Almost a year ago today, I flew from Dallas (DFW) to London Heathrow (LHR) for my summer study abroad. I was bound for Cambridge University to study for six weeks. I did not know anyone in Cambridge. Abroad and alone, I was ecstatic.
Prior to learning I had the opportunity to study at Cambridge, I was new to Princeton’s culture—one where students hustle to secure summer plans—and was extremely intimidated. I felt, at times, a stressful expectation to fill my summer with internships or other opportunities. Despite these feelings, I ended up with a summer filled with wild, wet, English adventures. Trust me, it was the right choice.
July 6th, 2023: DFW -> LHR
I remember clearly the butterflies I felt traveling internationally by myself. Touching down in London, my curious eyes peeked down from the plane, spotting little red dots commuting to and from. I had no idea what England had in store for me, but it turned out to be everything from iconic red buses to spontaneous trips. Arriving in Cambridge, I immediately was in awe of the old, historic town. Cambridge University is situated within the beautifully bustling town of Cambridge. The university has no central campus and is instead split into 31 different colleges, each of which has its own “campus” or courtyard dispersed throughout town. Walking around town, you’ll occasionally run into one of these colleges. Each is nestled between historic buildings and is visible through the small openings of its old wooden gates.
For an artist, Cambridge is an extremely inspiring city. I drew constantly during my trip. The image above is one of my favorite sketches I did during my time there. It’s a drawing of the Kings College Chapel, which (fun fact) inspired the architecture of Princeton’s chapel. Several of Princeton’s buildings were inspired by Cambridge, actually, and I would argue that Princeton feels like a smaller, quainter version of Cambridge.
August 19th, 2023: LHR -> DFW
By the end of my trip, I had made unforgettable memories at Cambridge. Situating myself in a new town and making new friends, my 6 weeks felt electric. My day-to-day schedule consisted of a few classes and lots of biking around town. The weather was, well let's just say, English. It rained quite often but this rarely dented my excitement. I would recommend all students participate in a summer study abroad. Summer at Princeton can look like whatever you want it to. I learned a lot from this study abroad, and I wouldn’t trade my experience in Cambridge for anything in the world.
Lastly, I wanted to touch on a bit of the nuts and bolts of the program in case anyone is interested. I studied at Pembroke College and I took 3 classes during the 6 weeks: Jane Austen, Sustainability, and an independent study done with a professor. Princeton also has scholarships to provide financial aid for summer activities like these. Academically, Cambridge was certainly different from Princeton. We had far less hours of class time, and the only deliverables for students were two dissertations: each class required two very long essays.