Carson petting a calf
Author: Carson Haller | Majors: Environmental, Soil & Water Science; Psychology | Semester: May 2023 Intersession
I chose this program initially because it would satisfy one of my communications credits, and because of my love for the UK. Last summer, I was able to visit the UK, and found it to be a welcoming environment, so I knew I had to come back. This yearning for return coupled with a ferocious curiosity for agricultural communications knowledge set the stage for my application to the program. Luckily, I was accepted, and began preparations to go to the United Kingdom for the second time in my life.
Before leaving, our group met together to have a few pre-departure meetings. These are super helpful in forging friendships and strengthening bonds before embarking on a journey. Through these meetings I was able to get to know the other members of the group better, as well as get to know more about what the journey would consist of. The day of travel finally arrived, and we all met at the airport and headed to the UK.
Throughout the adventure, our instructors displayed their knowledge and relentlessly pursued learning. They made sure we were engaged, keeping the days interesting. I never had a dull moment while we were over there. Even on the bus rides, which were at times hours long, our professor, Dr. Miller would tell us jokes. The meetings we had with farmers, embassy representatives, and news publication executives were all very enlightening. I learned, for example, that you can milk a cow robotically to save labor, money, and time. I also learned that all the strawberries in the UK are delicious.
We didn’t actually have formal classes on this study abroad. This had a super interesting effect on my experience because it felt like I never stopped learning. This realization is what taught me an important lesson: everyone has something to teach you, it’s just a matter of asking the right question.
It always takes some time to find out what question to ask somebody, but it’s typically a great pay off. I got to speak with upwards of 20 people who were serving me in some way, cashiers, uber drivers, and cleaners, but it was an interaction with a concierge that helped me to understand something crucial about talking to people. I asked her about which restaurants she liked to eat at the most, and she recommended an Italian place. She explained that it was the safest one to recommend, to avoid people being held back by their dietary restrictions. I continued to wonder what she liked for herself, but she didn’t say. I realized that she either wouldn’t or couldn’t say, which helped me to switch my perspective on what others like and dislike to do. What I found out is that not everybody thinks like me.
That’s what I would tell you if I was handing out advice. Keep in mind that we don’t all think the same way about things. This is important because it can open you up to being a more empathetic person. When I’m being empathetic, I imagine myself in the other person’s shoes, but now I have learned to imagine I’m in their head too. How would what I say make them feel, what would it elicit in their mind? The realization that I don’t think the same way as others was crucial for me also because it helped me to get closer with my friends. This newfound knowledge paved the way to me being more compassionate and gentle in my day-to-day.
Overall, it was a wonderful experience, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’m eternally grateful to the Honors College as well as the faculty leaders. For making it all possible. Looking forward, I’ll be studying abroad for a fourth time during July, this time at Oxford. I will update you accordingly!
The sentence flow here is awkward. You mention your love of UK but then say you studied abroad in Madrid and new you wanted to go back. Back to Madrid? I understand you might want to mention that you studied in Madrid, but maybe it would be better to mention both of your previous programs in the same sentence.