SCSU: Live and Study in a Castle! Alnwick, England (2024)

This past semester has been the best 3 months of my life. I not only was able to travel to 8 different countries because of England's prime location, but I made lifelong friends. Yes, I know that sounds cliche but it's true! The unique thing about this program is that you literally eat, sleep, and go to school in a castle. Nothing makes you feel better than walking through the gated entrance of the castle you get to call your home as security unlocks the old wooden doors, making you feel like royalty. The only downside was that I never saw the Duke and duch*ess who lived there with us! Although, we did get a private tour of their living quarters before the castle was open to the public...
The best thing this unique program has to offer is the fact that a St. Cloud State faculty member lives at the castle year-round, making your transition easier. He was always available for questions, travel advice, or just a friendly face who forced you into doing events within the community. My biggest fear about studying abroad was being thrown into a different country with no one there to help me. Having a faculty member there with us throughout the semester eased any worry I had and was a great resource.
The education piece of my study abroad experience was unique as well. Half of the classes offered were taught by British professors and the other half were taught by St. Cloud State professors who traveled to Alnwick with us. The British professors taught "British related'" classes whereas the SCSU teachers taught their own classes from back home. It was amazing to be able to intertwine both the British culture and the American culture in an educational experience. All of the teachers worked together to try and get different parts of their classes to correlate. We also only had class Monday through Thursday. Every Friday we took field trips to different parts of the country. We went as far north as Edinburgh, Scotland and as far south as York, England. Each field trip was its own unique experience, no two trips were ever the same. An extra day without class wasn't so bad either...
My favorite experience from studying abroad in Alnwick, England was going out to the local pubs and hanging out with the other students. Because Alnwick is a smaller town, every time we went out we were able to meet up with people we had previously met and made relationships that lasted long into the semester. Every time we went out we met someone new and someone old which made for a great experience. It made making friends really easy and really comfortable.
I am so glad I was able to study abroad as a freshman in college. I think it is something everyone should have the opportunity to do! This past semester gave me new experiences and submerged me in new cultures I never thought I would encounter. Alnwick will definitely see my face again one day!

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I absolutely fell in love with England and the freedom of traveling on this trip! We were given the opportunity to go on a field trip every Friday, where natives of the area helped us explore all of the beauty the United Kingdom has to offer. But what really stands out to me about this experience was how studying abroad changed me personally; I never before had realized how much was truly out there. I grew up in a very secluded, rural Mid-Western community, that handed me all of the comforts small town USA has to offer. I was always rather content with my safe, little town, hidden in a corner away from the rest of the world. I spent every night at the hometown football game, rooting on our boys and every Sunday at church with all of my next door neighbors. I was both blessed and cursed with the love and close-mindedness of a small town. But after I decided to study abroad on a whim, I discovered how much of the world I was really missing, and how different people from different cultures really make this world quite lovely. I suppose traveling and leaving my comfort zone in hopes of finding something a little more set a fire off inside of me; I am no longer content to sit back and watch the world pass before me: I want to be part of that world. I want to continue to discover, create, imagine, dream, and fall in love with the new places I go and the unique people I'll meet. If I attempted summarize my experience briefly I would say this: I finally learned how it feels to go with the wind, to disregard any previous inhibitions and just free fall, and I fell in love with England. If that in't the world's purest beauty, what is?

21 years after living in Alnwick Castle, some of my closest friends today are the people I lived with then. I changed my major as a result of living in the castle and am so happy that I did. I've been an Anglophile my whole life, so having this chance to live in an English castle was kind of like a fairy tale. And that was BEFORE Harry Potter and Downtown Abbey were filmed there and it's popularity exploded! Now it is even more of a destination to visit, and to say I lived there is priceless. A college study abroad program is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I think everyone should take advantage of if they can. I'm forever grateful for the friends and the memories I made during my time there.

I would HIGHLY recommend this program to anyone who is interested in studying abroad. Yes, I'm a little biased as I went to Alnwick myself; however, the program really is that great. How many people can say they've lived in the Harry Potter castle?! The weekly field-trips allow you to explore all over England and Scotland, and because of them, you are able to see many aspects of the United Kingdom that you might miss out on if you attend a program in a bigger city. Speaking of bigger cities, there are many opportunities to visit larger areas (like the longer group trip to London, for example). Newcastle is great for shopping, visiting historical sites, or just a night out, and is only a short bus ride away. Edinburgh is also an awesome nearby destination--the train ride there is beautiful enough in itself to make the trip worth it. The Alnwick program also has time set aside for students to travel on their own, so you really get the full European experience. When you are in the town of Alnwick, you really become a part of the community. Instead of constantly being surrounded by fellow American students, you really immerse yourself in everything British. The townspeople are so welcoming and you quickly develop friendships that will last a lifetime. In all, Alnwick is an experience like no other. That being said, again, I highly recommend the program to anyone looking to have an adventure abroad.

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