Central College Abroad - Study & Intern Abroad in Wales

Waking up in my own bedroom in Bangor, I anticipate the drawing back of my window curtain for in the distance are the peaks of Snowdonia National Park. Every morning is different but always more beautiful. I make a fresh cup of tea or coffee, hop into my shower, and then walk about seven minutes to the Main Arts building for class. Also called "Hogwarts", Main Arts sits on display for all of Bangor and draws students in with it's gothic-cathedral looking facade, huge library, computer facilities, and terrace cafe overlooking downtown.

After only two lecutres and a break in between for lunch and an email check, I go back to my building, maybe catch some of my flatmates, and then hit the pavement for an afternoon run to the Isle of Anglesey which sits across the Menai Strait. Hoping to see Kate Middleton at the Anglsey grocery store, Waitrose, I stop in for a moment.

Cooking some chicken, rice, and vegetables in the kitchen, my flat mates remind me that I can make the last inter-hall soccer game on the tennis courts just outside our building after my program class which starts at 6:30 p.m.

After another very enjoyable class with our amazing director, Tecwyn Vaughn Jones, I join the last soccer match of the night.

I try and hit the sack early because the next day is my Outdoor Pursuits class and we are going surfing, or sea level traversing. I also need rest for the upcoming long weekend visit with our program to Ireland where we will be visiting Dublin, Galway, and renting bikes on the Aran Islands for a day! I'm bummed I'll be missing Penrallt Baptist Church's last free student dinner at Faith Cafe but I'm so thankful for their welcoming arms to short term students at Bangor. They have become more than a community, but family and friends. I have found my faith more in that place than they will ever fully know.

Life in Bangor is not only good, it's great. I can't believe how much culture can be experienced in such a seemingly remote country. Just today I was sitting in between two students in the computer lab, one who had her screen in Arabic, the other who was talking to her mother in French on facebook. I was kicking myself for not taking the offered Welsh intensive course! My Spanish speaking skills have came in handy last weekend when I visited Spain with some friends but I still should have taken the opportunity our program offered at the start of the semester.

Nonetheless, my experience at Bangor has changed my life from the inside out. From people and places, to travelling every other weekend with our American program (paid for by Central College), and going on personal adventures in between to Spain, France, Scotland, and Austria, my time here will live on still when I return to the U.S.A. where I can relay what I have seen, heard, and felt in various ways through studying abroad in Wales.

After coming back to the States from studying abroad in Wales and traveling all over Europe during my three week long Spring Break I am definitely missing certain aspects of life abroad. One such thing is the public transportation system. Public trains and buses were a godsend when traveling and their inexpensive cost was aided by the fact that most of us got student discounts. Although not as convenient as having a personal car, public transportation made getting from place to place easy in a culture where gas prices are extremely high and classes for driver’s education are expensive and difficult. Another thing I miss most about Wales is the pub scene. Drinking in Wales can be very casual and the pubs were a great place to chill with friends and have a casual drink. I consider pubs very different from the bars in the United States because I would much prefer the atmosphere of a pub over the bar scene. I also miss the feeling of being a foreigner, strange as that may sound. I miss the attention that being American gave me when hanging out with my Welsh friends; to be the one with the accent. I never felt like an outcast as an American in a Welsh culture but rather the center of intense questioning about American culture and the way we did things, what I did for fun and what college was like.
I learned a lot while I was abroad and some lessons were greater than others and I’ll take them with me as I get older, ones I can never forget. Outdoor Pursuits was an amazing experience and where I learned the most about myself and my limits. There were times that I didn’t want to do the activity because I just was either scared or afraid of what could happen. I got hung up on the “what if” of the moment and I learned to just let go and take a leap of faith (literally sometimes). I learned that I’ll try most anything once and I’ll always keep an open mind. I learned I stay calm in stressful situations and take everything I hear with a grain of salt. I learned about other cultures and how stereotypes can really be jokingly false and how my perception of “foreign” became somewhat “familiar” by the end of my journey.
I learned a lot from my study abroad experience and there are so many things that I will never forget. People, places, and so many adventures are burned into my memory taking me back to those experiences every time I close my eyes. I only hope I can inspire people to do the same as I did and take the opportunity to study abroad since it is literally a once in a lifetime chance and is well worth everything you put into it. I can’t think of a time in my life where I felt more excited, anxious, accomplished, lucky, and bewildered in my life.

Studying in Wales was my first time living abroad and it was the best place I could have chosen! Bangor University isn't some huge university in a giant city; and this definitely works in the program's favor. While it is not small, it allows you to get accustomed to the city easily and get to know other students as well. The flat living style also makes it easy to get to know the people you are living with. The social scene here is probably one of my favorite things - there is always something to do and it's a lot cheaper than the bigger cities in the UK.
Also, the scenery here is amazing. That in itself is worth coming to Wales. Through the Outdoor Pursuits class you gain a real appreciation for where you are. Coming from Iowa it is so exciting to walk to class and see mountains.
There is not one negative thing I have to say about this program or my time abroad. Wales is a great place to study and if you're on the fence about studying abroad- get off and come to Wales!

Studying abroad through Central College's program was probably the best decision I have ever made. I was given the opportunity to take an introductory Neuropsychology course, which is not offered at Central. Through their program, Central offers a course called Outdoor Pursuits. Throughout my semester abroad, one day a week we participated in numerous outdoor activities including gorge scrambling, mountain scrambling, surfing, and many others. This opportunity was unique to my past experience as I am from Iowa, where no mountains exist, nor are we close to the ocean. The program places students within flats that house the general student population of Bangor University, which allowed me to integrate myself into their culture and make some great friends with whom I still keep in touch. We toured many castles, and went on a weekend trip to Cardiff and a 5-day trip to Ireland. Though I struggled with homesickness at times, the feelings that occurred while I was homesick were nothing compared to the fun and experiences I had while I was in Bangor.

The people in my program became my family because we were all we had for a support system. I count some of them as my closest friends. I joined the hockey team and suddenly had 120 new friends, guys and girls, knew people all over Bangor, had something to fill my time and keep me active and they showed me a local side of the social scene. I learned how to surf, rock climb, I climbed mountains on a day off, I played hide-and-seek in castles, and I learned how to use the train system and became a huge fan of public transit. I understand the history of Wales, the customs of Wales, and the distinct culture. I can tell a lot of castles apart by a quick glance at a picture and know their individual histories. I have the utmost fondness for Wales as a country, Snowdonia as a region, and Bangor as a community. I did not have as much culture shock entering their culture as I did leaving it and returning to my own. It is still hard for me sometimes, and that's nearly a year after returning. I can go back to Bangor, but I can't go back to the times I had. Overall, I would not have missed it for a million dollars. Or pounds.

I spent 4 1/2 months in Bangor, Wales and will never be the same again. I loved the university that I attended while there. I was easily able to take classes that fulfilled requirements in the States and they were challenging but not overly so. But what I most enjoyed were my experiences with the people. I made so many great friends in my time there and those friendships have carried over. I am still in contact with my flat mates and a coach that I played for while in Wales. If you want an incredible experience that will change you forever then check out the Bangor,Wales study abroad program through Central College.

I studied at Bangor University for a full academic year through the study abroad program at my school in the US. I absolutely loved everything about Bangor! I made great friends, had some awesome times and was really challenged by the academics. I had the opportunity to take classes within my major that I would have never had access to back home, and it was interesting to see academics done in a different place. From Bangor, it was easy to travel anywhere in Europe, and in my nine months there I saw so much of the world. The best part of my experience was living in a flat with seven other Bangor University students. We made great friends, and this became the center of my social life. I'm looking at going back to the UK for graduate school because I loved my experience so much!

Being abroad for a semester is great; you live in another country, you travel the world, you meet new people. Studying abroad also, however, has a down side. At least for me, I had a lot of alone time to do nothing. Study abroad is not nonstop traveling. There were days that I sat in my room, watched tv, and got on facebook. It is a give and take thing: you sacrifice some friends and family back home for a semester, as well as the activities your home university offered, for the chance to travel the world and try new things. It is a great way to step out of your shell, and learn about who you are away from the people you've always been around. In Bangor, I took part in a course called Outdoor Pursuits, where I took advantage of the landscape and participated in activities such as rock climbing, mountain climbing, canoeing, kayaking, and surfing. It was a great experience to be active and learn for college credit. Overall, Wales was a great experience. I missed home, but I used the time I had to learn about myself, and who I wanted to be.