Pol Le, Special to The Denisonian—

For many Denison students, the study abroad program is a great opportunity for them to explore different cultures and social norms in an unfamiliar environment. For international students, the program adds another layer of cultural awareness that enriches their personal growth journey. Taking this opportunity, Hao Nguyen, a Vietnamese junior, chose the University of Glasgow to study specialized economics courses for his major.

“There is less peer pressure here because people don’t really care about your extracurriculars or your internships,” Nguyen said. “You don’t need to do anything. You don’t even need to have friends.”

He reached out to people in his class and made small talk, but he also realized that it was distinctly an American thing. 

“People don’t go up to strangers and make small talk like that,” Nguyen said.

He found that the environment abroad was more suited for his personality, yet he was also grateful for the two years he studied at Denison. Nguyen said that Denison taught him to actively seek opportunities outside class, in which he did summer research for the Lisska Center, became the treasurer of the DASU and a DCGA senator, and earned an internship position with Morning Star Inc. This gave him a strong professional background, and enabled him to thrive in the UK, especially when there is less incentive to take on new activities. 

A semester in the UK is also shorter than the standard 16-week semester in the US. Classes are ten weeks long, then two weeks of spring break and two weeks of exam review. It promotes self-study and reflection from students, which Nguyen enjoys. 

“I only have one lecture and one seminar per week per class, and the class only lasts an hour,” Nguyen said. “So I have a lot of free time to prioritize other things.”

In the lecture, Nguyen sits with 150+ other students listening to the professor. In the seminar, there are only ten to 15 students who get taught by a teaching assistant, which allows the students to ask questions. The professor usually does not take attendance, and the homework is mostly ungraded. 

“Sometimes the city went on strike, and the class automatically canceled without any make-up,” Hao said. “Now it’s April, and I don’t have class anymore.”

That means Nguyen has some weekends and a full month off in April to travel. He had been to Turkey, London, Edinburgh, and Dundee, as the transportation in the UK is cheaper and more convenient. 

“Denison for international students is kind of isolated because a lot of us don’t have a car. There is not much connection between Denison and Columbus, and from Columbus to the rest of the U.S.” Nguyen said. 

Traveling with his friends from Denison is the best part of the trip, in which they took a picture together in Istanbul, Turkey. Nguyen was in the front, wearing a white hoodie, eye half-open, half-closed under the sun. 

He would love to travel more, to Cambridge, Manchester, or Morocco, before he goes back to the hills next Fall semester.