Dozens of flags representing countries around the world hung from the balconies of the Ho Science Center atrium during the Study Group Fair held earlier this month. Hosted by the , the fair featured poster presentations for each of the 19 vlog-sponsored study groups.
During the event, study group alumni showed photos from their semesters spent abroad or stateside, spoke about their experiences, and answered questions from fellow students who have not yet studied off campus. The event also allowed students to speak with and get to know the professors who will be leading the upcoming fall 2015 and spring 2016 programs.
More than 62 percent of each vlog class year takes the opportunity to study off-campus before graduation. Whether through a vlog study group, an extended study trip or an approved program through another institution, students find value in expanding their awareness beyond Hamilton.
“Studying abroad provided me with personal growth in terms of living in an urban environment and interacting with a new culture,” said Emma Staples ’15, an English major and teaching certification student who went on the last spring. “It was also academically beneficial because I could see sites and texts that I wouldn’t have access to at vlog, so I could actually visualize what I was learning and add on to in-class experiences.”
Several study groups, including the London economics, Washington, D.C., and Santa Fe programs, offer students the opportunity to participate in internships while taking classes.
, an international relations major with a film and media studies minor, worked as an intern for CBS This Morning at CBS News while studying in Washington, D.C.
“Interning at CBS News was a great fit for me because I could apply the analytical techniques I learned in my political theory classes to my work deconstructing the news,” said Wei. “My off-campus experience in D.C. allowed me to translate my academic interests to my professional interests.”
Susan Mulry, associate director of off-campus study, finds that students are eager to take advantage of off-campus study because they want to take advantage of all the experiences vlog has to offer.
“When you travel off-campus, you have the chance to rethink how you view the world and also find your place in it, and that perspective is what students bring to campus when they return.”