For my STEP Project, I chose a study abroad program through OIA. This summer I studied at University College Dublin in Dublin, Ireland. This program was not a typical study abroad program where you take classes, it’s called STEM Summer Research, so everyone has their own research project to work on throughout the summer. My project was focused on testing a possible treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.
My STEP Project was a very transformative experience for me for multiple reasons. First of all, I gained a sense of independence that I have never felt before. I’ve always had a hard time being independent and doing things by myself, but when I studied abroad this summer I was in a new country and didn’t have any of my friends or family with me, which forced me to rely on myself more than I was used to. Although I did find friends in my program, I still found myself needing to do things by myself quite often due to the nature of the situation, and after learning how to navigate a foreign city on my own, it made me realize I am capable of much more than I previously thought.
Second of all, my research project pushed me academically, and by the end of the program I felt a great sense of accomplishment. The lab I worked in was something completely new to me, at the beginning I felt very frustrated that it was taking me so long to figure everything out, but by the end, I had mastered everything and felt proud of what I had learned during those two months. I also found myself writing a 24 page final paper in three days. This may seem like it was a procrastination issue, but I actually finished well before the deadline and was the first person in the program to finish my paper. Now I know that when I put my mind to it, I can accomplish so much. This gives me a new sense of confidence going into this next semester where I’ll be taking some pretty difficult classes while studying for the MCAT.
Third of all, my experience studying abroad gave me a new sense of adventure and excitement for travel. I’ve always loved traveling and was actually voted most likely to travel the world as my high school senior superlative. Nonetheless, I do find travel to be a bit scary and intimidating at times. Before the start of this program, I was dreading spending the summer away from home, as I don’t like leaving my comfort zone very often and I was worried I wouldn’t be able to deal with being in another country for so long. I spent the month before my departure regretting the fact that I applied to the program and I wished that I was spending the summer in the United States instead. However, while I was actually abroad, I did not regret my choice for one second. I even traveled to four different countries outside of Ireland during the weekends, and I loved the opportunity to see new places and new things. I was expecting to be stressed and homesick, but I didn’t feel either of these things at any point throughout the program.
Throughout the duration of the program, I worked in two labs under two different supervisors, made 13 new friends, traveled to five countries total, and traveled all over Ireland. All of these events and relationships were important to my transformation throughout this experience.
A big reason I applied to this program is because I wanted to be involved in research, but I have never had time to do it at OSU during the school year, so I thought a summer research program would be perfect. Although this was my first experience with research, I think I did a great job with this project and am proud of the work I did. My supervisors and everyone I worked with in the lab were very helpful and I learned so much from them. I always thought that research would be something I wouldn’t enjoy, but I very much enjoyed my time working on this project both in and out of the lab. I will always remember this experience and the people who helped me, and I will always remember my academic accomplishments from this summer when I feel overwhelmed with my work during the school year.
Another big reason I applied to this program is because I wanted to see more of the world. I actually saw more of the world than I anticipated. For some reason I assumed I would be spending all of my time in Dublin, where I was studying, but I ended up traveling all around the country, and to other countries as well. It definitely helped that Ireland is a small country and the public transportation is great. On our first free day after orientation, I made a plan with a small group of people to go hiking. I ended up inviting everyone in the program to join, and 13 of us ended up going. We immediately hit it off as a group and spent the summer going on so many adventures together, both in the country and in other countries. These experiences were so valuable to me, as they taught me that there is so much to see in the world, and encouraged me to keep traveling. If I had never met this group of people, I don’t know if I would’ve done all the things I did, so I’m grateful for the relationships I made as well as all the things I saw and did with my new friends.
Although I made new friends and did so many things with them, there were many times when everyone was busy and I would need to do things on my own. For example, towards the end of the program, I had finished my final paper over a week early, so I had to find a way to entertain myself while everyone was busy working on their papers. I spent a lot of time going into the city by myself, which was something that was terrifying to me at first, but once I got the hang of it I realized I was perfectly capable of staying safe in a big city on my own. There were times where I didn’t feel great about being alone, but I’m much more comfortable with being independent now than I was before the program.
This experience turned me into a completely different person. I have new values and a new understanding of myself, and I’m very appreciative that this experience had such a positive impact on me. I’m no longer scared to take on this upcoming semester and know that I will do great. I’m no longer scared of spending long periods of time away from home and am creating a plan to spend my next summer abroad. I’m no longer scared of being on my own and feel like I can handle so many more situations independently than before. I now know that research can be an enjoyable experience and hope to continue my involvement in research at Ohio State this school year.
