Tucked away in a little village, outside a little town, is a Victorian-style manor, sitting up on a hill. It looks down over a forest and a lake, and it stands high above the castle a stone’s throw away.
Nestled inside are students, having the time of their lives. They settle in the windows, in nooks, clutching books and planning their weekend travels.
While they’re at Harlaxton College, students experience life in the most magical way. They live and go to school in Harlaxton Manor, which was donated to the University of Evansville about fifty years ago.
American students spend either a semester or a summer studying abroad at Harlaxton. They travel on their three-day weekends, and during the week, they take classes from British faculty and interact with the staff at the manor.
An ever-popular class is British History, taught by the infamous—at least in Haralxton– Dr. Bujak. Students are so fond of the bantering teacher that—if you know where to look—you can find the words “In Bujak we trust” scrawled on a headboard in the manor.
A newer professor has also joined the Harlaxton team. Professor Haslam, known to the students just as Oli, teaches British Literature and Shakespeare classes. Even students who aren’t big readers or into Shakespeare fall in love with the readings when taught by him.
A semester is opened with a ceremony where students file into the manor, led by a bagpipe player. Then, they have a fancy dinner in the grand dining room. Students are sat according to house. Throughout their semester, their houses will compete against each other for house points.
On the weekends, students can travel in many different ways. The Student Experience Office plans weekend trips that students can pay to attend. Hotels, travel, and certain activities are planned and pre-paid for. Additionally, the school also plans day trips that are free for students. They even get a packed lunch! And finally, students can choose to travel by themselves, independently of the school.
Students get a week off for a mid-semester break, where students often travel to many cities at a time. Greece was always a popular destination during this time. Additionally, student will go to Rome or city-hop through France.
Harlaxton is an excellent choice for students when it comes to studying abroad. As a University of Evansville student, there is no concern about course credits transferring or falling behind on your degree by studying abroad. And since you are going over with other University of Evansville students, it is less likely that students will feel isolated and alone.
There are many benefits to studying abroad. To begin, horizons and broadened by experiencing different cultures. There’s an opportunity to meet new people from diverse backgrounds and be exposed to new things that they may never have learned to love before. Additionally, you are immersed in history thousands of years old.