The Next Four Months

“You find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.”

-Samuel Johnson

It's getting closer!  In less than 12 days, I will be on a plane heading to the city that I will call home for the next four months of my life. It does not seem real that I am getting the opportunity to spend a semester of my life in London.

I realize that I get extremely excited about something, but don't always go into detail about it.  So I am devoting this blog post to explain what my semester in London is all about.

Where I will be studying...

This isn't your normal study abroad program.  I am actually not studying at another school.  I am still 100% a student of Mississippi College.  MC has a completely unique London Semester Program.  As it was explained to me: "It's like you pick up MC and put it back down in London."   The professors are hired by MC; the money is handled by MC; and the credit is given by MC.

What classes I will be studying...

This semester, I will have the privelege of studying with 3 British professors and 2 of Mississippi College's finest instructors in a few different core classes.  Each class will meet once a week with several "CREs (Course Related Excursions)", where we will be outside of the classroom and experiencing what we are learning.

London History and Culture

It's basically all in the title.  This class will be taught by an extremely knowledgeable British couple. (Not to mention, Mr. Rumblelow is an expert in Jack the Ripper).  From what I hear, we will only be in a classroom one day.  The rest of the meetings will be spent exploring London and really learning what it is all about.

Theatre

Ah...the class I am looking forward to the most!  The British professor over this course has been an editor of a prestigious London theatre magazine.  As part of the class, we will spend several nights in a theater watching different productions.  Hmm..I wonder if I can get brownie points for going to see so many extra shows...I can't wait for this class!

Art

London has so many different museums and beautiful works of art within the city.  This course is taught by another British professor who knows her stuff.  Half of each class will be spent in the classroom; the other half will be spent in the museums seeing the actual pieces about which we are learning.

Chemistry

This class will be taught by one of MC's best professors whom I've grown to love over the past few months.  Dr. Parks has been the director of the London Semester Program for several years and we all see it as an honor to get to see London with him.  Not to mention, his super sweet wife will be joining us!

British Literature

What better way to learn about Brit Lit than actually being in Great Britain?!  This class is taught by one of the coolest professors employed by MC.  He is super passionate about his subject, and has some really unique things planned for us.

Who else is going...

This is the group of the 22 Mississippi College students jumping over the pond next semester.  So many different personalities is sure to create an interesting, but amazing time.

Where I will be staying...

We will spend the majority of our semester living in The Celtic Hotel. (pronounced "sell-tick")  It's more like a bed and breakfast than your average hotel.  All of my friends who have gone on the London Semester before have said that I will feel like the Celtic is home. Thanks to Kathryn Daniels for the picture..I stole it from her Facebook.

The rest of the semester will be spent either on Spring tour or living with a British family and seeing what a British home is really like!  I'm a little nervous for this part, but spending a few nights with South African families was extremely rewarding, so I can't wait for this!

What I will be reading...

Okay, so you probably don't care, but I want to share.

My Utmost for His Highest

by Oswald Chambers

Several of my friends who have gone on the Semester Program before have recommended getting a devotional book for my time in London.  "My Utmost" has been on my reading list for a while. It's a daily devotional that has been around for over 100 years.  I'll start it on January 1 and hopefully keep using it all year.

The Screwtape Letters and Mere Christianity

by C.S. Lewis

I have recently become fascinated by C.S. Lewis and his ministry and thoughts on Christianity. These are two amazing books that I have recently bought, and what better place to read them than in Lewis's own hometown?  If I finish these, I plan on picking up C.S. Lewis's The Great Divorce while I'm over there also.

Mrs. Dalloway 

by Virginia Wolfe

I will be reading this novel along with my 21 classmates as part of Dr. Price's British Literature class.  The book is set in London and we will get to see each of the locations Mrs. Dalloway visits int he novel.

Other places I will be seeing...

Another awesome thing about the MC London Semester is that we won't only be in London for four months.  We have other opportunities to venture out of the city and see places like Oxford, Cambridge, and other places near London.

Our "spring break" will be an 8 day Spring Tour.  We haven't been told the specific tour locations yet, but past groups have gotten to go to Wales, the Lake District, and Scotland. Who knows where we will end up?

Also, we have a four day "free weekend" where we will be free to spend that time for our own pleasure!  Right now, the plan is that two friends and I are going to take a quick flight to Rome and spend this weekend exploring this amazing Italian city. Maybe I should learn a little Italian before then...

So this is going to be my life for the next four months.  Even though it's only 12 days away, it still does not feel like reality.  It's really strange to know that I will be leaving the MC Bubble until August.  

So please, stay in touch!  I really would like a letter or a Skype date every once in a while!  You know that my camera will be glued to my side every minute, so keep checking Facebook!  I will also try to blog weekly, but you know how that goes. 

Happy 2012 everyone!

Micheal

My Year in Photos Part 4

I feel like three parts could not do this year justice, especially for the last part.  So here are a few more pictures from this past year.

In 2011...

...we chose an awesome Sweetheart.

...Milly and I became friends because we kept randomly seeing each other. :)

...most of my free time was spent hanging in a hammock.

 ...somehow, this picture happened.

...my parents built and awesome new house.

...I learned a lot from this guy.

...Mary Thomas and I fought over the oar.

...The MC Bubble had some weird weather.

...I got paid to take pictures.

....ChaseRichardson_photobooths were all the rage.

...a Twitter campaign got Katie Boles onstage with Dave Barnes.

...I had a legit roomie.

...I had Paca the Pinata in my dorm.

..I spent 4th of July watching fireworks on the side of a mountain.

...somebody whined about not making the blog.

...we did some heavy recruiting for MC.

...Miss Rose still won't accept my marriage proposal.

...Anna loved when I would take close-ups of her.

...Christmas came twice!

...I taught my nephew the right things.

...I met some amazing freshmen kids.

...Timothy Gatewood rocked being VP of Shawreth.

...I've been preparing to go to London with this awesome group of people!

My Year in Photos Part 3: The Last Part

In 2011...

...I got the awesome chance to be Shawreth Historian.

...we grew beards.

...YognFrut opened in Clinton and started taking all of our money.

...I learned how to do the Wobble.

...we continued to fulfill the stereotype.

...I did it like a Choctaw.

...I could not longer make indie jokes about Emily Tolbert.

...a lot of cool freshmen rushed Shawreth.  And the rush party wasn't a disaster.

...I saw Cathy Rigby as Peter Pan and even met her!

...Shawreth follies ROCKED...though the judges did not agree.

...I went to my first Shawreth alumni breakfast. 

...Marianna Fountain was Homecoming Queen!

...I took Joy Bolding to Shawreth Informal at the Brookwood Byram Country Club.

...I got 22 new brothers!

...I got the most legit little.

...we had a Shawreth/ST swap that didn't involve forts or dancing.

...I went to KT Informal with Sarah Robertson.

...I went to ST Informal with Rebecca Milner.

...I went to a Hillsong Concert and saw Laura Michelle Kelly!

...I went to NT Formal in New Orleans with Sarah Thurmon.

...I got a call that a tornado hit my grandmother's house, but they were okay!

...I got to spend some great time with my grandparents!

...some legit brothers and I went to Memphis.

I can't wait for 2012!