Constitutional Law in the United Kingdom is a Kent State education abroad program that focuses on London and the United Kingdom’s relationship to the common law system. The program is led by a Kent State faculty member, Dr. Christopher Banks, and takes place over spring break.
Recently, Royce Wyller-Hricik, a Junior Political Science major with a minor in Pre-Law, had the opportunity to travel on the program.
When asked what drew him to the program, Royce explained that
“I never actually studied abroad before, so when I saw the opportunity for a constitutional law program, I knew as a future lawyer that I just had to jump into the opportunity. I did my own research about what I needed, and then I just went into it.”
Studying Abroad with Kent State Faculty and Students
The opportunity to travel with faculty with expertise in an area is a major benefit of faculty-led programs like Constitutional Law in the United Kingdom. Royce enjoyed this rich opportunity to learn from his Kent State professor in London.
“Christopher Banks is the faculty leader throughout the whole program; he’s really into the Law and Political Science programs at Kent.”
Royce also emphasized the friendliness of the other students and faculty that he traveled with, saying that
“Everybody interacted and got along, especially after the first few days. It almost feels like a family because you’re spending so much time with each other and because you’re given the chance to interact with them in places like coffee shops.”
Exploring London and Learning һԹ Constitutional Law in Context
A major part of the program’s itinerary was visiting sites in London related to constitutional law.
“We did a lot of visits, including the Royal Courts of Justice and the Parliament building.”
The group also visited the Supreme Court of the UK and had a guided tour of London’s legal sites led by a criminal defense lawyer.
Westminster Abbey also stuck out to Royce. He described how one of his favorite experiences on the program was
“probably my experience in Westminster Abbey; it was a huge cathedral that included stained glass, paintings of the Queen, and wood models depicting how different people in royalty would’ve looked.”
Taking place over spring break, the program was fast paced, intensive, and informative.
“We toured a lot of places very quickly. The whole experience was very inviting, as everybody was incredibly nice, and we had tour guides helping us in our navigation.”
The students were also completing course work related to their site visits. Royce explained that
“We did a final portfolio, which was four journal entries. In each of these entries, we wrote about what we did throughout that day along with some facts that we learned.”
Royce’s Advice for Future Education Abroad Students
The program, overall, left a great impression on Royce.
“It impacted me greatly! It was a rewarding experience because it allows you to view a new part of the world and get over that common initial fear of travel. It’s something that I would recommend to everyone who can do it.”
Royce also made sure to give advice to any students considering this program, as he concluded that
“First and foremost, you should make sure that you are following the syllabus of the actual course, as there is actual work that you need to do. I know that studying abroad is fun, but you are still in a course. Secondly, make sure to do some research about the program and the various locations that you’re going to go to. Every day of this program is crunch-time, involving early hours and lots of exploration.”
Are you interested in having an experience like Royce’s? Learn more about the Constitutional Law in the United Kingdom program here.
