Visiting Stonehenge on the weekend

Author: Chloe Bowen | Major: Economics

I chose this program because I wanted to further my education in economics while abroad. I already enrolled in a program in Barcelona during the summer, and this program began right after the end of my SAI program in Barcelona. I saw that they offered a class that covered Monetary Policy and Central Banking, which is highly relevant to my studies as an economics major. I am looking to work abroad in the economic sector, so studying abroad for economics directly applies to my future plans once I graduate from my undergraduate studies. This class was challenging because it was so fast-paced. However, learning from a professor from the University of Oxford was an incredible experience. The class content challenged me in ways that I had never expected. This class was very different from classes that I have taken at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. The class was quite small and depended on discussion between me and my peers about relevant topics. I especially enjoyed learning about monetary policy during the Great Recession. We also assessed monetary policy in regard to the Great Depression and especially the Great Inflation. I felt so lucky to study under a professor that had worked for the European Central Bank at one point. This class helped me gain real-world knowledge of economic issues from various national perspectives. I hope that my studies at the University of Arkansas only further the exposure that I gained to international issues at Oxford. I plan on most likely studying economic analytics at the University of Arkansas in the fall of next year. This class helped me discover a newfound interest in macroeconomics that I was previously unaware of. I hope that my classes that I have enrolled in in the fall help me decide which graduate school program I am most interested in.

One of my favorite parts of Oxford was the fact that our program was half students from the United States and half international students. I think this helped me gain perspective on my studies from an international point of view. I very much enjoyed the activities that ISA had planned for our program. Some of my favorites included punting on the river, playing croquet in the park, and visiting Christ Church, which was right next door to Oriel College. We also visited the oldest modern museum, the Ashmolean, which featured so many amazing artifacts and pieces of artwork that I would have spent days in there alone.
I would definitely recommend this program to other students. If they are interested in academia whatsoever, I would recommend studying at Oxford University. Being surrounded by such amazing professors, besides my own, really inspired me to pursue my dream of being involved in academia. I am unsure of what I will do after I complete my undergraduate degree, but my experience at Oriel College has inspired me to pursue my dream of becoming a professor one day. I think that any student that relishes a challenge academically should apply for this program. Gaining a foreign perspective on monetary policy only helped me deepen my understanding of my undergraduate studies as an economics major.