Alex in Santorini, Greece
One of the reasons that Queen’s stood out to me as a prospective student was all of the international opportunities that it has to offer. After settling in to Queen’s for my first two years of university, I was ready for a change (and a break from the Canadian winter!). So I packed my bags, and headed off to Scotland’s University of Aberdeen for a semester.
Classes are, without question, a key part of any degree program. However, there is a lot to be said about the experiences that students can gain outside of the classroom, and doing a semester abroad certainly caters to that philosophy. My time at Aberdeen gave me the chance to travel all over Scotland, and get a full appreciation for its rich history and culture. Over the course of the semester, I spent my free time tracking down the Loch Ness monster, looking out over the North Sea from ancient castle ruins, taking in Edinburgh and the historic Royal Mile at sunset from the top of Arthur’s Seat, and enjoying a traditional ceilidh with the locals on a three day tour of the Isle of Skye.
Thanks to discount airlines, I was also able to do some travel across Europe. Whether I was standing next to the last remaining pieces of the Berlin Wall, listening to live music at Temple Bar in Dublin, surrounded by over 9000 graves at the American Cemetery in Normandy, or watching the famous Santorini sunset in Greece, I was struck by the fact that each weekend, I was seeing things that some people wouldn’t see in a lifetime.
The semester absolutely flew by, and before I knew it, it was time to say goodbye to friends, pack my bags one last time, and make the trek back home. Without a doubt though, the experience will be with me for a lifetime. My semester abroad was one of the most rewarding experiences in my time at university, and definitely changed my outlook on the world. Queen’s University offers a world-class classroom education to its students. However, it is the understanding that you can gain outside of the classroom (such as through a semester abroad) that makes Queen’s a cut above the rest.
Alexandra Erath, BAH ‘10, Language and Linguistics
Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial
Alex in front of the famous "Swilcan Bridge" at the home of golf, The Old Course at St. Andrews
August 31, 2009 at 6:04 pm |
As Alex points out, what makes a “good” college is in the eye of the beholder. It’s more than the curriculum or the school ranking that you should use as barometers for choosing a college. College life and programs offered come into play too.