Studying abroad has become a staple experience for university students, and college applicants are searching for unique opportunities to explore the world during their undergraduate education. Universities across the United States have created programs that align with this trend. Emory University’s Oxford College has recently embraced this shift, partnering with the Institute for the International Education of Students to develop Oxford Launch in London. This program will allow 50 first-year students to study abroad in London for their first semester.
Like Oxford, many other higher education institutions have started offering first-year study abroad options to encourage studying outside their campus’ usual borders.
New York University offers the Global Liberal Studies program, which invites students to spend their first year in cities such as London, Florence and Madrid. In 2021, the Georgia Institute of Technology began offering 50 first years the opportunity to travel abroad for their fall semester to Metz, France or the University of Oxford in England.
In particular, Northeastern University (Mass.) has made an effort to prioritize global learning. Out of the 2,759 first-year students, 850 spend one of their first two semesters at the school’s campus in Oakland, Ca. and the other semester at the University’s London campus through the school’s Global Scholars program.
Alyssa Castaner, a Northeastern first-year student in the Global Scholars program, said that studying abroad in her first year has been a “unique experience.”
“I always said that I wanted to go to college to see something different and live somewhere new,” Castaner said. “With this specific program, I’m not even just living in one place that’s new, I’m living in three different places that are brand new to me.”
Castaner expressed that the proximity to other Northeastern students in Oakland has enabled her to connect with her peers abroad despite not being on their main campus.
“You could definitely connect with people more because it’s like forced proximity,” Castaner said. “Obviously, there’s definitely still the sense of the Northeastern community, even though we’re not in Boston.”
Northeastern offers another 1,000 students the chance to study at nine locations throughout Europe through the N.U.in Program. Between N.U.in and the Global Scholars program, 67% of Northeastern students study abroad in their first year.
Once on campus, study-abroad programs can cause first-year students to feel isolated from their peers who started on the main campuses. At Northeastern, students in the N.U.in Program have described struggling to break out of the “N.U.in bubble,” as they feel disconnected from the university community.
Alexandra Paez, a second-year student at Northeastern who spent her first semester in London through the Global Scholars program, said she found that most of her closest friends were those enrolled in the program.
Former Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Ravi Bellamkonda admitted there are challenges to having a campus abroad. He mentioned the challenges he faced with sending students to study in China when he was employed at Duke University (N.C.).
“Most of those universities … have found that it is very hard to replicate the quality and experience of the home campus somewhere else,” Bellamkonda said.
Iris Sim, a high school senior admitted to the Oxford Launch program, said that she liked the opportunity to build a close inner circle, but decided to commit to the Atlanta campus for better opportunities in research and building connections.
“Because I was specifically interested in research, there could be a lot more opportunities for me, whether it would be on campus or nearby hospitals or community service and other aspects within Atlanta’s city,” Sim said.
Campuses abroad are often structured differently, which can be an adjustment for first-year students when they return to traditional college life. Paez said it was “difficult” for her upon returning to Northeastern due to the lack of extracurriculars and clubs in London.
“It’s like zero to 100,” Paez said. “I was just bombarded with so much stuff. I was very overwhelmed.”
Oxford College Dean Badia Ahad said in a press release that launching a first-semester study abroad program is a step toward helping Oxford students succeed in an interconnected world.
Despite his concerns, Bellamkonda also spoke about how the world is growing “increasingly connected” and that Emory University should embrace this change.
“It is important for us to, as a part of a good education, to experience other cultures on our own campus, as well as through travel,” Bellamkonda said.
Bellamkonda emphasized that while first-year students studying abroad may face challenges, the purpose of the Oxford Launch program is to experiment with how global experiences can allow first-year students to bring unique perspectives back to Oxford.
“Oxford is very innovative,” Bellamkonda said. “I think of it as an incubator for new ideas for Emory.”
Bellamkonda said he hopes those involved in the Oxford Launch program will return to the Oxford campus with insights that will diversify the experiences of their peers.
“When those students mingle with other Oxford students, some magic is going to happen,” Bellamkonda said. “So that’s the spirit behind this, that we recognize that the world is interconnected.”
Associate Professor of Latin American and Caribbean Studies Pablo Palomino, who will teach one of the Oxford Launch courses, said the program is an interesting way to redefine the traditional college experience.
“I cannot think of a better way of starting the university experience if you are 18 years old, living a semester in one of the most interesting cities on the planet,” Palomino said.
Editor-in-Chief Spencer Friedland (26C) contributed to reporting.
