Just the Beginning...

Disclaimer: Any of the views or opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own and do not necessarily reflect those of the US-UK Fulbright Commission or the University of Exeter.

Hello there! You have stumbled onto my blog about my Fulbright experience and you're probably wondering what this is all about. So first, a little background:

My name is Katelyn and I am about to embark on a journey that will take me from a small suburban corner of southwestern New Jersey to a much bigger urban corner of southwestern England. I'm a junior college student majoring in History and Philosophy & Religion at Rowan University. Several months ago, two wonderful history professors at Rowan, Dr. Blake and Dr. Carrigan, recommended that I apply for a UK Fulbright Summer Institute grant for one of nine institutes. After carefully researching each of them, I chose the University of Exeter Summer Institute. This particular institute runs for four weeks from 13 July to 10 August. The first week is a Fulbright week which focuses on the themes of Leadership, Environmental Sustainability, and the Southwest of England. For the remaining three weeks, I will be studying on one of eight credit-rated pathways at the University of Exeter International Summer School, the Global and Imperial History pathway.

Exeter appealed to me because of its International Summer School (ISS) programme. After taking a look at the detailed schedule of the Global and Imperial History pathway on the school's website, I knew that I had found the perfect fit for me. Exeter's ISS programme also has a number of cultural and social activities that appealed to me, including a three-day orientation and social programme in London and day trips to places such as Stonehenge, Bath, St. Ives, and the Eden Project. The university's high academic standing in the UK also encouraged my decision.

After I had chosen my institute, I finished my application and sent it to the US-UK Fulbright Commission in the beginning of March. A little over a month later, I was notified that I had been shortlisted and would be interviewed over the telephone for a place on the programme. After I completed the interview, the only thing that was left to do was wait anxiously for the Commission's decision.

I didn't have to wait long. I received an email offering me a place on the Fulbright University of Exeter Summer Institute in the beginning of May. I was ecstatic. The programme is extremely competitive, so I felt proud to have been nominated.

I will be joining three other Fulbright Summer Institute participants in Exeter. I have corresponded with them via Facebook and email and I'm very excited to meet them in person. We will all be studying together for the Fulbright week. Once the ISS starts up, we will each be studying on a different pathway, but we'll still attend most of the social programs together, along with around 150 other students that will be joining us from all over the world.

So that about wraps up the background information. From here on out, I will be posting fun anecdotes about my UK experiences and hopefully a few pictures as well.

Tomorrow, I begin my Fulbright Experience, to which this blog will be dedicated. Tomorrow, I will gather my things, extricating them out from under the watchful eye of my fluffy Chihuahua. Tomorrow I will say goodbye to aforementioned fluffy Chihuahua. Tomorrow, my parents and grandparents will help me pack up the car and drive me to the airport. Tomorrow, I will say goodbye to my family. It will be sad, but I’ll be back soon enough. Tomorrow, I will say hello to a new country, new faces, and new friends.

Hello, tomorrow.

For more information about the US-UK Fulbright Commission and how to apply for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, visit: http://www.fulbright.org.uk/

For more information about the University of Exeter, the International Summer School, and other great academic programs offered there, visit: http://www.exeter.ac.uk/

For more information about my particular program, visit: http://www.fulbright.org.uk/fulbright-awards/exchanges-to-the-uk/undergraduates/university-of-exeter