Choosing the UA in Oxford program may be the best decision that I have made thus far. I first saw this program my junior year of high school while researching colleges and it heavily influenced my decision on attending the University of Alabama. A lot of the appeal for this program had to do with the University of Oxford itself and the prestige that it holds in an academic setting. But, within days of being here I learned that this program is so much more than taking UA students to Oxford. Not only has this program relit the flame of academic passion for me but has truly changed me as a person. I had fallen into an academic rut after completing my first two years of college, I was unmotivated and was losing the passion for education that I once had. Through this program and the courses that I took, I was able to rediscover that passion and this is due to the professors that lead this program. Each course is curated to promote student research and have us connect what we are learning in the classroom to the environment that we are in. This caused each and every student to create connections with what we were learning and created a sense of excitement for each day. My favorite assignment had to be the Bodleian research project from UH 239, here we were set free to pick our own topic and create either a non-fiction research paper or a fiction piece based off of what we could find in the Bodleian. I was able to run around the libraries and truly fall in love with what I was researching, and the professor for this course, Dr. Peterson, supported me each step of the way. I found myself looking forward to going to class each day to share with him what new source I had found in the library, and if I told myself a month ago that I would be excited about going to the library I would not have believed it. But with the support of professors such as Dr. Peterson I was able to find excitement in learning and what I coined “geek out” in the library confidently. The courses and the professors are truly the gem of this program and I could not be more thankful to each of them. But, the courses are not the only special part of the program, the other UA students that were a part of this made this experience what it was. Each and every person on this program are some of the most passionate and hungry students that I have ever been around, and being able to discuss ideas and work alongside them was incredibly inspiring. We have created lifelong connections in only a short month and I can not wait to hold those relationships close when we return to Tuscaloosa in a few weeks. Overall, this program is so special and a piece of my heart will always be in Oxford, England after this. Anyone that is looking for a challenge and a life changing experience should look at this program in the future.
