Josh Bourne '08
Peer Advisor: Academic Outreach Coordinator
What made you choose
to study abroad? Why the particular program/country/location?
I had been to London
before, but only for a week. I wanted
the experience of not only living in another country, but working in another
country, and London
provided me with a great opportunity to do so.
I also wanted to grow from my experience, get out of our community and
at the same time, not be too far from it.
By that I mean that it was great living with Santa Clara students, making new friends and
also having the option of meeting local Londoners as well.
What have you learned
from your study abroad experiences that have contributed to your personal,
vocational, or academic growth?
Despite past summer employments, my whole life has been
revolved around education. Going to
classes routinely and doing homework at night can be tedious and
unexciting. I wanted a change of pace,
and living in London
gave me just that. I had classes where
plenty of field trips were taken and our professors encouraged us to see all
that London had
to offer. The internship was a key
reason for me attending the London program, and
just having the experience of waking up to the morning London rush hour and riding on “the tube” for
30 minutes to get to work was awesome. I
established great work habits, organizational habits from living in a tight,
yet fun space, gained a lot of confidence about who I am, and broadened my
horizons by traveling not just within England, but other European
countries as well.
Your advise to
prospective study abroad students?
Don’t be afraid to do
what you normally wouldn’t. I can’t
stress that enough. When you are abroad
and if you are living with Santa Clara
students, you will be tempted to only hang out with them. Though I lived with Santa Clara students, I went out to local
pubs and hang-outs where the college students were and made a lot of friends
that way. Try attending clubs at local
universities, whether it’s an art club, football (soccer) club, or a
wine-tasting club, there is usually something for everyone and it’s a great way to meet people. If you have a free weekend, live with a host
family, and if they live away from the city, that’s best because you get to see
a part of your “adopted” country that you ordinarily would not. There might be a lot you get stressed out
about, whether it’s finances or missing home, but just know that the experience
goes by extremely fast and before you know it, you will be wishing you were
there “just a week more.”
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