My name is Emily Kowalske and I’m a politics student studying here at the IC London Center for the spring semester of my junior year. With only a month left, I have definitely learned and experienced a lot in the time that I’ve spent living and working in London. The defining aspect of my study abroad adventure has been my internship in the office of a Member of Parliament. I know this is a very unique work placement that is highly sought after by other local students and I can understand why. I have gained real-world experience and knowledge working in government and seeing how a different governmental system operates. Not only that, but it has allowed me to make connections with many people from the community and learn about their lives and the issues they’re facing here. My internship in London has definitely helped me to see my future career path clearer and has opened the door to more opportunities for me going forward.
As for classes, this semester at ICLC has been a lot more exciting than my normal classes at Ithaca where I’ve just been sitting in a classroom. Going into this semester, I was unsure of how I would feel about the classes since each session is three hours long. However, just about every class has taken me somewhere new each week, whether it be to a museum or just walking around different parts of town. My classes have allowed me to experience London in a way that I never would have on my own. The classes are also smaller, which means I have gotten to know my classmates better and this has made the learning environment more friendly and welcoming.
