Home Sweet Oxford

For the past few days, I have been trying to come up with the words to describe my Oxford experience.

Strangely enough, after countless essays, late nights hunching over working papers, and early mornings sipping caffeinated tea with a pencil in my hand, the right words are suddenly escaping me. How in the world do I convey the impact of such a life-changing opportunity?

Perhaps I will start with one of my favorite experiences during my time at Oxford: participating in a debate at the famous Oxford Union.

The debate chamber that night was filled with eager young students from every Oxford college and of every nationality. The debate topic: This House Believes the State Should Not Recognize Marriage. As, one by one, the guest speakers filed in to take their place at the front of the chamber, it was as though the busts of famous members that lined the walls were tilting their heads to watch, too.

Although I already had an opinion on the proposition, I tried to engage in this debate with an open mind. In doing so, I was completely floored by the poignant and articulate speakers to take the floor on both sides. Even the students who spoke when the floor opened to the general audience made impressive points. I found myself agreeing with both sides on some matters and disagreeing with both sides on others. Instead of remaining stoic and unmoving in my opinion, I found that my perspective evolved as the argument did.

In my first blog post, I wrote about my fear of and aversion to change. That fear has made me stuck in the past, nostalgic for people and places I could not experience anymore. I had resolved to spend this semester in the present, welcoming change and all of the new experiences that come with it.

Accepting change means accepting that people, places, experiences, and emotions are in constant flux. Nothing stays permanently the same; instead, they are endlessly moving and evolving. My opinions, preferences, and personality are not the same as when I stepped off the bus at Gloucester Green just over three months ago. Yet this scary change has actually ushered in new people and memories that I could have never dreamed of before.

I have embraced all of the beautiful change and wonderful experiences that this semester has brought. I only hope that whatever changes await me back home will be as glorious and confirming as this semester in Oxford has been.

From the Thames to Texas

My countdown to home has officially begun.

As the number of days I have left in Oxford grow shorter, the list of things to do when I get home has grown ever longer. Like eat copious amounts of barbecue, Mexican food, and fried chicken (sorry KFC, you just don’t cut it). And take long, aimless drives around my hometown with the windows rolled down and music blaring. As much as I have loved walking everywhere, I have missed those solo concerts in the driver’s seat when I’m stuck at a stoplight.

When I left the U.S. to travel around the globe, I thought that I would never want to come back, because my heart would always be somewhere else. Yet traveling has compelled within me a deeper appreciation for what I have, rather than what I am missing.

I felt as much when I was returning from my trip to Portugal yesterday. I did not realize how much of an impact Oxford had made on me, nor how deeply engrained it had become as my “home," until the idea of returning made my heart leap with joy. As much fun as going to new places and creating new experiences can be, there is something comforting about the place you call home. I can't even imagine what it will feel like to return to Texas.

Although a stunningly gorgeous country, Portugal's beauty is a completely different flavor than that of France and Germany. While the latter are steeped in tailored elegance, from the architecture to the food to the people, Portugal has a rugged brilliance that seems to be made of happenstance rather than delicately structured planning. From sea caves surrounded by crashing, powerful waves to rolling hills dotted with white stucco houses, every inch of Portugal rejects the western ideal of wealth and civilization. Yet the people there still take immense pride in what they do, from the taxi driver to the woman who makes pottery. Portugal is comfortably and unapologetically itself.

 

I, too, have become comfortably and unapologetically myself through my time abroad.

It is as though, before I came, I was living in a shoe that was too big for my foot. But through my time in Oxford, I have grown until that shoe now fits snugly, comfortably, and without any possibility of slipping and sliding.

I am excited to try the new fit back home in Texas.

Having Fun Isn't Hard, When You Have (Four) Library Cards

Yes, I do have four library cards. And yes, I’ve used every single one of them.

Has my education been made the better for it? I can’t say for sure; I am a proponent of quality over quantity, after all. However, as we wrap up the last week of the academic term here in England, I can happily say that one of the most important aspects of my time here was the ability to completely immerse myself in Oxford's culture of education.

This semester, I have learned and grown as a student in a more profound and influential way than I would have at Hendrix. I mean, who knew that within two month’s time, I would be able to carry my (slightly tipsy) weight in a conversation about health equity with a doctor studying at the University of Oxford? (Hi, Rob)

I think this has come about for a few reasons. Without the additional burden of extracurricular activities, meetings, deadlines, etc., I was able to concentrate my entire attention on my studies, spending extra time learning, digesting, and enjoying the material in a way I could not at Hendrix. This has given me a heightened appreciation for and knowledge of the topics I’m studying.

My education has also had a more well-rounded quality to it, thanks to the teaching structure that the University of Oxford offers. I have discovered that the Oxonian tutorial style balances two types of American collegiate education: while the students gain detailed and sophisticated knowledge within their specific concentration of study (the advantage of large, state universities), they are also learning to express their ideas with clarity, as well as challenge the arguments of others (the advantage of most private, liberal arts schools). It really is the best of both worlds, and I benefited from it immensely this term.

Of course, along with library cards and studying and reading comes some important lessons to be learned. The lessons I have learned through my studies at Oxford can be split into two parts: academic and personal.

Academically, I have learned to synthesize information quickly and present my ideas more thoroughly and cohesively. Structuring an argument has always been a weak point of mine, but after this semester I can navigate the most advanced research in the field and articulate its meaning without blinking an eye. At this point, I could probably whip out an essay outline in twenty minutes, tops.

Personally, the tutorial style has forced me to stand on my own two feet, in more ways than one. For starters, teaching myself complex economic theory was no easy task, but I was surprised at how much I could learn with a book, a pencil, and long hours in the library. Furthermore, a one-on-one meeting with an expert in the field every week certainly required me to "know my stuff" and be prepared to defend it. While my tutors challenged my arguments, probing my mind to test the limits of my knowledge, they were also conditioning me to expand my worldview. I am thankful that I took the time to explore and question and be curious about the world over the course of these past few months; my unquenchable thirst and curiosity has been satisfied, and a travel bug has been awakened in me. Undoubtedly, the list of experiences and places to see has only grown since I arrived, and I don’t know my travel bug will ever return to its slumber. But I do know that through my newfound independence through traveling and studying, I am now standing firmly on my own two feet.

It has been a good semester, Oxford. So many important lessons have been learned. As the academic term wraps up for the year, I think it is time to close the books and put away the library cards.