For the month of July, I spent my entire time studying at the University of Oxford with the Kinder-RAI program. This was an amazing experience, as I got to eat so many different foods, candy and see some of the most historical buildings in the world. My classes during this month were on 17th-century British history focusing on the civil wars and the Glorious Revolution. I also studied geo-political issues, hearing from multiple professionals within different fields of policy making. Both these classes were amazing to be in as I truly got to learn about interesting history, but then explore those locations physically. I got to see the place of Charles I’s execution, and strongholds within Oxford during the civil wars.

What was really great was getting to experience an entirely new group of people and practices. Learning which side the car drives on and how to cross on crosswalks was one of the more difficult items I learned. I got to experience so many new faces and get to hear their stories, but also dive into their culture. It is shocking how common it is for a building to be hundreds of years old while in America some of our oldest buildings are barely 200 years old. Studying abroad has really opened my eyes globally and allowed me to leave the Missouri bubble I was raised my entire life. Overall, this experience was truly life-changing, and I can not explain how beneficial this program was to my personal life, but also my academic life. Oxford is a unique and wonderful place for academics, and you truly feel like a scholar here.

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Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: Kinder-RAI Oxford Summer School