Julia Cash- Study Abroad

1. My STEP signature project was a five-week study abroad program in Oxford, England. It was a Pre-Law program that provided classes and lectures about the Anglo-American Legal System. In addition, we also went on several field trips to places in England with legal or cultural relevance.
2. When I was traveling to England, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had only been out of the United States twice and I had never been anywhere near Europe. Upon arriving in England, I quickly noticed some small differences to the U.S. Yet, after a week or so I became very used to all of these differences; minus the lack of air conditioning. I soon realized how quickly it felt natural, and I was able to adapt to these changes. I also go to travel outside of England for a few days on a trip to Scotland and saw how a few hours on a train can lead to a whole new place. I was able to see Oxford, London, Scotland, and Bath. All of these places were incredible and beyond anything I ever expected when I signed up for this trip. Traveling frequently as well as living away from home gave me a feeling of independence and reassurance for my future.Getting to study at the University of Oxford was a privilege. Early on during the trip we had a lecture about the University and its academic rigor that amazed all of us on the program. The lectures were vastly different than any class I had taken at OSU and the professors were unique and incredibly well spoken. Once class in particular, taught by Professor Whelan, changed my thought process on particular subjects and challenged the whole class’ way of thinking. Overall, I learned a lot about legal practices and ethics as well as a lot about myself while studying abroad.
3. I had some pretty phenomenal teachers while studying in Oxford. Each day we had a lesson from Professor Jordan who teaches at Moritz College of Law. Her job was to give us a glimpse of what law school would entail. Her class solidified my intentions of attending law school and made me excited to attend class. A couple times a week, we would also receive a lesson from Dr. Whelan who teaches at the University of Oxford. He was a great speaker who kept all of us engaged and created the most productive classroom setting I have ever been in. By making us “imagine the following scenario…” he changed the way we all arrived at our opinions and made us question what are morals are and why they are important. These two professors in particular helped make my experience as transformative as it was.In addition, we had several guest lectures such as Dr. Holmes and Dr. Goold who spoke about more narrow subjects like Brexit or issues in medical law. They engaged the class in conversation and I was able to learn a lot about topics I hadn’t anticipated. When writing my research paper, I got to work with a teacher named Nomfundo. She was one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met and truly impacted my educational experience in the best possible way. We also traveled to lots of different places such as the Old Bailey and Parliament. We got to watch a trial as well as attend a talk from MP Robert Courts. It was an activity that contributed to my college involvement in a way I couldn’t have ever imagined.

   On top of all of this, I met some amazing students while abroad and made a whole new group of friends. I not only learned from the professors, but also from fellow students as they shared their thoughts in class. Additionally, traveling with them meant that I got to experience all of these new wild places with other people who knew what home was like and understood the differences. These people made my time abroad so much fun.

4. Getting to experience the culture of England was valuable because it made me less ignorant to the rest of the world. You can read about things all you want, but experiencing them is a whole other ordeal. The experience made me more confident in myself and in my abilities to make quick connections with other people. Also, the classes solidified my goal of going to law school. In all, it made me appreciate academic culture more and made me excited to get back into classes here at OSU.Pictures from my trip: