International Exchange Programs at MBA

Winchester College

Anthony Swenson

Harrison Wheeler, Seth Cook, John Triplett, and I were dropped off at our respective houses after being picked up from the airport by a Winchester College representative. I was staying in Toye’s, the oldest house besides the College. The houses each hold about sixty boys, with twelve from each grade. After being introduced to some of the boys in my house, I was given a tour of the campus by a fellow American who went there. Founded in 1384, the history of the school was unbelievable.

Meals

Despite the stereotype that British food pales in comparison to American food, the food in my house was enjoyable. The breakfast would usually consist of sunny side up eggs and bacon, which turned out to really be ham. I would usually eat toast, cereal, and a banana. Lunch was the formal meal of the day, and the whole house would gather at 1:10 PM to eat. The food at lunch was better than what was served for dinner, so I would try to eat as much as I could at lunch. The dinner, referred to as tea, was less formal and you could come and leave as you wanted, unlike the strict time frame for lunch. At night, they had cereal and toast that you could eat whenever you got hungry. The town of Winchester was only about a five minute walk, so I would sometimes go to the town to eat dinner or go to Starbucks.

House Life

I had my own room, but it was not very big compared to some of the rooms. Although I did not have a roommate, I became very close with many of the students in my grade and the grade above. Since every meal is eaten in the houses, I got to know nearly everyone in my house well. Whenever other students and I would have free time, we liked to play croquet. The sport turned out to have many more rules than I had anticipated. Since the World Cup started the second week I was there, we often watched games together. I, along with the only other American in the house, stayed up till 1 AM to watch the US play Germany and Ghana. Every night at 9:15 PM, the house would gather together to take attendance and go over announcements.

Academic Life

Academics are a priority at Winchester. Students begin to specialize and choose which classes to take at the beginning of their 4th year. I took English, Geography, Philosophy & Theology, and Division. Division is required for every student, and in that class, you study whatever the teacher wants to cover. For instance, I read a novel about the French Dreyfus Affair, and we would often discuss current events. Philosophy & Theology was by far my favorite class. It was very engaging and unlike any class I had taken since it required reasoning thorough thinking all the time. An emphasis is placed on learning rather than grades, and as a result, the students learn much more in my opinion.

Athletics

Athletics are not taken very seriously at Winchester the majority of the time, except for cricket and football. Most athletic competitions take place against other houses rather than other schools. I played in the house golf tournament, house volleyball tournament, and ran in the house track meet in the 800m. Seth’s house defeated mine in the volleyball tournament to my dismay. I would run nearly every day through the English countryside, one of my favorite parts of Winchester.

Exeat

The Exeat was the three day break from school during our fourth of five weeks on exchange. Harrison and I went to our friend’s flat in London for the weekend. Ollie Slumbers, who came to MBA on exchange, gave us a tour of London which included the London Eye, the Tate Modern, the British Library, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and many other historical places. Harrison and I returned to London the following Sunday following an hour long train ride from Winchester. The British Library was my favorite part, home to some of the Beatle’s original manuscripts and a copy of a Beowulf manuscript. Unlike Harrison, I was not a fan of the Tate Modern since it seemed as if there were random objects everywhere that they claimed to be art.

I would like to thank the Warner Family, Mr. Gioia, and MBA for providing me with this opportunity to study abroad. It was without a doubt one of the best summers, as a result, and I hope to return to London and Winchester in the near future. Studying in England is something I will never forget, and I am very thankful for the opportunity. Thank you for your effort to coordinate this exchange.