Study Abroad

As an undergrad, I had the chance to study abroad over three summers. Each of the programs was unique, and each taught me something a little different. These are the kind of experiences you can’t get anywhere else, and I recommend time abroad to every student I talk to – there’s really nothing that compares. Not to mention, it was my international experience that got me both of the positions I’ve had since graduation. Below I’ve summarized each of my programs that I’ve participated in:

Oxbridge – Oxford & Cambridge, England, 2 months

With this program I had the opportunity to spend a month each at Cambridge and Oxford Universities studying “Legal Communication & Cultures” and “The History and Philosophy of Free Speech.” I was NOT a communications major, but I couldn’t pass up the chance to be a student at two of the world’s most prestigious universities.

While there, we were considered official Oxford and Cambridge students and we took classes as any other student would. Now, classes at these schools are very different than classes here. They don’t involve lectures or notes or even tests. Each student is given a topic, a list of suggested reading, and a time frame. Our assignment, then, was to go off and write an insightful paper on our topic then come back and lead a discussion surrounding our take on the subject. Provided the paper was good enough and the discussion “profitable,” we passed and started all over on a new topic. If not, we had to try again.

It made for an interesting summer, and I came home with some great thesis-writing skills. Not to mention, I got to see all kinds of really old stuff – cathedrals, monuments, documents, pubs (I had my birthday dinner in the same booth that CS Lewis and Tolkien used to have dinner in!) – it was wonderful.

Japan Study Abroad Program – Multiple Cities, Japan, 6 weeks

This program was very different from the Oxbridge program. Rather than being class focused, it was heavily “experience” focused. We wrote reports before we even left the country on all of the companies, cultural sites, and cities we would be visiting. Then, once in Japan, our “assignment” consisted of keeping a daily journal of the trip.

We spent our days touring cities, castles, gardens, and monuments. We met with CEOs and VPs and got “backstage tours” of some of the world’s most famous companies – Toyota, Sharp, etc. We also interviewed many of the people we met with. All of our daily accounts, re-caps, and interview questions were to be compiled at the end of the trip (with our original reports) and submitted as our “course report” for a grade. Mine was upwards of 200 pages long.

We saw more of Japan than I could have imagined possible – eleven or twelve cities, two of the three islands, all of the famous temples and shrines, even a baseball game. AND I don’t speak a word of Japanese (which was okay, actually, as most of the people we met spoke a little English and were always willing to help). It was a trip I could never have recreated outside of the Study Abroad setting, and I learned more about the culture of Japan in those six weeks than I ever could have by reading a book or taking a class.

International Study Abroad Summer Program – Granada, Spain, 2 months

This program was, again, different from the ones before. Class oriented like Oxbridge, but in the traditional go-to-class-take-notes-pass-the-test way, and culture focused like JSAP, but in the learn-the-language-or-starve way.

I spent two months in southern Spain, living with a family, finishing up my Spanish minor by taking classes at the University of Granada. It was a total immersion program, so we weren’t allowed to use English. I have been taking Spanish since I was eight, but it was this program that pushed me over the edge and into “fluent.” You learn quickly when you have no choice BUT to speak the language.

In addition to classes, we went on several “excursions” to places like Madrid, Sevilla, Toledo, and Morocco (my favorite). I loved Granada, and would go back in a heartbeat. This program may have been my favorite, but it’s really hard to say. I do known that speaking a foreign language has been beneficial, though, so I’d definitely recommend it as a first choice.

In addition to these programs, I will be travelling to India with the graduate program this December. I’ll keep a unique India blog while we’re there, but I’ll be sure to link it to this one, too. Here’s a brief description of that program:

“Students will explore the economic, business, political, and cultural environment and trends in India, as well as the economic relationship between the U.S. and India. The Winter 2010 Program involves 5 preparatory sessions in Fall, ’10, and a visit to multiple cities in India from Dec 26 through Jan 15, 2010-11. The program provides participants an opportunity to interact with and visit, regular Indian families, to engage in service-learning projects with NGOs, and to explore the ancient cultural and historic legacy of India. One of the highlights of the trip is the visit to some of the best wild-life/tiger sanctuaries in the world.”