All of my last minute Amazon deliveries are here, my bags are packed, and I’m ready to leave America behind! Well, temporarily at least. My name is Catherine Carter. I am an English major and just finished my freshman year here at NIU. I am also the copy editor at the Northern Star!

This summer, I have been given the amazing opportunity to study abroad. I’m heading “across the pond” – where football no longer means watching my beloved Philadelphia Eagles beat the Bears in a playoff nail-biter, but rather the fight for points between Liverpool and Manchester City for the Premier League title. (No playoffs? Really?!) I’m going to the birthplace of rock legends – and no, I’m not talking about the Beatles, I mean The Rolling Stones. In case you weren’t sure, I’m heading to England! 

I will be part of a group of English, political science and sociology students from NIU who will be studying at Oxford University from June 30 – Aug. 2. As a nerdy English major I’ll be spending some time reading Shakespeare and Jane Austen for class, but I’m also going to be spending a lot of time exploring Europe. 

I’m looking forward to sharing my journey with you, so keep an eye out for daily updates from “across the pond.” Go Corgis… I mean Huskies!

*** EDITORS NOTE: This is Part 1 of a series. Keep checking the Northern Star Opinion Page for more updates and stories****

 To read part 1 CLICK HERE: Heading ‘across the pond:’ A first hand account of studying abroad