Some students add to their collegiate experience by studying in another country.
Missouri State University senior and Springfield native Zack Perry chose to study abroad in Oxford, England.
“It’s been an experience unlike anything else,” Perry tells The Scoop.
Perry, who is studying public relations at Missouri State, is spending the semester at Oxford Brookes University, where he is a part of the university’s journalism and multimedia program.
Oxford is home to famous architecture, a large city center, and the University of Oxford.
“Every day is a new day for me here,” Perry says. “Seeing all of the architecture and culture is fantastic.”
Across the ocean, college culture can be very different from the United States. Perry says that most classes are lecture-based, and the majority of one’s grade is dependent on a final exam or paper. On-campus students don’t own cars, according to Perry, which can make getting from class to class a little different than usual.
He says going to class can include a 40-minute bus ride sometimes. There are also no cafeterias at Oxford Brookes, so students often times have to resort to cooking their own food.
“I’ve eaten frozen pizza almost every day I’ve been here,” Perry says. “I had McDonald’s for lunch. So it’s not completely different from college in America.”
Another aspect of studying abroad is the social scene and nightlife. The culture of drinking is different in England from the United States, Perry says, adding that Oxford Brookes University owns and operates a pub on campus where students can drink and socialize. He also says that drinking is more of a relaxed issue with college students due to the legal drinking age being 18. Also, if you go to the clubs there’s a chance you could run into Game of Thrones’ Kristian Nairn DJing.
For Perry, studying abroad is also a time to explore England and meet people from different cultures.
“I had thought about studying in London, but I had talked with others who had studied abroad there, and they said they mainly hung out with other Americans,” Perry says. “I wanted to hang out with people from across the world. That’s how it is in Oxford. Most of my classmates are from England or countries from around the world.” According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, England hosts around 10% of the world’s international students.
The trip has also allowed him to visit some of England’s most famous places such as Cardiff Castle and London.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better experience,” Perry says. For him, this study abroad fulfills the three things he was looking for in a study abroad: affordable, educational, and cultural. The study abroad program was done through MSU where the trips costs him the same as MSU’s tuition, and he also gets to study courses relevant to his field at Oxford Brookes University.
But, most important for Perry, he gets to spend a semester exploring an entirely different culture. “Throw away all of the partying and classes, and we’re all students from across the world here to grow and learn together,” Perry says. “Studying abroad isn’t about the book education but the life education.”
If you’re interested in studying abroad contact your school’s study abroad office:
Photos by Zack Perry
