My Summer Study Abroad Classes

I’ve recently received the official paperwork for my study abroad this summer at the University of Stirling, and I got all the classes I wanted! That means I’ll be taking three classes that count for a major/minor, and one history course just for the fun of it. Here they are and why I’m excited for them:

1. ‘Brief Encounters’: An Introduction to Writing Short Stories.-This is all about learning how to create characters and compelling stories, which is fantastic since I love to write but have problems with short stories. The most exciting (and terrifying!) part is definitely the excursion, though…”The course will culminate in a live ‘reading’ at a leading local arts centre when students will have the chance to share the stage with a prominent Scottish writer.” This will count towards my writing minor.
2. Royals and Rascals: Contemporary Studies in British Journalism.-This is all about media ethics, where we’ll be exploring different media cases and discussing the media’s relation to public figures. “These cases range from Princess Diana’s death, for which the Paparazzi were blamed, to Prince Harry’s more recent indiscretions, which played out in the digital media. Excursion (s): Balmoral Castle and a visit to a Scottish newsroom (eg. BBC).” A media ethics course with a partial focus on the British royal family with visits to a castle and newsroom sounds fantastic.
3. Monsters and Vampires: The Impact of British Gothic on Contemporary Popular Culture-I’m a bit sad that the credits transfer under Dr. Kachur’s Horror Fiction course, which means there’s no reason for me to take that, but it’s exciting to be able to discuss things that go bump in the night. Plus, “This course will also include a tour around The Edinburgh Dungeon and a visit to the Gothic theme bar The Jekyll & Hyde.” I remember walking passed the Edinburgh Dungeon when I was in Scotland and wanting to go in, so I am definitely ready for that trip.
4. Scottish History: The Jacobites-I’ve recently found the Jacobites to be very interesting, but haven’t had much of a chance to do a lot of research and reading about them, so this is a great opportunity to learn a lot about it in a short amount of time. It also includes trips to important sites, includes Killiecrankie and Sherrifmuir. I might also take the time to go see Culloden.