Studying Abroad: The Scholar Ship

In September 2007, I was fortunate enough to embark on the journey of a lifetime – I went on board The Scholar Ship, a study abroad program on board a passenger ocean liner, to take a semester abroad and to travel across the globe. Starting my journey in Greece, I joined 205 students from over 50 different countries to set sail for Portugal, our first port.  I spent a total of 16 weeks at sea, stopping in 8 ports, each for seven days at a time. The stops included Greece, Portugal, Panama, Ecuador, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, from where I flew home for Christmas. Now a year on from that experience, I can see how my experience studying abroad has helped me to grow and develop personally, as well as broaden my way of thinking.

The Scholar Ship changed my views of the world dramatically. Through immersion in a multitude of cultures and communities around the world as well as on the ship, I came to better understand and appreciate the diverse ways in which culturally unique populations perceive the world. I also gained a new awareness about the individual variation that exists even within a culture and how stereotyping and biases perpetuate systemic social injustice in our world. In addition, learning about new cultural landscapes first-hand allowed me to grapple with my own identity and the preconceptions inherent to my background and experiences. Living with people from over forty countries and visiting four continents around the globe allowed me to reflect deeply upon my core values and begin to discern a global ethic by which I wish to live my life.

What I question now, and what I began to question upon a very stunted and difficult return to my undergraduate degree in politics in Cardiff, is why study abroad is not more accessible to non-language based students? I am fortunate to be in a very accommodating and flexible department at Cardiff, but what options are there for other students? There is no doubting the value and marketability of studying abroad in terms of employment, with feedback from employers showing that it is a covetable asset when entering the workforce. Students who do are able to access study abroad programs increase their professional network and expand the possibilities of the career opportunities that lie before them. By studying abroad, students automatically stand out by the uniqueness of the experience and the willingness to try something new. However, the year long modules for many degrees, coupled with the lack of opportunity to take external courses towards an undergraduate degree in the UK drastically restrict UK students from gaining a truly dynamic skill set. This is not to say that students who choose to take a traditional three-year degree from one department should change this – my argument is that students should have more options to do so.

The Scholar Ship prepared me for a future career by instilling in me the leadership ability and intercultural communication skills needed to succeed in a world shaped by our diversity. It helped me to really embrace and celebrate difference; moreover, I learned that our personal and cultural differences can and should be used as unique strengths and not as divisive wedges. For me, I see that in order to really succeed in the private sector, the political arena, the non-profit world, or most any other career in the 21st century, an ability to harness the creative power of cultural diversity is imperative. Through studying abroad, students experience new ways of living, learning, working, and communicating, which is invaluable as we enter the workforce.