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March 10, 2005
Summer Camp?
One of my Brandeis friends studying in London for the semester told me that he doesn't want to go back to Brandeis because it feels like summer camp compared to his study abroad experience. I thought this idea was quite interesting because he went on to explain that he has less independance at Brandeis and just feels sheltered there.
Maybe it is the program I am in, but I feel the complete opposite. Abroad I go on group trips where we have to all stick together. Our resident director has even named us 'Salahef' or 'Turtles' just like we were third graders going on a school trip. Here, I have to call home if I am going to be late and I need permission to go out on the weekends. Boys aren't allowed over to my house and I am not supposed to be in public without one.
At Brandeis, I come and go as I please. I am given responsibility and I get to wash my own clothes. I go away on the weekends and most of the time I don't tell my mom. I live in a suite with boys and no one has a problem with it. Somedays I can't wait to get back to Brandeis and go about my normal routine because of all of this, even though I am enjoying my experience here.
I hope that my friend will find the independance he needs when he gets back to campus. I also hope that he can appreciate each atmosphere for what it is. Brandeis may feel like a bubble sometimes but that doesn't mean that there aren't ways to avoid that feeling and make exciting things happen. Both Brandeis and Abroad are worth it, you just have to put a little effort into the process.
Posted by rcollins at March 10, 2005 11:03 AM
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Comments
Remember that London and Amman are completely different places. Who knows which is actually safer, but at least he speaks the language over there :)
I can imagine why he might feel sheltered - compared to an urban environment, Brandeis really does have a bubble. The problem is that Brandeis's bubble is really about how insulated you make it yourself. When I was there, and going into town at least twice a week, for Real Life and church, I never felt sheltered, because I always knew there was a world out there with real people who didn't study all the time and who weren't NEJS majors. I never could really appreciate it when my friends would say how they hadn't been off campus in forever because I never let Brandeis insulate me. There's far too cool of a world out there to ignore it by staying at your desk all the time.
Posted by: Karl at March 10, 2005 11:08 PM