GMC Study Abroad

Rosaleen Gilmore '10, biology major

London Internship in Marine Biology

Summer 2009

An American in London

This past summer, I had the wonderful opportunity to live, work, and study in London for about two months.  I participated in Arcadia University’s Study Abroad Program, through which I got an internship in a marine biology laboratory at Queen Mary, University of London.  Not only has this opportunity provided me with knowledge, confidence, and experience that will undoubtedly help me in my future professional goals, but it has also expanded my worldview and provided me with an insight into English culture and society.

Living in London for two months was an incredible experience.  I learned so many things about life in England, as well as life in Europe, that I could never have learned or understood simply by reading a book or watching a movie about it.  One thing that amazed me was the cultural diversity found in London.  Every morning I would take a half hour ride on the Underground (subway) to get to work, and in that short ride I would hear at least three languages besides English, every single day! 

Probably the funniest thing about living in England was hearing the difference in the English language between the English and Americans.  There are several words that Americans use that the English either do not understand or do not use.  For example, the word “bathroom”: if you ask an English person where their bathroom is, they will ask you why you need to take a bath, until they realize that you mean the toilets (or as they call it, the “loo”).  English pronunciation and spelling was also much different than what I was used to, and that definitely took some getting used to.

Although it was wonderful to live in London, the best part of the entire summer was, without doubt, my job at Queen Mary, University of London.  I had the opportunity to work in a marine phytoplankton laboratory with Brenda Thake.  I had had extensive experience in biology and chemistry labs at GMC, but I had never performed my own research: this was my first real experience with performing my own research and my first hands-on experience in marine biology.  Brenda and I worked together to create, perform, and analyze multiple experiments on various phytoplankton and diatom species.  Brenda, despite being three times my age and a respected professor and researcher in her field, treated me as an equal partner in both the decisions and the responsibilities of conducting our research.  This internship has not only given me research experience and valuable knowledge, but it has also taught me that I can do well in research and that I thoroughly enjoy doing research! 

Living and working in London has provided me with so much knowledge and experience; it has also expanded my views of the world and of biology and has provided me with many professional contacts, which I am sure will help me in my future career.  The most important aspect of my summer in London, however, was the confidence that it gave me in myself, in my research, and in my education.