As a native Georgian, I have lived in the South my entire life and have never traveled farther than the edges of Florida’s coast. That said, when the opportunity arose to study abroad this summer, I eagerly accepted. Later this month, I will embark upon what is sure to be the trip of a lifetime that will undoubtedly present some of the greatest experiences I have ever encountered.

The Georgia Tech Oxford Program is a ten-week program consisting of four weeks of walking tours, museum visits, organized lectures, and free study opportunities throughout Vienna, Florence, Rome, Venice, Munich, Prague, Paris, Brussels, and Brugge. The program concludes with a six-week residential stay in Oxford, England. I will earn twelve credit hours abroad - six during the travel portion of the trip and six in Oxford - that will be applied to my Business Administration degree.

Now that my departure date is just a few short weeks away, my anticipation grows with each passing day. Though I am excited for the opportunities this program will present, I am admittedly somewhat apprehensive about living among cultures so different from my own. I’ve read the books, I’ve studied the websites, and yet I still worry that my American naïveté could be a detriment to my success abroad. I hope this fear will diminish when I arrive in Europe and that I might stay composed and considerate despite any cultural differences to which I may be exposed.

In four years, when I graduate with a degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology, I will be well on my way to finding a job and a prosperous career. This degree will be but a mere sheet of paper, however, if I do not make the most out of my time here at Tech. A college education is not just about the diploma in the frame; it is about experiencing new things, building strong connections and networks, and finding your true passions. The Oxford Program will help me to achieve each of these goals and in a manner that will set me apart from other candidates in today’s job market. As a Business Administration major with a concentration in Marketing, a global perspective is crucial to my future career. A ten-week travel experience will help me better gauge how appropriate this career path is for me. Perhaps an international experience is not the best fit for everyone, but I hope that it will help me appreciate the many diverse cultures of the world, allow me to be absolutely independent, and, in essence, grow and mature as an individual.