I soon found the Syracuse Florence program and quickly applied and soon after got confirmation that I would soon be embarking on the trip of a lifetime.  ISAP helped me tremendously in the months leading up to my departure with countless things, such as pre-departure meetings, helping to pick classes that would transfer, and general questions about absolutely anything regarding my future home or program.

                                                                               Florence is beautiful! 

I left for Italy on September 1st and was soon in Florence, definitely nervous and jet lagged, but also very ready to see what the city had to offer! I soon moved in with my host family, all students in the Syracuse Florence program live with host families except for Architecture students.  I could not have asked for a better family, they welcomed me in as one of their own and included me in their daily life.  I never felt uncomfortable or like I was intruding, I definitely believe that living with a host family helped me tremendously when it came to immersing myself into the culture and becoming comfortable with the language.                                          After a long hike in the beautiful Cinque Terre! 

During my time in Florence I took five classes at Syracuse's campus, an old villa on the outskirts of town that is absolutely beautiful. When I wasn't in class I took full advantage of the cheap and numerous travel options that Europe has to offer.  I got the amazing opportunity to travel to so many new places. I went all throughout Italy, traveling both North and South, to places like Sicily, Ferrara, Venice, Parma, Torino, and Cinque Terre.  I also got the opportunity to travel throughout Europe on many occasions.  Outside of Italy I was lucky enough to travel to Budapest, Vienna, Poland, Prague, London, and Copenhagen!

Some friends and I in Prague 

I would not trade my abroad experience for anything and I am so happy I got the chance to travel the world and truly experience another culture as amazing as the one I found in Florence! Fordham ISAP was extremely helpful in all aspects of the process not only before my departure but also while I was abroad and upon my return in terms of getting all transfer credits.

For further information on Fordham numerous study abroad programs you can visit ISAP's website at: http://www.fordham.edu/studyabroad

Study Abroad: finding the right fit for you!

I know that when looking at schools, study abroad is a big factor for a lot of kids. I know that every tour I went on, without fail, at least one person would ask about study abroad programs.

Coming to Fordham, I knew that I wanted to study abroad, but I just wasn’t sure what program was right for me. I convinced myself that a semester was what I wanted and planned for that. As the date approached, I became nervous and when I sat down with my parents to talk about it, I realized that 4 months was too long for me personally. At first I was upset, thinking that study abroad was now completely off the table. I made an appointment with the study abroad office, and my experience with them was great! They assured me that there were still other options, and I could still get the study abroad experience without going for a semester.

Fordham offers 4 programs in 3 cities. There is a Fordham London program for both Rose Hill and Gabelli students, a Granada, Spain program, and a Pretoria, South Africa program. The study abroad office is super helpful and gives out regular presentations and information sessions on the different programs offered.

Where am I going, you ask? I’m in between two programs, both in Italy. I’ll either go to Florence or Rome, and I’ve researched two different programs, one in each city and I love both! If a Fordham program isn’t right for you, you can go through another school. I’m super stuck between the two but it’s a good kind of stuck, I know I’ll make a great decision either way! Whether you want to study abroad for a semester, for a summer, or even for a year, Fordham has great programs and the office is super helpful with any questions you may have. Bon voyage!

My roommate Xia Madonis who studied abroad through the Fordham London program!