Just the same, but all different

At Bridgwater College, you can tell you are at a college. The variety of programs, the student common areas, the library, the computer access - all the same.

But, there are many, many differences. Quite a few of the programs I have been studying have told me that our programs are run more like those of the Uni. (University). It's almost overwhelming to think that CBC has University level programs. Go us!

The Vice Principle, Mike Robbins was able to show us how the educational systems in both countries aligned. Here at Bridgwater, they have students as young as 14 attending from the local high school. There are also adult learners here.

However, one of the main ways our schools differ is in the fact that there are many opportunities to volunteer at the school. It's amazing to me that the students are so willing to volunteer their time to show pride in the school which they attend. They are not required to volunteer, it's not a graduation requirement, they do it because they do have pride in their school.

I've spent most of the day with staff members who are in charge of these volunteer programs. Those schools are doing wonderful things for their community and school. I'm simply amazed.

The Charming Town of Cheddar

Well ‘ello everyone!

Yesterday morning, Tiffany, Angela and I set off for Buckingham Palace to see the Changing of the Guard. The number of people there must have ranged more than a thousand. Despite our inability to see the whole ceremony, we did catch a glimpse of the rite and it was definitely a great experience. We walked around Victoria for a while, stopping in at little boutiques and souvenir shops. After this, Angela and Tiffany headed toward Covenant Gardens as I went to a small church with my friends from England for their Sunday service. It was delightful. Sadly, I haven’t been feeling quite myself so I picked up some cough medicine and then went to catch the tube (after you have ridden in the underground a couple times, you pretty much have it down, just follow the signs).

I met up with both ladies at 1:30pm where we watched a small comedy act in the middle of the square. Covenant Gardens was probably one of my favorite places to go just because there is a huge variety of shops and it is interesting to ogle at all the different people. Being the early birds that we are and also wanting to return to a delicious pastry shop, Paul (ironically this store is right next to St. Paul’s Cathedral), we all headed back toward the hostel; we were meeting Alice at 3:00pm. But because Paul (the place with the wonderful macaroons) is just so wonderful, we caught Alice there as well :)

We arrived at Hammersmith Bus Station on time and ready for our coach ride; once we were on, I was out like a light. But I awoke at perfect timing to see the sun set over the countryside. It seemed like it could have been taken straight out of a Jane Austen film. We arrived a bit late as Angela said, but our lovely host families were there to greet us. I am staying young lady who is sixteen and in a vocational training program at the college. She lives with her “mum” and dad, younger brother and sister in a small town called Cheddar. That’s right. It is the town where Cheddar Cheese actually got its name! It is a little perfectly situated town that resides in Somerset County about thirty minutes from Bridgwater. Everyone has been so friendly.

Well the next day we arrived at Bridgwater. Angela, Alice, and Tiffany pretty much laid out our schedule for the day, but my particular interview was with a lady from the International Students Office, where I learned all about Bridgwater’s excellent program for international students to study at their college. The other part of our day that I MUST mention was our tour through Nether Stowey where I saw some of the most beautiful countryside. I must also mention that I enjoyed seeing Tiffany chase and be chased by sheep:) Well I will catch up tomorrow. Thanks for reading!

-Cori

First Day in Bridgwater

We had an excellent day today! We started the day with a history of Bridgwater, and then I accompanied Tiffany on her Student Government interviews. We solicited a lot of good information about their student union, officers, and clubs. It is drastically different than the ASB format we have at Columbia Basin. Tiffany wrote her little hand off trying to get all of the information down. They also gave her a copy of their Student Union Constitution, so she has a good resource in which to refer.

We also met with Mike Robbins, the Vice President of Bridgwater College. He explained the UK College/Education setup to the students, so they better understood the structure. And then two of the administrators, Rachel and Alistair, took us on a nice hike through Quantock (an area of beautiful countryside). It was a 3 mile hike and really spectacular! Cori and Tiffany took loads of photos. We saw old houses, sheep, and gorgeous scenery.

As I blog we are at a student rock concert in the HUB...yes, they call their student union building the HUB too. The student group is really good. Lots of American covers...right now, they are playing Born to Be Wild. The internet access here has been a little "dodgy," but I think we have gotten it "sorted." We will continue to blog as often as possible.

Cheers!

SHEEEEEEEEPPPPPP!!!!!!

Omg our hour and half nature walk through the terrain of England was beautiful!!! Even though it was a little mudder and had tons of hills the site was just break-taking. There were even sheep and lambs EVERYWHERE! They definitely don't like people to touch them..I tried running after a lamb but this huge sheep was staring at me like it was gonna buck me so I took off the other way before there was a liability at hand. Finally after the nature hike we were taken to this tiny cafe in the mountains where it was believed that Johnny Depp had bought a house just across the way...but really it wasn't true...just to bring in business. Not a by idea, I think. But earlier today I did get the chance to interview the student government of Bridgwater and sit in on one of their Student Union Meeting and see how they deal with the issues/activities of the students....will say it was a completely different experience compared to our exec. council. Totally excited to get to know the rest of the team and understand how it all works with their HUB, but that'll be an adventure for tomorrow. Tonite we are actually witnessing an event by one of the level 2 vocational bands here at Bridgwater, kind of a rock/pop mixture. Extremely excited to hear some English music. :) Also a little fun fact...our yield sign is the equivalent of their give-away sign. Thought that was rather interesting.

36,473

That's how many steps my pedometer says I took on my last day in London. Yes, I have walked, and I have enjoyed it so very much.

There are way too many museums and way not enough time. May I extend my trip by about 4 months, please?

I joined Cori and Tiffany to see the changing of the guard. After all, I do have to do SOMETHING touristy, right?

The trip over the Somerset was lovely. The English countryside is just as I had imagined it, only greener. The bus was a bit delayed from an accident but out hosts waited for us.

I'm enjoying getting to know my host, Marina, who is originally from Russia is showing me a wonderful fusion of Russian and British hospitality.

I've finally taken out my camera so be watching for photos with my entries.

Mysterious Hot Dogs

Call me the classic tourist, but I had some famous must-see locations to visit in London. I went to a small cafe in the morning where I ordered a macchiato and ended up with some mysterious beverage that I eventually threw away. Sad. But my own lovely Starbucks was just around the corner...
I arranged to meet with a couple friends from London and we went to Westminster Abby. Unfortunately the abby was crazy packed with tourists, as I suspected, but none the less....it was breathtaking. Next we stopped for a hot dog, which did not taste like a hot dog at all. Different and sweeter, but good.
The London Eye was brilliant. I recommend it, but it is probably one of the most expensive activities to go to. We took a double decker bus to Victoria where we visited Buckingham Palace. Gee, my house is boring! I will most likely see the Changing of the Guard tomorrow. I said goodbye to my friends and went back to the hostel, where I climbed (seriously I have to climb) restlessly into my comfortable bed. Angela and I spent the evening in Covenant Gardens where we ate French food (which included spinach stuffed mushrooms. Yummm) and bought some funky clothing. I am sure you will notice our new style :) We headed back and made it at to the hostel at exactly 10:00p. Yes.
England is setting their clocks forward tonight so that means one less hour of sleep for Cori.
Cheers!

Macaroons, Photos, and Fun...Oh My!

More fun photos...and just a tip! Paul's macaroons are so delicious. Paul is a pastry chain in London. I am going to buy more macaroons on the way back through to bring home. YUM!

National Gallery was closed tonight. Bummer! Maybe it will be a tomorrow journey...along with a jog to Buckingham Palace. We catch the coach to Bridgwater at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow evening. We can't wait to meet our homestay families.

A special thanks to ASCBC for sponsoring our project! We will serve you well.

HyperCaffiemia

From Angela:

About the only way THIS person can survive the time change is lots and lots of Starbucks and Pauls. Starbucks, well you know all about that. Pauls on the other hand has the added bonus of tempting Macarons! Yes, I've endulged, twice.

I braved the Tube alone today and visited the Natural History Museum. They have a brilliant (yes, I'm speaking London now) exhibit on Darwin. I just HAD to visit the gift store where I added a couple of books to my collection.

Soho ended up being mostly shopping at the other quintessential London Department store, John Lewis. I picked up a few small gifts there and ate lunch in their Bistro.

It's time to head out to Covent Garden so stay tuned for further updates.

Photos!

Hello Again!
Today has been a fun day of jogging/walking in the rain along the Thames (1 1/2 hours - up the Thames around Parliment and Big Ben and back down to Tate Modern and over Millenium Bridge), coffee and reading in a cafe, and hangin' in Soho. Angela, Tiffany and I went to John Lewis in Soho (the other big department store - kind of like Harrods but more modern). Now the students are headed to Covenant Garden while I am going to find yummy fish & chips and maybe the National Gallery (if it is still open). I have to be honest the time change is still getting me a little. So the yawning keeps coming. Plus, you have to get use to the St. Paul's bells when your trying to sleep. However, they are really beautiful and you will always know the time (especially if you are a non-watch wearer like I am). SMILES!

Rainy Day in London

So London on a rainy Saturday isn't very eventful. The area we're staying at, pretty much everything is closed except Starbucks and a couple museums. Luckily, there's China Town....oh so excited to try some of their food. While running around yesterday, Cori and myself actually found some local stands with amazing fish and chips. It was quite a long trip to find those! So hopefully the food today in China Town is as good, maybe even better. :)

We're in London, Baby!

After a long car ride & two very long flights, we made it! We arrived at our hostel at 11:30 a.m. (England time - there is a 7 hour difference) this morning. Our youth hostel is basic, clean, and in a safe area - right across from St. Paul's Cathedral. I have to admit we are all jet lagged. Airplane sleeping isn't the best, but we are still awake and kickin'. We are just bumming around the streets right now...getting our bearings. And if you couldn't tell, I have zoned in on the free wifi in a cute little cafe called Pret. Tonight we are headed to the Globe Theatre and Tate Modern for a breathtaking art experience. And tomorrow, I don't know about the students yet...but I am hitting London in my jogging shoes & shorts in the a.m. I thought a run/walk along the Thames would be appropriate - maybe swing up in the Eye for a bird's eye view of the city. Then in the afternoon, Angela and I are headed to Soho/Chinatown for good soup dumplings & ginger candy (Yum!).

We head to Bridgwater on Sunday to begin our project. I am very impressed at all of the prep work the students have already accomplished...we talked a lot about research on the car ride and plane trips. We will keep y'all in the loop. Time to explore again! Oh - woman with a yoga bag...where is she going?

London/Somerset...Here We Come

For those of you who may not know, three CBC students have been selected to complete a short research project in Somerset, UK at Bridgwater College over Spring Break. Bridgwater is the UK equivalent to a community college here in the USA. They have been tagged as our "sister college" in that this is hopefully the beginning of biennial visits to their campus (*fingers crossed*). But just to give you a further rundown -- here is each of the students' focuses while overseas.

1) Cori Smith - She will be completing a first time ASCBC overseas guide to Bridgwater! This will hopefully set the foundation for future students to travel. The guide will include items such as: what is it like to stay with a homestay family; basics on tourist attractions; what to bring & what not to bring; basic similarities and differences in community college life between the two colleges...and so much more. Much of it will be done electronically via website as well as a printed version.

2) Angela Combs - Angela will completing a comparision project between our CBC ambassador program and the ambassador program at Bridgwater College. Elements of her project will also be included in Cori's guide.

3) Tiffany Koch - And finally, we have Tiffany who will be completing a comparison project between clubs, student governments, and student union buildings. Since she is the current VP of Clubs at CBC, she has the background to really dive into this project head first.

I will be acting as both their supervisor and research support on this trip, which is quite an honor for me. In addition, we will also have a little time to sight see in London and Somerset. All of this has been arranged by our "sister college," and we truly appreciate their aide and generosity. It will be a fun-filled 10 days, and all four of us are extremely excited. Can't wait for March 26...Look out UK! We are on our way!

My Turn

Hello all!

I am Angela and I am the third student who will be traveling the Somerset, UK to visit CBC's sister school, Bridgwater College. Tiffany and Cori's introductions are below.

I will be doing a comparison between CBC's Ambassador program and that of Bridgwater.

I attend the Richland campus as a nursing student so you will not often see me on the Pasco campus but, I'm very happy to be able to represent all CBC students at Bridgwater.

I've enjoyed getting to know the Ambassador program at CBC and I'm looking forward to gaining insight into Bridgwater's and am hoping we'll find some great ideas to enhance CBC's.

England:Coming Soon

Hello everyone!
I am Cori and I have been attending CBC for almost two years now, and I will have my AA degree in the Spring. I will also be traveling with ASCBC to Bridgwater, UK and I am ecstatic! The project that I am specifically working on is creating a guide to overseas travel with specific emphasis on Bridgwater College in Somerset, UK. I have already been working on small tips for other students to keep in mind while preparing to travel to Great Britain.
Just a little bit about me. Traveling and playing clarinet are some of my favorite activities.My favorite subject and major will be English; I plan on attending a four-year university in the fall. Anyway I cannot wait to share all our adventures with everyone while we are overseas and when we return!

Tiffany's Pre-Blog

Hello my name is Tiffany Koch, I'm the ASCBC VP of Clubs at CBC. I want to express how excited I am to go on this trip to England on March 26-April 4! It's going to be an awesome experience. Currently, I'm concentrating on my Business Degree here at CBC. In my spare time I'm involved in various activities from my job off campus and the Tri-Cities Fever Dance Team as a Promotional Girl. All in all not picky and I definitely about having a good time with tons of laughs!