Learning Abroad

“Everything is so old.” This was my reaction to spending a week at Oxford University as part of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions’ summer convivium. I was used to seeing “old” buildings at Princeton — by which I mean from the late 1800s. The newer buildings in Oxford dated back to the 1500s.

I was one of 15 Princeton undergrads that traveled to Oxford with Dr. Shilo Brooks, Executive Director of the James Madison Program. Over the course of a week, we read texts from Greek philosophy and the Bible and discussed the interplay of reason and revelation.

I had applied for the convivium on a whim right as the application was about to close. I didn’t want to have gone through all four years at Princeton without having gone abroad. I’m so glad I did — but today, not enough students at Princeton do.

As Princeton students, it’s crucial for us to experience our education in a way that challenges our preconceptions, broadens our perspective, and expands our experiences. Studying abroad is a perfect opportunity for that to happen. At some point during their Princeton experience, every student should take advantage of Princeton’s travel abroad opportunities.

Many Princeton students dream about studying abroad when they matriculate their freshman year. But many, like me, get locked into life at Princeton: As I’ve written in a previous articles published with The Daily Princetonian, the semester here is short and intense, making it hard to escape the here and the now. And at the end of the semester, you may be so burned out that it becomes easy to think that it’s simply too much of a hassle to go anywhere, especially when there is so much that Princeton offers already.

Going abroad doesn’t exactly present itself unless one actively goes looking for the right opportunities. I have spent three Princeton summers in the U.S., pursuing various internships and academic programs in Washington D.C. I came to appreciate the city, the young and passionate communities there, and the work I was doing. I can easily see myself returning to D.C. to continue the work that I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of. Even though I had wanted to do something abroad at one point, when I got to finding internships and working and choosing what to do with my time, it felt like going abroad wasn’t really necessary for the interests that I had been pursuing thus far in college.

And then I went abroad. Going to Oxford — albeit only for a week — was a transformative experience: I came away with a greater headspace for what I thought could be possible. The world is much bigger than I had thought. I could picture myself pursuing graduate level study abroad, something that I had only occasionally thought about in passing. It was hard for me to imagine myself doing research at the British Museum or spending an afternoon in the largest single room selling books at Blackwell’s Bookshop — according to the Guinness Book of Records — until I had experienced those physical spaces for myself.

There is also the simple fact of studying in a foreign setting. There’s a distinct combination of the excitement of travel and the intellectual stimulation of a Princeton education that only study abroad can offer. It was just my peers, the professor, the books, and a completely new environment in which I could experience a new kind of academic immersion. There is also incredible value in witnessing a different culture — to see the old Oxford city walls built a thousand years ago, to visit a manuscript exhibit, to run around a cricket field, and to try an Irish Spice Bag for lunch. The trip has broadened my horizons and given me the perspective that allowed me to stretch myself beyond the Orange Bubble.

These are experiences that every Princetonian should have: existing abroad, being pushed out of your comfort zone, and learning new things in a new country. It broadens your perspective not only as a scholar, but as an individual, too. As of the latest data we have from the Office of International programs, only about three in five  students at Princeton engaged in a “Significant International Experience.” When the perks of studying abroad are so apparent, students should be more excited about taking advantage of the opportunities that the University gives.

The student experience at Princeton can seem short — so short, in fact, that you can miss opportunities if you’re not paying attention or too tired to care. But every Princeton student should stretch themselves, just a little, to study abroad. Make the most of your Princeton education. Fill out that Google Form and apply to that international program. Don’t hold things off thinking that you’ll be ready later… when would that even be?

Julianna Lee is a senior from Demarest, NJ, majoring in Politics. She can be reached at julianna.lee[at]princeton.edu. Julianna is a big fan of road trips and has been to 43 states.