I had about 10 hours of class a week. I had a 2-hour lecture and a 1-hour seminar for 2 of my classes: Finance in New Ventures and Managing Organizations. Then, I had a 2-hour lecture for Equality and Diversity and a 3-hour lecture for Corporate Strategy. (Seminars are like recitations. They are smaller than lectures and are usually with a graduate student). All my grades are based on one assessment for each class. Most are 2000 word essays, except for Finance in New Ventures where I had a 2-hour essay exam last week. I submit my papers electronically on a website, similar to webcafe. They are all due within the first two weeks of January. It gives me a lot of time, but I want to get them done earlier so that I can relax and spend the rest of break with my family. Also, I had to get a lot of my research done while I was still at Warwick since I would have limited access to libraries afterwards.
Each week, I had generally had one assigned reading for each class and occasionally a question to prepare for the seminar. Unlike at Penn, there were no textbooks that the class directly followed so my readings would come from electronic journals or random books in the library. In addition to the one main assigned reading, there were also lists for suggested further reading. It was up to you as the individual student whether you would take the time to read the further reading. As I said back in September, university in England is based on "Self-directed" study. The professors give you the basics and it is your responsibility to do outside research if you want to learn more. For the most part, during the semester, I did not read much on the further reading list. Now, as I am working on my essays, I'm reading more so I have more knowledge for my essays.
My favorite class was Corporate Strategy. For each class, we would be assigned a case to read and prepare. We were split into teams and each week, a couple of teams would give a presentation on the case. Also, during the lecture, after team presentations, we would watch a video on a company going through strategic problems and our professor would teach us frameworks to analyze strategy. For my final paper, the assignment is to pick a company that has a strategic problem and analyze it. This class was so valuable, especially if you're interested in consulting.
In addition to classes, I joined the Warwick Business School Society, Warwick Banking and Finance, and Warwick Strategy and Consulting. The Warwick Business School Society had socials at bars in the nearby town where we had a chance to mingle with other members and have subsidized drinks! All three clubs gave me the chance to meet local students and attend professional and networking events.
As Erica described in France, the internship craze is just as intense in England as well. Multiple companies would visit campus each week and give information sessions. Also, companies offered workshops and seminars to help career preparation. For example, one week, I participated in a trading game held by Deutsche Bank in which we were split into teams and simulated a trading floor. Another week, I attended an interview workshop with Merrill Lynch. On Friday, I am going to the Women's Open Day at the Morgan Stanley office in London for a day of panels and networking. University degrees here are generally for 3 years, instead of 4 in the U.S. so most students do their summer internships or "placements" as they call it, after their second year. Surprisingly, accounting seems to be much more popular then finance!
In regards to travelling, I went to London multiple times, Oxford, and Rome, Italy. When I was in London, I did some sightseeing, shopping, and met up with some of the other Penn students studying abroad the University College London (UCL). They seemed to be having a great time, but had lots of essays to write. Another weekend, I took the train to Oxford. It's such a cute city! The university dates back to the medieval times!! I also saw Christ Church, where Harry Potter was filmed and where Alice in Wonderland was written. Below is a picture of me and some girls with the guards of Buckingham Palace in London.
During Halloween weekend, I went to Rome, Italy. It was one of my favorite cities in the world. There was just so much to see! I was there for 3 days and just about saw everything. I went to the Colliseum, the Pantheon, the Vatican, the Roman Forum, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, and of course ate so much pizza, pasta, and gelato. I don't understand how the Italian women stay so skinny with such good food. I bet it's because Italians walk everywhere! Rome was a great example of all the history there is to learn about in Europe! Below is a picture of me at the Colliseum.
Now that I am in Edinburgh, I have been seeing the sights here too and spending too much time at their Christmas Market. I just can't resist the chocolate crepes and mulled wine!For Thanksgiving at Warwick, we had quite an international meal! I lived with one other American and there was another American across the hall from us so the three of us cooked a big turkey dinner which we shared with our flatmates. There were people from Holland, Germany, Mexico, and England at our meal and we all discussed different traditions in our country, especially during the holiday time. Not only did I have the chance to experience English culture while abroad, but I met so many international students that I was able to learn about other cultures as well!
Unfortunately, as I'm abroad, the UK economy has been on the decline. Luckily for me, it has led to an increase in the value of the dollar relative to the pound. When I arrived back in September, 1 pound was almost equal to $2! Now, 1 pound is only about $1.50! It's still not cheap but it's definitely much better than what it was!
I can't believe this semester has gone by so quickly. I had an amazing experience and feel so lucky to have been given this opportunity. I learned so much about the world around me as well as have met amazing, interesting people from all around the globe. I also have learned more about myself and have become much more independent. If anyone is considering going abroad in England in the future, feel free to email kellynm@wharton.upenn.edu and I can answer any of your questions.
Enjoy the rest of your time abroad girls and good luck with all your work! See you back at Penn!
Natalie
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