1) Only English and Theater majors can go on ILACA
Wrong: there are thirty people on the program right now, and among them are History, Political Science, French, and Business majors (those are just the ones I can think of currently) along with the English and Theatre ones. It's true that ILACA might not be the perfect program for you if you're a Science or Math major, but if you plan out your courses carefully, it's possible to make the program work for you regardless of what your major is. The courses that are offered are in English, History, Politics, Theater, Art--you name it. Plus, they have the added advantage of being interrelated and taught in the setting they're pertinent to.

2) Why study abroad when I can take the same type of courses at home?
Hands-on education really can't be beat, no matter what you're interested in. We read a Shakespeare play, then we go see it. We learn about the Reformation, then we visit churches that were directly affected by it. We read Dickens and then go to the places his characters went in London. It's an indescribably amazing way to learn; quite different from what we're used to. The line between education and recreation is completely blurred, so that classes are interactive and fun. In my art history course, we spend one hour-long class period looking at slides and getting a background lecture, then later in the week we have a two-hour museum visit to see the actual paintings we've been studying. That beats reading textbooks any day!

3) Study Abroad is expensive
Actually, ILACA is the best value for your money of all the programs by far. I pay UPS tuition, bought a plane ticket, and then I'm responsible for my spending money. Your room and board comes out of your tuition, so if you live on campus, you save that portion of money. We're responsible for our own lunches every day and dinner three nights a week, but with all of the plays you go to, you'll want to be eating out a few nights a week anyway. As for lunches, you can buy groceries and pack your own lunches pretty cheaply. London is an expensive city, especially with the exchange rate being so bad right now, but there's so much included in the program that comes out of your tuition money rather than any extra expenses that I feel it's an incredibly good deal. So far we've seen about a dozen plays, all paid for by the program. Plays can be very expensive and depending on the play, sometimes we'll get the best seats in the house because the program buys them so far in advance. We've been to Scotland, Windsor, Stonehenge, and Bath, also all paid for and organized by the program. We go on countless museum visits and field trips, all of which are also included. Our textbooks are bought by the program, and we can keep them if we choose to. Yes, because you're on a vacation in a sense, you will use a decent amount of spending money, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and as I've said, the program saves you a ton of money on things you'd more than likely want to do anyway.

4) ILACA is a homestay. I don't want to stay with some strange family
In my opinion, a homestay is a much better way to live (than a dorm) while studying abroad. The program directors are very good at matching people up both with roomates and families. In a homestay house, you get a much more authentic experience of British life. You eat British food and watch British TV with your family, and get to see things from the perspective of the average Briton. If you like kids, there are families with young children, the same if you like pets, or don't, or would rather just keep to yourself. Most of the homestay families have been working with the program for years, and will help you get everything you need. Also, you'll be living in an unfamiliar place, and having a solid home life with a family around as well as your roommate can help keep you from getting lonely or homesick as you're adjusting. I'm usually terrible with transitions and can get very lonely, but my homestay family made me feel comfortable in a matter of hours.

5) ILACA isn't affiliated with a university. How will I meet British students?
The AHA Centre is not affiliated with a university, but this is much better than enrolling in a British university would be. AHA brings in professors from universities in the area, who are more than capable of conducting class sessions up to standard. I am very impressed with my four professors, and like them all very much. Going to class at the AHA center creates a support group of other students who are in the same situation you're in, as well as a group of directors and staff who can handle any problems you might have very quickly and directly. This also makes it much easier to do things as a group, like go to plays and on field trips. As for meeting British students, there are all kinds of organizations and places around London to get to know people. Plus, the friendships you make with other students from the northwest who are on the program with you can continue on after you return to your home campus.

6) Is it hard to get assignments done without university facilities?
The AHA Centre has pretty much everything you need to complete your assignments. Your professors know you're studying abroad, and conduct their classes accordingly. The AHA Center has a computer room and wireless access, and I'd highly suggest bringing your laptop with you if you have one, so you can write papers at home and access the Internet at school easily. AHA also has a small library that should contain any books you might immediately want for research, and there's also a public library right down the street, as well as the British Museum's reading room a few blocks away. Plus, there are tons of opportunities to get primary sources and first-hand information by visiting local historical/literary sites, museums, and other places of interest. You should never have a problem getting your work done.

Other Advantages of the Program:

1) Convenience: ILACA is absolutely the easiest study abroad program to apply for from UPS. It's directly affiliated--so much so that you can register for your study abroad courses on Cascade and pay your regular tuition to UPS as usual.

2) Travel: Britain is the gateway to Europe: you can honestly take a trip to Paris for the weekend of anywhere else in Europe you'd want to go to and it can be amazingly cheap to do so. Some students have taken almost half a dozen weekend trips so far, not to mention the travelling you can plan for the week-long spring break or four-day Easter break if you come during the Spring semester. If you stay in hostels (most of which are very clean and reliable and include breakfast) and look for deals on airline and train tickets, you can go away for the weekend for a little over $100 sometimes.

3) Fluidity:  London is a very easy city to move around in. With the program, you get a six-zone Oyster card, which allows you to travel by tube (subway), bus, and sometimes even train to anywhere around London and its suburbs that you could possibly want to go to for the entire duration of your stay. This is an incredible deal, considering that that sort of Oyster card is worth about $800, and it would cost you probably twice as much or more to buy the individual tickets to get where you needed/wanted to go without one. Once you get the hang of the tube and bus systems (which is easy with pocket-sized maps), you can figure out how to go pretty much anywhere, and it won't cost you anything: all you have to do is scan your card on your way there. You can also walk to a lot of places of interest in very little time. There are tube and bus stations everywhere, so if you find yourself lost while walking, find a bus or station and get yourself back to where you want to be. London has very good signage, so it's difficult to get lost.

4) Freedom: In Britain, full legal adulthood comes at age 18. This means that even if you're younger than some of the other students, you will be able to go everywhere and do everything that any other adult would be allowed to do. I would by no mean suggest going to pubs every night, but going to pubs and clubs can be a fun way to get to know the other students from the program, as well as make friends with Brits. It also makes travel and other planning-type things easy when everyone's a full-fledged adult.

All I can really say in addition to that is that I'm having an amazing time here, and I'm already wishing I could stay longer, even though I'm only halfway through. It really is the experience of a lifetime, and you'd be hard-pressed to find another time in your life where you could travel to the UK as easily or as cheaply. If anything, at least look into it. You'll never be able to imagine how much a program like ILACA can change your life in the short time you're abroad, and you won't regret it.

Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions you might have, or if you want to hear any specifics about experiences I've had so far or anything else about the program!

Madeline Gangnes, ILACA Spring 2007, mgangnes@ups.edu

If you are an AHA Alumni and, like Madeline, would like to become an ambassador for ILACA or NCSA, please contact Dr Martin Upham at martinaha@btconnect.com