Office of Study Abroad

Profile: Caroline Greaney '21

Study Abroad Program: IFSA/St. Peter's College, University of Oxford Summer Program

Current Job: Editorial Assistant, Cengage Learning

Why did you originally choose to study abroad in the UK? I chose the Oxford St. Peter's College Summer Program because I was drawn to the university's long history of academic rigor and its incredibly enchanting setting. I was eager to plan and execute my own course of study within Oxford's unique tutorial system, which entails a high degree of independent work and initiative on the student's part. Because I wanted to complete English coursework abroad and experience studying/living in another country, but I also wanted to stay connected to my friends, professors and activities on campus, going for a summer felt like the perfect fit.

What have you been up to since graduation? I work on the content side of educational publishing, supporting four different editorial teams as they develop academic coursework for K-12 and university markets.

What lessons or skills did you learn from studying abroad that you still think about today or still impact you today on your current path? Because my program primarily consisted of one session with a tutor per week and a few IFSA-sponsored events, I had to learn to structure my free time in ways I found to be productive and engaging. Setting aside the appropriate amount of time to complete a coherent essay each week was challenging, as was budgeting time to fit in all the activities I wanted to do both within and outside of Oxford. The time management skills I had to employ while abroad have certainly transferred over to the professional world. When I have a deadline a few days away, I generally feel confident when planning out how I’m going to meet it.

One memory from abroad that still feels like it happened yesterday: My friends and I spent an afternoon going punting along the river by Magdalen College, where we were housed. Punting involves steering a flat boat along the water by pushing a long pole against the riverbed. We were all terrible at it and bumped into the riverbank several times, laughing uproariously while passerby rolled their eyes at us. Nevertheless, we made it back to dry land without anyone falling in!

Your message to students thinking about studying abroad: Learn as much as you can about the courses and extracurriculars your prospective abroad program offers; confirm that the program includes schoolwork, cultural immersion opportunities, etc. that feel exciting and intellectually/socially stimulating. You will be spending anywhere from several weeks to several months on this program, so it's important that you commit to researching it as thoroughly as possible and making sure it's the best option for you!