Harlaxton 2016: Last Day of Class

By:  Tricia Thompson

The last day of class. Surreal to say the least. I think I speak for all of us when I say it feels like we landed in London only yesterday, yet it also feels like we’ve been here forever. Everyone woke up this morning with that slight sense of confusion about where the time had gone. Class this morning held our last quiz—poetry terms—and a discussion on the things we DIDN’T see in England during our trip; bumper stickers, lawnmowers, pickup trucks, railroad crossings, nacho cheese, and fast food, especially Taco Bell, were all among the things noticed as being absent from our lives for the past three weeks. The rest of class was spent preparing for the final exam over poetry tomorrow, and afterwards, everyone rushed off to lunch.

The afternoon was spent as downtime, with various groups using the sports hall, playing board games or Frisbee, watching movies, doing photoshoots on the grounds, or preparing for the final tomorrow. A major hit of the afternoon was the college store, which opened for the first and only time during our stay, allowing students to buy sweatshirts, T-shirts, postcards, and more. An incredible flautist group also staying at the manor held a concert that was open to all the Gatton students, so it became the hit of the evening before everyone buckled down to study. We all tried to make the most of some of our last bits of free time before having to start the bittersweet process of packing tomorrow. Our time may be winding down, but it is an experience we will never forget.