Student reflects on living abroad during London Calling! trip

When Carol Rector heard the Department of English sponsored a study abroad trip to London, she jumped at the opportunity.

"I loved it so much," Rector said about Virginia Tech’s London Calling! study abroad experience. "It was exactly what I wanted it to be. I would go again and again. I would go every summer if they let me."

London Calling! is Virginia Tech’s longest running study abroad program and offers students a unique experiential learning opportunity. Typically taking place in late spring, students spend a month living in London. Rather than taking courses at a university like many other study abroad programs, students participating in the London Calling! program learn by living. This means that they receive their education out of the classroom and through the vibrant culture of London.

Rector, a junior majoring in professional and technical writing with minors in real estate and marketing, was drawn to London Calling! because it offered her a unique way to earn course credits. Once in London, she studied English and theatre. 

“We saw seven plays,” Rector said. “We saw ‘Much Ado About Nothing,’ and ‘Richard III’ with their all-female cast, which was really cool, and some others at the National Theatre.”

After seeing these, she fine-tuned her English skills by writing play reviews for each one.

Because of the city as a textbook concept behind London Calling!, Rector had more time to reflect on her experiences. She found this type of learning to be more beneficial and enjoyable than traditional academic studies and said that it helped her form lasting memories.

One of her favorite memories was the group excursion to Greenwich. The London Calling! curriculum includes several outings, typically including a trek down the River Thames to Greenwich, home of the Prime Meridian. Rector said she enjoyed sailing down the river and was amazed by the sprawling markets that she and her newfound friends discovered in the town. Other jaunts include a train ride to Bath and a scholarly stroll through Oxford.

On the London Calling! trip, little things can have a big impact. Having the ability to travel alone and be completely independent helped her to grow her confidence.

“Going to get coffee by myself in the morning and figuring out the neighborhood that I was in and feeling OK taking the tube by myself – that was a really formative experience for me,” she said. 

For Rector, seizing the day was important in London.

“I was like, ‘I’m here, I might as well see as much as I can see!’” she said.

Her positive attitude helped her to make the most of the month-long London Calling! trip. She left feeling satisfied, having seen and done everything on her bucket list and more.

Rector applauds the Department of English for putting together the study abroad program.

“They were great,” she said. “Their itinerary was really awesome. They hit all the good points. It was a lot of English and theatre. They put them together really well.”

She also enjoyed the community formed with the students and professors on the trip. She fondly remembers having tea with the class in the professor’s flat, discussing the plays and sights they had seen.

The London Calling! trip gives students the opportunity to connect with the professors leading the trip. The professors take on mentorship roles for these students, and help guide them, both in London and once they are back in Blacksburg.

“Leading the London Calling! study abroad program has been one of the absolute highlights of my professional career,” said Katharine Cleland, associate professor and director of the master’s degree program and graduate studies director who was a faculty leader this year. “As a Shakespeare professor in the classroom, I simply cannot replicate the incredible vibrancy of Shakespeare's plays that we experienced as groundlings in the iconic Globe Theatre. The friendships that the students formed while exploring the city together were also a truly priceless part of the trip. The London Calling! program is for any Virginia Tech student who wants to have an immersive experience in one of the most historic and culturally diverse capitals in the world while making lasting friendships with their fellow Hokies.”