What do British accents, late bedtimes, and leaps of faith have in common? They are all pieces of the study abroad experience at the University of Oxford. At least, according to Ryle Mellinger. Ryle is a senior Templeton student double-majoring in English writing and philosophy. He attended the Oxford Study Abroad Program (OSAP) earlier this summer, studying philosophy and religion. We chatted about the ups, downs, and life-changing parts of his experience in Oxford.
With a thoughtful smile and a few silent moments of reflection, Ryle had trouble choosing a favorite memory of his time abroad. "Every time I had the opportunity to choose between 'do this cool thing in Oxford' or study for class, almost every time I chose the fun thing. I can study and read when I'm back home," Ryle said. Some of those cool Oxfordian things include experiencing pub culture, exploring the other colleges' events, and meeting many new people. Ryle encourages students who are studying abroad to connect with a local church community. "Getting to experience the student culture and meeting new people was really great! There was a church I got involved in there which had a lot of students from Oxford, not just people that were studying abroad," he said. "[I met] people from the U.S., too, I made really close friends with somebody from Mississippi, and I've been in touch with him since then." Making connections with fellow students from around the States, as well as in a new country, is one of the great benefits of studying abroad.
The program made a mock schedule for students, since there is so much to do every day. It was interesting to hear that the program legitimized the typical student's nocturnal habits: "In their mock schedule, they had built in time to go to the pub and hang out with friends. They had the student going to bed at three and waking up at ten-thirty, which is so funny because that's definitely how lots of students at Oxford function!" Ryle did not necessarily follow this particular schedule, but found that this difference shows the gaps between British and American culture. We agreed that Americans don't have an equivalent of a pub, a place where you can see elderly folks drink tea in the morning and college students gather at night. This was a real treat for Ryle and many other students who have visited the UK.
Beyond the myriad activities, of course, are the educational opportunities. "[I took] one class, so it wasn't super intense. I found that the tutorial system worked so well. I met once a week with the professor, it was one-on-one and we would just talk for an hour," Ryle said. The class focused on the work of Soren Kierkegaard, particularly Fear and Trembling and Practicing Christianity. Did you know that the phrase "leap of faith" comes from Kierkegaard? Ryle explains, "He talks about how faith isn't something that you just reason your way towards, making arguments and coming to a logical conclusion. He says it's more of an act of trust, where you put trust in a paradox." The idea of faith as something that goes beyond reason was freeing for Ryle and inspired him to think about his faith in new ways.
As far as downsides to the experience? "The portion sizes [of British food] are smaller, which doesn't surprise me because I think America has bigger [sizes]. But that was annoying for me, especially being a runner, needing to eat so much every day," he said. Despite the small plates, Ryle was a big fan of the street food in Oxford, namely, kebabs. Other fine cuisine mentioned includes a full classic English breakfast and a Sunday roast.
Regardless of plate sizes, Ryle tells his fellow Templeton students to step outside their comfort zones and consider a program overseas. Between the classes, extracurriculars, cultural experiences, and horizon-widening, there is so much in store for the student who studies abroad.
Photo Credits: Ryle Mellinger