School and Classes

I am an Elementary Education major at Kansas State, so coming to the University of Hertfordshire I was not completely sure what to expect from the courses I would be taking.

I was a full time student and I was enrolled in 2 courses. My schedule was such, that I was in class from 9-12 on Thursday and 9-1 on Friday and I was a full-time-student. It was very nice =]
I had the privilege of having this schedule since I was in 3rd year courses. However, the first year courses occur more often throughout the week.

I was not required to purchase my text books, and most of my readings were journal entries that were online or provide in class. The teachers were very understanding if my travel plans interfered with my class times, however, realize that not all teachers will be this way.

My professors were wonderful and full of great insight into elementary education in England. I was able to tour a couple of their schools and it truly inspired me to pursue a Master's Degree involved with my major.

My peers were awesome! I loved working with them in group projects and truly enjoyed going to my classes. It was funny, they were fascinated with my "accent" and I made many friends in my course.

Campus is easy to get around, and I figured out the layout of it fairly quickly. All the buildings are walkable from on-campus housing and easy to find. There are always students on campus who would be more than willing to direct you if you were ever lost too!

If you have any questions about classes or school or campus, let me know!

jmkeehn@ksu.edu OR Jane Keehn on Facebook

Traveling: Just Do It!!!

I am absolutely in awe of how many opportunities there are for quick easy travel while studying abroad.

Places I was able to visit:

• Dublin, Ireland
• Berlin, Germany
• Monoco
• Nice, France
• Paris, France
• Milan, Italy
• Rome, Italy
• Venice, Italy
• London, England

The main ways that I used to get around were Ryan Air and EasyJet. These are popular airlines that fly throughout Europe. There are 3 main airports in London that you would utilize:

• Stanstead
• Heathrow
• Gatwick

Between these 3 options, you will have NUMEROUS opportunities for fun places to travel all across Europe!

Getting to the airports in London proves to be a fairly easy and cheap task as well. Using the Hatfield train station you would be transported into King's Cross in the heart of London and from there catch a bus to the airport you are flying out of.

The beauty of traveling in Europe is how cheap it can be. If you plan your trips in enough time in advance, you can make the most of your time there. [2-3 weeks] I had a round trip plane ride from London to Dublin for $35!! If you can find the great deals, they're out there!

If you are just looking for quick trips while staying in England, London offers so many opportunities for wonderful sight seeing, historical venues, and an adventurous night life just by hopping on the train from Hatfield to King's Cross ($12/40 minutes)

My favorite part of my experience abroad was the traveling opportunities. I would recommend as many trips as you possibly could go on because those are the memories you will make and the moments you will cherish for always!

Again, if you have any questions. Feel free to contact me.

Jane Keehn on Facebook OR jmkeehn@ksu.edu

Food and On-Campus Fun

There are multiple options for food while attending the University of Hertfordshire!

On Campus Opportunites:

The Forum serves as a hot spot for student life. The Forum is located on College Lane Campus

• Co-Op Grocery/Convenient store (Comparable to a small Wal-Mart)
• Starbucks
• Elehouse - restaurant, cafe, bar
  
• cafeteria with lunch and dinner served daily

DeHaviland Campus:

• Cafeteria
  
• one bar
  
• vending machines

Off-Campus:

• ASDA: The British Wal-Mart (buses go from College Lane Campus daily)
• Co-Op: Larger version of the Co-Op in the Forum, 5 minute walk
• Many restaurants throughout Hatfield: McDonald's, Subway, and many nice sit-down restaurants as well
• MULTIPLE delivery opportunities: Pizza, Chinese, Indian, and Sandwiches

Off-Campus Entertainment:

• Galleria: shopping, restaurants, movie theater

On-Campus Entertainment:

• Forum: 2 bars, 1 club
• Elehouse: trivia, karaoke, pool tables, Tvs
• One of my favorite times at the Elehouse was during the Superbowl, they set up the bar with fun "American" foods: corndogs and nachos (so fun!)

Though you are not at all limited to these options, these are just a couple easy options for cheap and easy fun to have with the students you are studying with as well as meet other students.

Again, if you have any questions feel free to contact me via facebook or email!

jmkeehn@ksu.edu
or Jane Keehn

Accommodations

University of Hertfordshire: Hatfield, Hertfordshire - England

Weekly accommodation charges for 2010/11

de Havilland Campus

Band	Type	Grade	Location	Cost 2010/11
Band AA	Single en-suite	Grade 1	Halls A - L	£108.01

College Lane Campus

Band	Type	Grade	Location	Cost 2010/11
Band A	Single	Grade 1	Telford Court	£93.03
	Single	Grade 2	Roberts Way Phase 2	£88.34
	Single	Grade 3	Roberts Way Phase 1	£87.71
Band B	Single	Grade 1	Butler, Fern	£87.71
	Single	Grade 2	Chapman, Broad, Coales	£85.40
Band D	Double	Grade 1	Roberts Way Phase 2, Halls	£67.48
	Double	Grade 2	Roberts Way Phase 1	£65.94

The Conversion for British Pounds to US Dollars is currently:

$1 = 0.6437 British pound

Example: £88.34/0.6437 = $137.24

Here is also a link to help with future conversions from British Pounds to US dollars:

http://coinmill.com/GBP_USD.html

As an international exchange student, I would definitely recommend on-campus housing. It is a great way to immerse yourself in the culture as well as meet students during your time abroad. I have no regrets about my choice to stay in the campus flats.

DeHaviland Housing ("DeHav") is the newest addition of on-campus housing. It is located on the DeHaviland Campus which is where you will find the Student Union, the International Student Office, the cafeteria, and the workout facility available to students and the sports fields.

On College Lane Campus, is where the majority of the student housing is located: Roberts Way, Chapman, Butler, and Telford Court (where I lived). Though this was the older area of campus, I loved our location. All of these flats are located conveniently near the laundry facility, mail room, tennis courts, campus field used for various student activities, Starbucks, Elehouse, the Forum, the Co-Op Convenient store, and the main bus routes that transport you cheaply to numerous places all around England.

I loved staying at Telford Court. I met many wonderful people and found my living situation to provide me with the greatest experience possible. Whether it was a night out at the on-campus dance club, the Forum, or needing to grab a drink at Starbucks and a quick bite at the Co-Op, I was a 3 minute walk from it all.

The living arrangement within the flats at the University of Hertfordshire is unique to the English college experience. They have more than one roommate in more of an apartment set up. Anywhere from 4-8 people share a common flat including a kitchen, 2-3 bathrooms, 3 showers, and a bedroom equipped with a bed, armoire, desk, 2 chairs, trunk, and sink. This proved to be a perfect amount of space for me, and let me tell you, I am NOT a light packer! (Above are pictures of my room in Telford Court. As you can see I brought some decorations from home to make my room more "homey.")

You have a key that you are assigned at the beginning of the semester that will unlock your flat as well as your bedroom, so you can always keep your room locked as needed.

If you have any more questions about the living situation at the University of Hertfordshire, feel free to contact me using Facebook or my Kstate email!

Jane Keehn or jmkeehn@ksu.edu