I Found A New Home Overseas by Rachel

I Found A New Home Overseas by Rachel - March 2016 Scholarship Essay

I went abroad Spring 2015 with Binghamton University’s Study Abroad United Kingdom: Semester in London program. I believe that this experience greatly paralleled with my major, English, and my minor, Education, as well as help assist me to gain more knowledge and better prepare me for the field of teaching as well as life in general.

I believe that my time studying in London was an incredible opportunity and step in the right direction for me. It was an ideal continuation of my studies and challenged me further by making me explore a new culture, develop a better understanding of others and the world, clearly express myself and my knowledge, share my personal experiences, and so much more. The collaboration between the faculty and undergraduate students and the flexible, interdisciplinary nature of the curriculum were also extremely important to me. I was greatly enriched by the diversity of the student body, and continuously impressed by London’s rich history.

Along with being educated through different courses, I think that it was also important to understand the issues of concern to the British. I learned first hand the impact that certain controversies have on their society. For example, I became more aware about the problems that they face with integrating the Muslim community. There are over two million Muslims in England and a bulk of them live in the larger cities like London. The majority of them do not want to conform to the traditions of the local population and therefore, acts of terrorism take place. Issues like this greatly coordinated with my major and future career path because it is important for me to be able to see problems that other places and people in the world face, understand and empathize with them, and relate it to what I go through.

Reflecting on my abroad experience, this opportunity also later helped me in the real world. By stepping out of my comfort zone and broadening my horizons, I learned all I needed to know to become a skillful teacher, mentor, nurturer, and role model for my future students. I became worldlier, as well as independent. This unique educational experience helped me achieve better social skills and helped me gain important life knowledge that I wouldn’t be able to grasp in the comfort of my home university.

I took full advantage of this opportunity by branching out and exploring, meeting new people, tasting new foods, visiting famous historic landmarks and learning about the amazing city of London while being cultivated in everything else that it has to offer. I took a range of classes from those that will benefited me with my major, to the classes that were specifically focused on London and its traditions. My studies at Binghamton would not be the same without my overseas semester in London and Europe, learning about education in those regions, studying and contrasting techniques and cultural implications related to curriculum development. The insight was intense and the travel offered me the first opportunity to see life outside the United States where my travels were largely limited to New York City and Florida, a very different world, indeed! I truly believe that going abroad should be a requirement for all college students!