Exploring England

"My year abroad at Imperial College, London, was definitely one of the most gratifying experiences I've had," said Arianna Gutierrez, a chemical engineering senior. "The British academic style, which encourages students to supplement lectures with self-study rather than mandatory weekly problem sets, allowed me to rediscover chemical engineering. Without being bogged down in the stress of completing regular assignments, I started finding the material of my classes fascinating. So much so, in fact, I often read more out of pure curiosity, and I look back now wishing I had done more courses."

The extra time not spend on mandatory assignments allowed Gutierrez to explore new activities, such as the exchange student committee, a belly dancing class, and the martial art Shorinji Kempo. "I got so involved with this martial art I even went to Japan during spring break to train!" said Gutierrez. "It was almost like doing a study-abroad within study-abroad, as I got to learn about the Japanese people and culture."

Gutierrez says that one of the highlights of the experience was, "the extraordinary people I met while in London who made discovering this metropolis an unforgettable adventure. We did everything from hunting down the best desserts in the area to musicals to pub-crawls to traveling onto the European mainland."

Gutierrez recommends the program to her fellow students. "It allowed me to grow both in and out of the classroom, and I'm sure it will provide many great experiences to all other participants as well."