Tag: Study Abroad

Studying Abroad

Spencer Morgan (CFA’23)

I have always wanted to study abroad; the ability to do so was one of the major deciding factors for me during my college search and selection process.  Interestingly, I am now part of an academic program that requires students to study abroad, such is the importance of expanding one’s world view to my college. I feel that my experience, so far, has done exactly that: my perspectives on place, identity, and culture have all be broadened while attending school, going to work, and traveling around one of the greatest cities in the world: London.

School

In the academic portion of my program, I decided to focus on history and art, which has meant taking classes on foreign policy, societal change, and of course contemporary and modern art.  I have not only been able to see some wonderful special exhibitions, unique monuments, and moving performances as a result of these classes, but in taking them have nearly completed a declared minor in History and possibly another in the History of Art and Architecture.

Work

In the internship portion of my program, I was paired with the City of Westminster Archives’ Conservation Department.  Over the course of the past few weeks, I have joined a small cohort of volunteers in mounting, framing, and packaging objects in preparation for a special exhibition, ‘Life in Victorian Westminster’.  It has been a wonderful introductory experience to the field, re-affirming my desire to go into the heritage sector.

Travel

In my free time, I made a point of going out in the city to explore the numerous museums, parks, and other points of interest.  I also traveled on most weekends to other towns, like Brighton, Kirkwall, and Dover, and major cities, like Edinburgh, York, Liverpool, and Bath.

I always knew that I was going to study abroad, but I could never have anticipated doing so during a pandemic.  I admit that there were challenges – travel restrictions, isolation requirements, and other necessary protocols – that made the experience different than what I had imagined going into college.  However, different doesn’t mean bad; I had an incredible time and was able to make some fantastic memories with some wonderful people.

I left London with a broadened world view and a new zest for life that I know will stay with me for many years to come.

Studying Abroad As A Second Semester Senior

Richard Boylan (COM ‘22)

As a Kilachand student, senior year is an undeniably busy time. Between juggling KHC specific classes, the Keystone Symposium, major requirements, and making sure to complete that final HUB credit, adding the prospect of studying abroad to the mix can be overwhelming. Despite the challenges, my decision to study abroad in Los Angeles during my final semester is one that I do not regret. With BU’s numerous abroad programs there is any number of cities and countries you can study in, but figuring out the work, school, and life balance can be challenging so here are some tips:

1. Plan Ahead of Time

Even if you don’t know where you want to study abroad quite yet, once you’ve made the decision to build a study abroad experience into your time at BU, start talking to both your KHC and Major-specific advisors right away. Navigating graduation requirements and class sequences can be tricky and talking with your advisors can often be the easiest way to map out a plan for building a semester abroad into your schedule. Each study abroad program offers its own unique classes and opportunities, often including an internship. The Study Abroad Office even has its own site-specific advisors who can help point out the most popular programs and walk you through the benefits of each.

It’s never too early to start considering your options for studying abroad. As a Film & TV Major, I knew that coming into BU my freshman year, I wanted to spend my last semester in Los Angeles. Working alongside both my advisor at KHC and the COM advisors, I was able to create an academic plan that allowed me to not only study in Los Angeles but in London too and still meet all my requirements.

2. Don’t Overload Yourself

Keep in mind, that every study abroad program offers its own unique set of classes. Often study abroad programs offer culturally specific spins on major-required courses. Each program also offers a host of one-of-a-kind electives that give you the chance to explore your interests further and take classes not offered in Boston. In addition to class requirements, most study abroad programs also include an internship component. The prospect of interning for a professional company is undoubtedly exciting but having a regular work schedule in addition to classes can require more of a commitment than many students are used to.

With all these different requirements vying for your attention, it is important to find a way to manage your time. Keeping track of due dates, knowing which assignments to prioritize, and most importantly taking time to enjoy your new home is crucial to managing stress. Which brings me to my final point…

3. Take Time to Enjoy The Experience

While classes and internships are important, the greatest allure of studying abroad is getting to live in and explore a new city or country. No matter how long it may seem at first, the semester undoubtedly always goes by faster than expected and it would be a shame to miss out on exploring in favor of grinding out homework all the time. Personally, I like making a bucket list ahead of time and made one for both of my semesters in London and Los Angeles. Creating a bucket list with a mixture of touristy “must-see” attractions, more niche experiences, the best food places in the city, and any of your other interests can help you explore parts of a city or country that you wouldn’t have seen otherwise.

The BU Study Abroad Programs also regularly run site-specific experiences to help introduce you to the city and other students in the program. For instance, this semester the Los Angeles program hosted trips to Universal Studios Hollywood, Warner Brothers Studios, and the Academy Museum in addition to several smaller study breaks. Most of these trips are free or heavily discounted, not to mention extremely popular, which make them one of the best ways to explore your new home in an affordable way.

Whether it be Los Angeles, London, or any of the numerous other study abroad programs that BU offers, the opportunity to live and learn in a new place is one that you should take advantage of no matter your class year.

The Keystone Project: Choose Something Fun!

By Marissa Carty (CAS'22)

The best advice I got from a Kilachand Alumni was to choose a Keystone Project that was fun. The Kilachand Keystone is a unique opportunity to do a year-long project on essentially whatever you want, with funding and advising. Many students choose to use an honors thesis in their major as the Keystone Project. However, for students looking to take on a more creative or interdisciplinary project, the Keystone Pathway is an amazing opportunity to think outside the box and not be bound to the requirements of a thesis. Students have designed playgrounds, written screenplays, written business plans, and so much more. If a traditional research thesis excites you, then go for it! But don’t be afraid to take a chance and do a unique project. I am so grateful that I took a less structured, but extremely rewarding path.

I love creative writing, and it’s been a life-long dream of mine to write a poetry collection. What started as a blurry passion project I inconsistently worked on turned into a beautiful piece of research and artwork. With the help of Professor Preston in the Keystone Proposal Workshop, I developed research questions to guide my writing, connected with two wonderful advisors, planned my goals and timeline, and submitted my proposal. The idea of a senior project can be intimidating, but the Keystone Proposal Workshop helps you work through your ideas slowly with a lot of feedback and guides you through the process to set you up for success.

As a psychology major, I knew I wanted to write my poetry collection about well-being. So often when we talk about mental health, we talk only about mental illness. I decided to focus on flourishing instead. The two questions that guided my research are:

What factors contribute to well-being in young adults and how do they manifest in us today?

How can poetry and psychology inform each other to develop a broader, more holistic definition of well-being?

I conducted a literature review on the psychology of well-being and a contemporary poetry review to study scientific, lyric, and visual forms of poetry. Then, I began to write and submit 5 poems a week to my advisors for revision. I also got to travel to Copenhagen, the city with the highest rates of human flourishing in the world, for my research! My writing centers around themes of love, belonging, mindfulness, spirituality, nature, and therapy. I used 3 main poetic techniques, 1) documentary poetry which uses archives like psychology textbooks or therapy exercises and draws out the poetry in them through lineation or erasure, 2) imagining the story of someone who embodies a research statistic to reinsert the humanity into that statistic, and 3) writing from a purely experiential perspective of well-being that does not rely on scientific data. I currently have a manuscript of 90+ edited poems and a first draft of my artist’s note, which details my process and reflections on the project. 

The best advice I can give you is to think about your interests as early as possible and to choose a project you’re sincerely passionate about, rather than doing what you think you “should” do or what others expect you to do. You may never get an opportunity like the Kilachand Keystone again!

The author in Copenhagen.

Vale vale vale

By Marie Kimball (CAS'23)

“Vale!” Hearing this expression in my home, in class, and on the streets was confusing at first. Throughout my time in high school and at Boston University, I had been learning Mexican Spanish. Now that I was in Spain, there was a lot of new lingo I had to learn, including “vale,” which pretty much means “OK.”

For my fall semester of 2021, I decided to study abroad in Madrid, Spain, and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

On the very first day a bus dropped me off at my host family’s house, and this probably would’ve been the most nervous I’ve ever been in my life if I hadn’t just been on two different planes for ten hours. So actually, I was about to fall asleep and didn’t have anything else on my brain. But, I had never lived with a host family before, and didn’t know what to expect. Well, it was one of my favorite parts of the experience. I lived with a family with three young children, and between the lively family dinners, movie nights, and weekend strolls around the city, I grew very close to them and was sad to leave.

My classes were fantastic, as well. BU Study Abroad students in Madrid attend the Instituto Internacional, in which students from many American universities take classes in both English and Spanish. My three classes were about literature and women’s history, and all of them were in Spanish. Professors who had lived through the Movida of the 1980’s and Franco’s regime from 1939-1975 all shared their firsthand experiences with us while we learned from their expertise. It was a great experience.

While in Madrid, I also had an internship at La comisión para la investigación de los malos tratos a mujeres, or what was essentially Spain’s commission against gender violence and prostitution. Not having just gotten off of a plane this time, I was extremely nervous my first day. Tackling a job in my second language was a daunting task, but every day was better, and by the end I felt like I had developed meaningful relationships with all of my thoughtful and patient coworkers. My coworkers and I still text on what’s app to check in!

Also, I met great friends with whom I travelled within Spain and throughout Europe on the weekends. Between visiting Toledo, Segovia, El Escorial, Barcelona, Italy, and Portugal, I had so much fun, and learned so much about different cultures. That I had this opportunity to travel still seems surreal. It was incredible.

Finally, I learned more about myself than I had in the previous few semesters combined. Living in a different culture from your own, without any familiarity (at first at least) with the people around you allows you to unlock parts of yourself you couldn’t before. For instance, I learned how to spend time with myself, and began to love it. I spent plenty of time with myself, going to different museums and cafés, or even just walking around the city to explore and think. I enjoy being with myself like never before. Also, from all of the new experiences I’ve collected, I have a better perspective every day. This one is harder to explain, but I feel as though I have my priorities in line more now, and have achieved more balance in my lifestyle.

And it’s true that you might read all of this, and simply say “vale, vale.” However, I hope you take my experience as reason to study abroad yourself. You won’t regret it!

Photo credit: Marie K.

The London Study Abroad Experience

By Richard Boylan (COM‘22)

Unsure about whether studying abroad is for you? Here’s some of the best reasons to consider a semester in London!

1. Academics

Admittedly, a great academic experience likely isn’t the first thing you consider when picturing a semester in London, but the classes are unlike anything you’ll take in Boston. With classes taught by British professors each places a uniquely UK-centric focus on your typical major classes. Think a film & tv class focused on the history of British genre films with multiple field trips including a visit to the West End to see a musical satire of the Royal Family. Even more exciting is the guarantee of an internship during the semester. During the second half of the program you’ll intern four days a week at a London-based company getting hands-on experience in your field of interest.

2. The Social Programme

Just as important as academics is the BU London Program’s emphasis on getting to explore the city. The Social Programme is the official name for the various events and day trips offered to students throughout the semester. Visits to Stonehenge, soccer games, plays, Warner Brothers Studio, and national landmarks like Kensington Palace are all offered to students at significantly reduced prices and offer the best value anywhere to see London. Since BU’s study abroad programs are open to a number of partner colleges and universities these events also give you the chance to meet students from all over the U.S.

3. The Museums

London not only boasts some of the best museums in the world, but many of them happen to be free too! The Natural History Museum, Science Museum, and Victoria & Albert Museum are all located within walking distance of all three of the BU London residences. Each offers a unique experience ranging from the ability to experience a magnitude 6.9 earthquake to exploring an exhibit on the rise of David Bowie.

Looking to spend the afternoon exploring famous artwork from as early as the 12th century? The National Gallery is the museum for you. With three wings, the National Gallery houses some of the most well-known works from artists such as Leonardo, Michelangelo, Monet, and van Gogh. More interested in mummies and ancient Greek artifacts? The British Museum offers a centuries spanning collection from around the world including its crowning gem: the Rosetta Stone. 

4. Take A Weekend Trip to Europe

Arguably the best part about studying abroad in London is its proximity to Europe and the rest of the UK. Weekend trips to Wales, Scotland, and Ireland are only a short flight or cheap bus ride away. Similarly the Europe-spanning Eurostar trains depart from St. Pancras International Station daily. With cities like Paris and Brussels less than a three hour train ride away, the railways provide an affordable way to explore all the beauty, history, and culture Europe has to offer.

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