Welcome, Class of 2029!
My name is Derek Jiang, a senior majoring in Chemical Engineering here at the College of Engineering, and I had the great honor and opportunity to study abroad at the University of Oxford for the 2023-24 academic year (my junior year).
The University of Oxford is composed of a federation of colleges, which are small, multidisciplinary living and learning communities. I was at St. Anne’s College, where I lived in a single room (with my own private bathroom!). At St. Anne’s, I got to befriend the other ~40 visiting students at St. Anne’s. Hailing from other colleges around the U.S. to global countries such as Japan and Afghanistan, each student had such diverse interests, backgrounds, and perspectives, and I learned so much from our cultural exchange. Together, we explored and conquered all that Oxford had to offer: formal dinners and fancy balls, spirited debates at the Oxford Union (I met Nancy Pelosi!), afternoon high tea at the Ashmolean Museum, trying out new sports such as rowing and rugby, playing poker with British students (the buy-in was “five quid”), and more! Through our time together, we became a family, and we—the St. Anne’s College Visiting Students of 2023-24—even held a reunion last fall in the Poconos, Pennsylvania!
Academically, it was interesting being exposed to a new system. Oxford (and Cambridge) use the tutorial system, which means I met with professors in small groups to discuss our work on a frequent basis. The classes were fast-paced and challenging, and I found myself constantly learning more about the field of engineering. Thankfully, the University of Oxford doesn’t require their visiting students to take exams, which made the experience much less stressful.
Part of studying abroad is the “abroad” part—the travel! During breaks and long weekends, I traveled across the U.K. and across Europe and North Africa (after all, flights are cheap and everything is so close!). My friends and family at home watched with envy as I rode camels in Morocco, hiked the Swiss Alps in Switzerland, frolicked through tulip fields in the Netherlands, visited castles in Dover, enjoyed the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, marveled at the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, chowed down on pasteis de nata in Portugal, soaked in thermal baths in Budapest, watched the Berlin Philharmonic perform, and relaxed while touring the fjords of Norway!
Studying abroad at Oxford was one of the best decisions of my life. Not only was I able to travel extensively and broaden my horizons on a new continent, I met new friends and forged lifelong memories. I will never forget my study abroad year—it truly was the most eventful, crazy, and wonderful year of my life!
~ Derek, chemical engineering