Randolph College Abroad: Program in England

I graduated from Randolph-Macon Woman's College in 1977, and thoroughly enjoyed my junior year abroad at the Univ of Reading. The program was academically challenging, and the tutorial format made me stretch to think for myself.

Living among, and socializing with, the English students led to close, lifelong friendships. It also broadened my view of the USA and of the world - let's say it awakened my global awareness.

The opportunity to travel across Europe for weeks at a time was one which I will always cherish.

I recommend studying abroad to everyone, and I recommend the Randolph College experience because of the safe and supportive framework that it provides for its students abroad.

I was very excited by the prospects of being able to study abroad, but this program really exceeded my expectations in terms of experience. I highly recommend going for the full year because after the first semester you finally feel more acclimated to the country and social norms and start becoming more integrated into the community. The year abroad gave me the opportunity to join clubs and teams, make real lasting friendships, as well as travel more. I was the first one in my family to go abroad (non-military) and it was such an eye-opening experience. It changed me and my perspective of the world for the better and gave me chance to explore different thoughts and ideals.

My year at Reading (1972-73) was the best year of my life. I loved Britain and the British and have returned several times. I did not want to return home. Broadening my horizons was invaluable and travelling the world as a student is totally different than as an older adult. It was an experience that cannot be repeated. All students should spend time abroad.

Where to begin? The houses are great as a base of operations (and when you need some 'American' time). The 17 bus comes by every 10mins to take you into town. Walk or ride one of the house bikes to class. Reading has a great campus! 360, the uni nightclub is fun, and there is a good gym, as well as sports clubs - I did Ultimate Frisbee & Equestrian team.

Loved the weekend excursions to the Lake district, Stonehenge, Liverpool, etc. Just a great mix of academics (pass/fail system), culture, and socializing! Just go already!

The opportunity to live abroad for a year was absolutely tremendous, and particularly to have done so through such a high quality program. The program is very well run with terrific support staff and academics.

I really loved being there for the entire school year as it offered us a chance to see a broad spectrum of life abroad and really forced us to make it 'home' as opposed to just an extended trip.

It was such a great year. Reading is a short train ride from London and Oxford, allowing study in both. I learned so much in the classroom and out.

I came to Reading/R-MWC from a large, state school. My year in Reading absolutely changed my life, and it is a year about which I have absolutely no regrets. The people were incredible. Living in England in 141 Whiteknights is something I still miss, and I learned so much that year. Some of the best professors of my life were in Reading, and I was able to really get the most out of my education, taking everything from American Literature (in England!) to a final-year Environmental Biology class.

Being there a year made all the difference. We were able to immerse ourselves in "life at Reading," and because of that, I made friendships that endure to this day, and we all meet up every year or so for a "mini reunion."

I looked at a lot of study abroad programs when I was planning on transferring. This one was the absolute best -- program history, strong academics, great support, the whole shebang -- and I'm thankful every day that I made the decision to transfer and not only become part of the R-MWC family, but part of the long history of R-MWC Readingites.

I wish that I could express how much my year in Reading meant to me, but there are no words for how this program changed my life. It has been 14 years since I left the program, and the memories from that year are still so vivid. The education that you receive through this program and from immersing yourself in English culture for a full year is like no other. Reading is just a half hour from London by train, so you can easily access everything the historical, phenomenal city has to offer. It's also just a short distance from Oxford, Bath, and everywhere else in Great Britain and Europe, so the education that you receive from travel alone is worth every penny. I consider the professors who run the program to be among the best that I have had. And living in the three houses just outside of the University of Reading campus afforded us access to everything on campus and the freedom to explore the city around it.