Photos:
A Protest in Warsaw — Gdansk — The OSU Crew
The Warsaw Social Sciences Summer School was a 5-week education and research program focusing on the quantitative social sciences. Over the course of the program, I took statistics and history classes while working on an independent research project that studied success attitudes in Poland in 2018. I am now working towards publishing my results in an undergraduate research journal.
At the outset of the project, I was nervous about the academic rigor of the summer school, especially the intensity of learning a full semester of statistics in 5 weeks. The program turned out to be just as challenging as advertised–they kept us very busy and had high expectations for our performance–but in the end it turned out to be the perfect level for me. I thrive in environments where I am challenged and I work best when I am in a cohort, so the structure of the program really played to my strengths and helped me get the most out of my time in Poland. As a result, I had the most transformative experience possible, personally, professionally, and academically.
Before arriving in Poland, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Though I looked into the language and culture before leaving, I still held certain assumptions about Eastern Europe based on media portrayals and antiquated cultural stereotypes. Thankfully, living in Poland for an extended period allowed me to immerse myself in its rich history, culture, and people. When I arrived, I encountered a warm and welcoming society that valued its traditions while embracing modernity. In my five weeks in Warsaw, I grew to love the city and the lifestyle it supported, despite how different it was from my life in Columbus. My time in various cities across Europe also gave me a first look at how a career abroad could look, and I am now confident that living as an expat is within my reach. This experience underscored the importance of challenging stereotypes and seeking first-hand experiences to foster genuine understanding, and introduced me to the expat lifestyle.
Moreover, the study abroad experience provided me with ample opportunities for personal growth. Being in an unfamiliar environment far away from home forced me to step out of my comfort zone and adapt to new challenges. I became more independent, resilient, and open-minded as I navigated through cultural differences and language barriers. Interacting with diverse international students and making friends from various backgrounds helped me appreciate the beauty of cultural exchange and recognize the universality of human experiences and the value of personal connection. This experience instilled in me a sense of global citizenship and a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of our world. I was also transformed professionally through the academic program. This early exposure to research and the opportunity to learn about the day-to-day work of a career in academia heightened my interest in the field and affirmed my desire to complete an honors thesis. I also made strong connections with my professors that will continue to grow as I prepare my draft for publishing over the coming weeks. Overall, my study abroad in Poland has been a profound journey of self-discovery and has broadened my perspective, leaving me with lasting memories, personal connections, and invaluable life lessons.
One of the international students I met was Maeme, a Taiwanese sociology graduate student at the University of Warsaw who was also involved in our program. We would often be at the Polish Academy of Sciences building until late in the evening working on homework and our research projects, which inevitably led to us having many interesting conversations about Taiwan and the US. As a world politics student, I was fascinated to hear her perspective on global issues, given how central Taiwan is to international relations at the moment. Hearing about the conflict from a Taiwanese citizen enriched my knowledge of the issue and helped me build a more nuanced perspective on the extremely political situation in the South China Sea.
As I mentioned, one of the biggest takeaways from this experience was insight into my career desires. Though I’ve taken statistics and coding classes in the past, I’ve always doubted my abilities and questioned if I could ever make a career out of it. In Warsaw, I was given the opportunity to immerse myself in these fields and really challenge myself. In the process, I built the confidence to seriously explore adding a STEM minor to my degree program, and gave myself permission to consider other career trajectories that include math and science. I love world politics, and this experience helped me accept that my personal strengths lie in working with the empirical and the theoretical at the same time. This realization will be transformative for my academic and professional future, as I continue to discover my strengths and find my niche.
Finally, one of the oft-overlooked but equally significant sources of change came from the relationships I built with other buckeyes while in the Summer School. Despite the fact that we are all from Ohio, it took a trip across the world for us all to meet and develop friendships. Since we all worked in a small cohort for the duration of the 5-week program, we got to know each other very well. From this program, I have found friends that I will continue to keep in touch with beyond this summer. Making these connections could also help me in the future, as I will have contacts in graduate schools who will be willing to give me advice on the admissions process. Meeting buckeyes I never would’ve otherwise met and building relationships with them was transformative in its own way, and gave me a look into how diverse the Buckeye community is.
The Warsaw Summer School was transformative for me personally, professionally, and academically. With the support of the STEP fellowship, I was able to immerse myself in a new culture, build my confidence as a student, and develop skills that will enhance my career prospects. With the knowledge I have gained from this experience, I can move forward at Ohio State and seek out opportunities that support my ambitions.