Pre-Trip Preparation
In pre-trip orientation sessions, honors faculty and counselors meet with the Scholars to assist in planning for the academic, social, and cultural experience at Cambridge. The Scholars are guided in selecting their courses and week-end tours, as well as solving other issues, such as deciding what sort of clothes to pack and how to deal with passports, health insurance, and spending money.

Traveling to England
The Scholars travel together as a group to England. In 2007, Scholars in the class of 2008 departed a group on Sunday, July 8, from Dulles Airport, and they arrived at London's Heathrow Airport early Monday morning, July 9. A chartered coach bus transports the Scholars and honors faculty to Cambridge, England, approximately a two-hour drive from London.

The Cambridge Academic Experience
The courses in the University of Cambridge International Summer School Programme cover a wide array of subjects in the arts, humanities, and sciences. Taught by members of the Cambridge faculty and distinguished scholars from other British universities, the classes generally reflect an interdisciplinary perspective. Faculty members use a variety of teaching techniques, including lectures, discussions, and field trips, to engage students from nations around the world representing every academic concentration. The class schedule is intensive; each course meets each weekday for 75 minutes. Scholars are expected to have read extensively from the prescribed reading list before classes start. The Scholars thrive on the rigorous classes. As one Scholar remarks, the Cambridge International Summer School was "an intellectual and enthralling experience."

How are Scholars evaluated for course credit?
Montgomery College awards academic credit. The Scholars enroll in the MC course HP 270, "University of Cambridge Summer Session." MC honors faculty evaluate Scholars on the basis of a portfolio of writing and other assignments. The Scholars are required to complete several papers and to keep a scholarly journal.

Dorm Life in Cambridge
The Scholars stay on campus in the residence halls at one of the Cambridge colleges. Typically, the Scholars' quarters consist of a bedroom area and a sitting-study area. Each bedroom has a sink, but students share a bathroom and shower. College facilities include laundry rooms, common areas, and television rooms. The Scholars spend a lot of their free time socializing together, along with making new friends with summer school students from across the world. As one Scholar commented, "For a while, I was homesick" and at another instance, I considered my dorm room my home away from home." A full English buffet breakfast and a sit-down dinner are included in the board. Meals are served at long communal tables, which allow the opportunity to interact with other students. Lunch is not included, but students can purchase lunch at the dining hall or at one of the many Cambridge cafes.