Oh the places you'll go: SLC Study Abroad
by Fariha Chowdhury '11
Thursday November 29, 2007
When asked why a Sarah Lawrence College student would want to study abroad, Prema Samuel, Director of International Programs, simply replied, “Why wouldn’t you want to?”
Whether aspiring to study modern history and economics at Oxford, the finer points of jazz composition in a Parisian music conservatory, or the complexities of society and development at the University of Havana, students who choose to leave for their Junior (and occasionally Senior) year to study abroad return to the Bronxville campus with insights that are not easily forgotten and are significantly important to their undergraduate experience. “I think it’ll help you become stronger in the sense of who you are and who we are,” said Samuel. “You’ll become more confident, articulate and receive exposure to a different environment and culture. You can immerse yourself into this in depth and [gain an] integrated experience with a new community.”
“It is important to understand the actions of our nation and individuals of our nation in context with the global society,” said Samantha Fein, ‘08. “It is important to know cultural stereotypes of Americans and how we are perceived by other nations. It is important to learn another language and step outside your comfort zone in a variety of spheres. Plus, having the opportunity to travel is one of my personal greatest pleasures.” Fein spent her first semester in Havana studying painting, Spanish, the Cuban population, development and urban planning. She then spent her second semester in Buenos Aires focusing on the same course of study along with art history and Argentine political development.
SLC offers a wide range of options for study abroad: Paris, France; Florence, Italy; Madurai, India; Oxford University in England; the British American Drama Academy’s London Theatre Program; the University of Havana in Cuba; and the University of Catania in Siciliy. Exchange programs with Reed College, Eugene Lang College, Spelman College, and Tsuda College for Women in Tokyo, Japan are also available. The exchange programs at Spelman and Tsuda are only offered to women. Students can also attend study abroad programs offered by other accredited institutions approved by the International Studies Office and the Dean of Studies Office.
“You need to have a 3.0 GPA, or a B average, and good recommendations in order to participate,” said Samuel. “The prerequisites are really not meant as a deterrent, but a means of confirming whether you can handle the experience. No one really has had a problem with it. You choose the program that best serves your needs.”
“[The program] was one of the few of its kind offered in the country and… gave me the freedom to improve on my Spanish skills as well as continue to develop my art,” explained Fein. “I became fluent in Spanish, and gained more complex understandings about the class dynamics and problems connected with tourism and other forms of migration into developing nations. I also learned quite a deal about the political/social/cultural history of the countries I went to. Plus, I made some awesome friends (in particular, the Freakies of Cuba!).”
Both Fein and Samuel emphasized the importance for students to have a genuine interest and desire in attaining an international experience. “I would not recommend study abroad to everyone; specifically, if an individual was not interested in the above mentioned things and was going for purely hedonistic reasons, such as a lower drinking age,” said Fein. Samuel, who had initially been an International student from Malaysia, reminisced about her own transnational studies. “It was great. I was star struck to be in the states at the time, it was lots of fun. Go abroad. I encourage people to do it.”
For more information stop by the International Programs Office (Westlands 3 rd Floor) and check out the Study Abroad Fair on Tuesday, Oct. 30 from 1-3 PM at the Siegel Center.
