I'm such a nerd.

Two blog posts in one day, you can tell it's my day off. Also if you're not interested in academic blathering and geeking out, feel free to skip over this post.

A few weeks ago, I got an email from Dr. Erma Hermens, convener of my Master's program, about the program and prepping for the academics before we arrive. This included a reading list, and, like the total intellectual weirdo I am, this made my entire day. I'm not kidding.

I've only received two of my books in the mail so far, but I AM OBSESSED. And I definitely know I chose the right program after starting to read through these books. They are all from a collection of exhibition catalogues from the National Gallery of Art in London's series of Art in the Making exhibitions, which started in the 1990s. They include general essays on the period or artist under consideration, their workshop, and methods and materials commonly used, and then a collection of case studies, which are my favorite part. There are tons of images, including x-ray, radiographs, and paint-chip analysis, showing how the different pieces were created, and examining them on a whole new level. It's science and art and cultural history all combined, and considering this is what I want to do with my life, I LOVE IT VERY, VERY MUCH. Seriously, ask anyone on staff with me if I've been geeking out, because I have.

The first one is Italian Painting Before 1400, which is so cool. There are artists I've studied in depth and pieces I've seen in person from my trip to Siena and Florence in 2011. And, funnily enough, an entire subchapter about a book I bought in the Uffizi gift shop because I thought it sounded interesting,  The Craftman's Handbook, by Cennino Cennini. It's a primary source from the 15th century, pretty much a giant treatise on artistic methods and materials from the period in Florence, and it's central to the study of that period in the National Gallery catalogue. And three years ago, I was already interested in that side of the study of art history. If only I had realized it earlier, I could have saved some faffing about regarding grad program decisions :p

The second book is one on Rembrandt, which is also exciting, as I really love him and the whole 17th century Dutch artist period. (Fun fact: the sample essay I included was on de Hooch, a Dutch genre painter, and Erma Hermens specializes in Dutch genre paintings so really I think that only helped my application). I haven't had as much time looking through this one, but it's still really exciting.

The final book is on Impressionists, which are my actual most favourite, ever, but I'm still waiting on it to be delivered. I'm really thrilled about the selection of periods and artists were focusing on with these three books, however, because they're all representative of some of my favourite periods to study. In my application, I talked about how I wanted to take a more survey-based master's program because I had no idea what I wanted to specialize in because I was split several different ways between medieval manuscripts and frescos, Dutch genre paintings, and more modern art like Impressionists, which are all very different directions in the academic world. And somehow, I lucked out that we're covering all three from this perspective I'm very interested in, the materiality and methodology behind the production of the art, which I think will be very helpful in focusing my research interests for further study. But I still have lots of reading to do before I leave! And an added 8 pounds to my luggage, oh dear.

July Update: Loans, Visas, and Orientation!

Apologies for the lack of posts, I've been extremely busy and working at a summer camp doesn't leave too much time for internet activities. Working at Interlochen for the third summer in a row has been lots of fun, but, as always, full of the little challenges working with high schoolers is guaranteed to have :p

It's also been a bit of a challenge to work on preparing for moving abroad in less than a month-- I'm leaving on August 22! It's so soon. There has been lots to do- loans, visas, registering for orientation, and more.  I'm so glad I sorted out my housing in March! Doing this from a little cabin in the woods, with somewhat shoddy internet, has been another experience altogether.

I've been sorting out the financial stuff in order to get my visa, so June and early July was spent on federal loans (which can be used for international graduate programs, that's exciting) and private loans, and working with the international financial aid officer in Glasgow. After that was sorted out and I had officially accepted my offer, I was issued a CAS, or Confirmation for Acceptance of Studies. This is a document issued from your university confirming you will be a student, you've accepted an unconditional offer. It's also necessary to apply for a Tier 4 Student visa to the UK.

Next was my visa application, which took a bit more time than I expected. This was mostly because I've traveled a lot previously, and I had to record every trip to the UK in the past 10 years, every other international trip in the past 10 years, and all my prior passport information (I'm on my fourth passport, so that took a while as well). And this was all on the first page! I submitted my visa application last week, and paid the fee online (FYI, if you're planning on applying for a student visa, realize they cost several hundred dollars, so plan accordingly. And your credit card account may be locked for international transactions, so watch out for that, oops.)

The next step is a biometrics appointment at an approved office, which I'm going to tomorrow. This is pretty much the visa people taking my photo (outside of my passport and extra passport photos) and taking my fingerprints and other information. I also turn in my passport and other documents at this appointment. In Michigan, the two location options are Grand Rapids and Detroit. I'm going to Grand Rapids as it's two hours away from Traverse City as opposed to four, like Detroit. It's slightly frustrating that I have to leave camp and my job for a day, but I have to do it! The Glasgow international student support team say it should take around ten days to two weeks for turnaround, but I'm not sure I trust them. We'll see how long it takes for me to get my passport back!

Last week, I also registered for International Student Orientation! I'm pretty excited. It starts on Sept. 8 and includes several sessions that I think will be pretty helpful for adjusting to the university and the city itself. U of G has a lot of really cool activities available as well, such as tours of the city and a Scottish culture night, and three tours into other parts of Scotland during the weekend through Student Tours Scotland. I signed up for two of those trips as they're only £15 each for a day trip: one to Loch Lomond on Friday Sept. 12, and one to Callander and Killin on Saturday Sept. 13. (You can click through the links to see descriptions and photos from past day trips, Scotland is really, really beautiful).

I am also now "friends" with the International Society on facebook (it has a person profile page as opposed to a likeable organization page, something I've noticed British unis do for different things), and ISoc has been doing all kinds of amazing day trips during the summer months as well, so I'm excited to get involved with that group and see even more of Scotland! Additionally, my mother and I are flying out on the 22nd so we can do a weeklong tour of Scotland before I start to settle down. I'm quite excited and it will be nice to spend some time with my mom before university life starts in earnest.

On the whole I'm getting quite excited, but also somewhat nervous! There's not much time left for me to start getting ready, and the idea of packing for 12 months is a daunting task. But I'm sure I'll manage! I'll keep everyone updated :)

Summer Time!

Guess who graduated from the College of Wooster?? This girl :)

So now I'm free of my undergraduate obligations and can relax for a few weeks until I start working at Interlochen Arts Camp as a cabin counselor for the third time! After that, I'll have a few weeks to prepare for my year in Scotland, and then I'll be off in the first week of September. It's all very exciting, but it seems much further away than it really is.

Since I don't have any school work to do for the next few weeks, that means I'm going to do some more blogging! I'll hopefully address some of my experience and whatever advice I can garner about financial aid, housing, travel planning, packing, etc. There are a huge amount of study abroad blogs for undergraduate semester long programs, but not much about post-graduate study, so hopefully this will be helpful for someone! Otherwise it's a way for me to post pictures and share my experiences :)

Three Reasons Why Americans Should Consider Graduate Study in the UK

This is a question I've had to answer a few times since making my decision, since I also got into two very good programs in the US. I've also had a few conversations about the reality of studying in the UK with some of my college friends and why I think it can be a better fit for some students.

1.) MONEY. Rather, value for money.
This is one of the biggest considerations about going into grad school for many students. I know it was for me. Especially for the humanities, there are very few fellowships or fully funded programs available in the US of A. Not that British programs necessarily provide you with more funding, but I'm pretty sure the math works out (in most cases) that it will be cheaper and FASTER, making the cost per credit less. Nearly every Master's program I saw was a year long program, and when I say a year, I mean a full 12 months of classes/work/experiences, not the nine months most American programs run.

For example, the Master's program I was considering in America was two years (or three, depending on if you did a dual degree, which I intended to complete). The tuition was $965 per credit hour, for two or three years, for nine months of classes. There were not any fellowships available for this coming year, just a part time on campus job for $12 an hour. This was in no way going to cover tuition, living costs of a big city, or supplies for classes. My UK university costs £13,500 for the entire year of tuition. This includes two semesters of full course loads, an internship or elective component, a field-study trip to Europe, and dissertation advising through the summer. I will have another degree in 12 months, along with experiential learning. It's pretty great. (FYI: The cost of living in Glasgow is a wash with living in Chicago.)

The kicker, though, is the length for a Ph.D. program. The majority take THREE YEARS to complete (you have to have done a Master's first). That's four years total to get a Ph.D. That is pretty much unheard of in the USA, where it takes at least five years for a Ph.D., if not longer. So yeah, saving time and money on further education seems like a great idea!

There are also scholarships available. There are the super competitive ones- like the Marshall, Rhodes, etc.- or specialized ones, like the St. Andrew's Society of the State of New York, for which I was a finalist (seriously one of the coolest experiences, even though I didn't receive it). British universities often have their own scholarships for international students or specific programs as well, so there is definitely a way to find outside sources for money. I will (probably) have to take out a loan as well, although the FAFSA can apply to Glasgow, so that's convenient. (I wish American student loans worked like British ones, but that's a post for another time). At the end of the day, I'm taking out a smaller loan than if I went to school in Chicago, and that's what really matters- I'd rather go broke doing a program I really love and traveling than spending more time in school in a country I've lived in for 22 years. (I know this is my opinion, but it's obviously something to take into consideration)

2.) SPECIALISATION
I also think there are far more specialized Masters programs in the UK, across the board. Obviously I haven't looked into this too much for disciplines outside of history, art history, and archaeology, but I have heard similar observations from people in the sciences. There are also unique programs you can't find in America-- I'm the poster child for that. In a way, this can save you time by taking classes exactly pertinent to your interests or speciality. However, there are also good survey programs as well, which can help you figure out what to focus on for further research and study or for you career. My program is a combination of these two aspects, which is what I really love about it.

A thing to note about British post grad courses: there are two types, taught and research degrees. Taught degrees (always a Master's program, never a Ph.D.) include classes and what we normally associate with the first few years of grad school. Research programs are exactly what they sound like: you complete a research project with some level of advising, but you're pretty independent. Most undergraduate programs in the UK require some form of dissertation (not anything on the level of Wooster's I.S., but more than many senior capstones across the US), so this kind of research isn't necessarily new to all students on the other side of the pond, and Master's programs also require a thesis (ALSO shorter than my I.S., I might add, but Wooster's an odd egg on occasion). So bear that in mind when looking at programs and exploring your options. And DO explore your options- there are more unis out there than Cambridge and Oxford, and many specialize in unique departments. For example, Glasgow is the top art history department in the UK, and York has a killer archaeology program. Just because you haven't heard of it in America doesn't mean it's not a high global standard degree! And these schools have been at it for literally centuries, so they have extensive libraries, archives, museums, and access to some really amazing local sites, no matter what discipline you're entering.

3.) TRAVELING
Finally, I think everyone should travel. There is so, so much value to those experiences beyond whatever the price tag for a piece of paper is. If you're leaving home, but not yet entering the work force, I think this is a great time to do it. Obviously there will be a lot of adjusting from undergrad to grad school, so keep in mind if you can handle that and being in a different country (although the UK does- generally- speak English). There is so much out there for people to see, and different countries have different approaches to research, education, medicine, and politics, which can be really valuable, eye-opening lessons before you enter the workforce in your given field. And traveling is a life changing experience to begin with. Once you begin your real world job after getting a degree, you generally won't have the kind of travel opportunities and flexibility you have during school. Studying abroad is like YOLO with an investment and actual worth to your future.


Obviously this is all my somewhat biased opinion, and I am speaking from a humanities perspective. Many science programs in the US will provide funding and living stipends, so the expense of graduate study is not as hard to bear. However, these are just factors to keep in mind, and they explain part of why I personally chose to study in Scotland. This is also my view from America, we'll see how I feel after a few months of Scottish education :)

Clare writes a blog post for me :)

I just found this in my blog post drafts and thought I'd share it with the world, because Clare is one of my fave humans ever.



Hi! I am making socks right now. I just came back from Buckingham Palace after a fabulous afternoon of tea and scones with Queen Elizabeth II. Spiffing. ;)

So, Rebecca said I could write a blog post. This is it. I'm not travelling so it's not very interesting...
Awesome things about being from England:
1. Getting mail at university. Just wow.
2. The variety of cereals available.
3. Not being obsessed with the Queen. (Although she is quite cool.)
4. Harry Potter is English.
5. Crumpets. Google them. They're incredible.
6. Being close to Irish accents.
7. Not being in Oxford. There are other unis.
8. Being James Bond. Yep, that's me.
9. Boys in suits. ;)
10. There is more than just a cockney accent.

And here are some things about America:
1. It's very big.
2. Holes randomly appear there. Apparently.
3. There is lots of food.
4. Hollywood is there.
5. OBAMA. OBAMA. OBAMA.

Thanks Clare!

Update!

I know I said I was back, but then I failed terribly at actually posting anything. I PROMISE (for real this time) I'm actually going to keep up with this blog for the foreseeable future because
I'M GOING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW!!!!!!!!
So that's very, very, very exciting.

A lot has happened since January: I went to England to do research on my Senior Independent Study, a 125 page labor of love about Peter Pan, finished it in March, turned it in, celebrated, and completed my oral defense this afternoon, and celebrated some more. I got into Glasgow, and accepted my conditional offer (conditional meaning I have to graduate from college and send them a copy of my diploma). I've found housing in Glasgow, quite by accident, really, but I'll get into that later. I was a finalist (one of four) for the St. Andrew's Society of the State of New York Scholarship to finance graduate study in Scotland, which I unfortunately didn't receive, but it was still an amazing experience.  I went to New York City for the first time for the scholarship interview, and now I have three weeks left of my senior year. Insane!

I'm so immensely excited to be attending the University of Glasgow to study Technical Art History, and I promise I'll post more soon about my research trip in January, visiting the Glasgow campus, the admissions process, funding, and finding housing. I'm here to help y'all out so if you have questions, feel free to ask!

Time for Take Off

I'm literally writing this at the exact same gate, waiting for the exact same flight, 360 days after I flew to England to study abroad in York. It's a strange feeling, and I've got some serious excitement/nervousness jitters, but in a few hours I will be back in my favourite country with some of my favourite people :)

And I've officially submitted my application to Glasgow, so now it's time for the waiting game to see if I'll be back for another year or not.

Tomorrow morning, after going through customs and the whole lot, I'll meet up with Clare and we'll hang out and I'll probably cry over a Caffe Nero chai latte (I'm not kidding) and then we're going to see a pantomime of Peter Pan! Fun and work, mixed together. I've never been to a pantomime, as they aren't very common in America, but I'm excited to finally see one! Peter Pan is traditionally a Christmas play, and it translates well into with the pantomime tradition (which Barrie was trying to break from, but alas, Peter has a life of his own, my dear Barrie).

I'm going to update my blog more while I'm in London, doing exciting things, and taking lots of pictures, so check back soon!