Carolyn Hong arrived back in the United States last August after
studying the works of Romantic writers in England. Now she prepares
to return to England, this time to study at Shakespeare’s
birthplace.
The third-year English student said the experience of studying
in a different setting, among people from another culture, made her
experience unforgettable, prompting her to go again.
“Once you catch the study abroad bug you can’t ever
get your mind off of it,” she said.
A few weeks into winter quarter, students, like Hong, are making
summer programs that will break routines and augment resumes. One
option students have is to receive UC units for completing two- to
six-week-long travel study programs offered through various
departments. These short-term programs allow students to complete
course requirements while also experiencing different cultures and
networking with other universities and professional firms.
Summer travel study programs are open to all students, though
some programs have requisites or require instructor consent.
Students are given spots on a first-come, first-served basis.
Though registration for all programs started in November, most
programs are still open and those that are closed have waitlists.
Costs for the programs vary but generally cost around $3,000.
Last summer, Hong completed a two-week program in Grasmere, a
village in the north of England, studying the works of William
Wordsworth and other Romantic writers.
This summer, Hong will focus on Shakespeare’s plays in a
four-week program at Stratford-upon-Avon, the author’s
birthplace in England.
While each program entails a class component, they are also
organized to introduce students to the culture and environment in
each country. Field trips and seminars are often incorporated into
the program.
In Grasmere, students study in a rural, camp-like setting, which
also serves as a research site for English literature scholars.
After listening to a morning lecture, students take a four-hour
walk through the hills and around the lake in the village that
inspired Wordsworth to write some of his works.
This program is offered through the English department in
conjunction with Oxford University and the Wordsworth Trust, a
foundation established by Jonathan Wordsworth, a descendent of the
writer. Tutors from Oxford University give lectures on the Romantic
writers.
The interaction this program offers with Oxford and Cambridge
universities makes it a unique experience for students to cite on
resumes, said Frederick Burwick, an English professor who directs
the trip to Grasmere.
Other programs also offer opportunities to work on career
training and resume building.
The Chinese Language and Culture for Business study program
focuses on teaching students the language skills and the elements
of the Chinese culture necessary for conducting business in or with
China.
Yihua Wang, this program coordinator for the Anderson School of
Management, takes students to Shanghai, China, each summer to
introduce them first-hand to the Chinese economy. Many students who
participate in the program network with businesses and find
internships or future jobs, Yihua said.
Jimmy Wang, a third-year management science student, interned at
Roche Pharmaceuticals while in China. Wang, who is interested in
business opportunities in Asia, said the cultural and language
lessons he learned made the experience worthwhile for him.
“You are exposed to different things that you are not
exposed to when you are at UCLA. It is first-hand
experience,” he said.
This year, new summer programs will be offered. Roger Savage, an
ethnomusicology professor, will take students on a four-week
excursion to Venice, Vienna, Salzburg and Paris to study music
representative of these locations. Students will visit the homes of
Beethoven and Mozart and attend concert performances.
Excursions to centers where composers lived will help students
experience the music as opposed to just hearing it talked about,
Savage said.
For students not wanting to venture too far, an Asian American
studies program will take place in Los Angeles and Vancouver in
conjunction with the University of British Columbia. Students will
spend three weeks in Los Angeles and three weeks in Vancouver
analyzing shifts in Chinese migration in each of the cities.
One project students will complete is researching a Chinese
restaurant and the region surrounding it in each of the cities.
Students will speak with Chinese restaurant owners, customers and
chefs among others to learn about migration patterns.
“(A restaurant) is a much richer site than, say, a home.
It’s almost like a community center,” said Henry Yu, a
history professor who will be directing the program.
In addition, trying the local food is part of a travel study
experience, Yu said.