During my first semester at The Ohio State University, I was fortunate enough to participate in the London Honors experience with other first year honors students. As a microbiology major, traveling to London doesn’t exactly fit into my academic or career plan, and that is why I feel that traveling abroad was so beneficial to my academic experience. I know that for the remainder of my academic career I will be so focused on my studies that traveling abroad again is unlikely to fit into my plans, so the London Honors class was an ideal opportunity for me to travel abroad and gain worldly experience before I am too invested in my studies. Gaining this cultural experience has helped me to understand different cultures and possess a deeper appreciation for other countries and how they operate. Traveling to London is also a unique study abroad experience that I can place in an application or a resume that gives me a unique experience and facet to my future applications that other students might not have, so this trip is also beneficial for me down the road in my academic career.
London Honors was also a fantastic opportunity because I met amazing classmates and students that I wouldn’t have met otherwise. I am originally from Colorado so when I came to Ohio State I knew nobody, not a single person. But throughout the semester and during my time in country I became friends with my other London Honors classmates and I met some of the most genuine and kind people that I hope to stay friends with throughout my time in college. I believe the London Honors experience is also important for first year students because it is composed of students from various majors so students can become friends with and interact with other students that they would not have otherwise met due to their majors and course of study. This type of interaction is important because it exposes students to different perspectives and courses of study within the university.
