During the spring of 2006, I studied at the University of Stirling, Scotland. This program chose me

1
Semester in Scotland University of Stirling,
Scotland Katie Knapp
Introduction
Results
During the spring of 2006, I studied at the
University of Stirling, Scotland. This program
chose me as much as I chose it. I wanted to
learn in English and take courses that would
count for UIUC requirements. Stirlings Media
Studies department was the perfect fit.

• As soon as I arrived in Stirling, I experienced
  the greatest homesickness ever. My flat mates
  were unlike any of my Illinois friends, and I
  worried about what I had gotten into. However,
  with an open mind, I soon became friends with
  them as well as several others from many
  different countries. Stirling has a very large
  percentage of foreign students and therefore,
  catered to us well.
• I took three courses English Lit--Text and
  Context, Advertising, and Media, Society, and
  Culture. They focused much more on reading and
  analyzing the text rather than memorizing facts
  as UIUC courses do. It was a nice change.
• In my spare time I played on the Universitys
  volleyball team. This is how I met most of my
  Scottish friends because all but one of my
  flatemates were international students. I also
  traveled a lot. I went on some weekend trips
  around the UK and Ireland to see the many
  castles, William Wallace monuments, and sheep! I
  also took a couple weeks in the middle and at the
  end of the semester to travel throughout Europe.

Objectives
Spiral staircases are everywhere!

• I did not know quite what to expect as I boarded
  the plane to the UK, however I knew I was in for
  an adventure that would challenge my point of
  view on several levels.
• My goals for the semester were
• to travel around Europe
• gain a better understanding of myself and my
  capabilities
• learn about the cultural differences between the
  Midwest and Scotland including how their media
  differs from ours as I am an ag communications
  major.

University of Stirling has its very own castle.
Materials and Methods
Discussion and Conclusion
I had a wonderful experience at the University of
Stirling. I stayed in university housing, so
this is not the program for you if you want a
home stay. I learned so much while I was there.
My personality changed a bit, and I have
different outlooks on situations now. I did not
expect to learn things about home while I was
there, though. Through my experiences abroad, I
realized things about our Midwestern culture and
my family and friends I had taken for granted or
not even realized before. My semester in
Scotland was the cliché experience of a
lifetime and a life changing experience.
When I chose to study abroad, I had no particular
location in mind. I just knew I wanted to go to
Europe so I could visit other countries, and I
wanted to learn in English. This led me to the
British Exchange Program through the UIUC Study
Abroad Office. I then ranked my top choices of
UK universities, and Stirling topped the list
mainly because it is known for its media studies
program which correlates with my major. The
application process was fairly simple, and I made
my own flight arrangements. The University
provided a shuttle from the airport to campus.
Sheep out number the Scottish.
Site seeing in London.