 Carline Au (Istanbul, 2009): "Having no knowledge of Byzantine history and very little about Istanbul, I arrived in the city with an open mind. By the end of the five week global seminar, I knew more about the history of this multifaceted city than Los Angeles, the city I grew up in! Studying Byzantine History and MMW 4/World History in Istanbul felt as if I was living history: I climbed the same fortifications that soldiers defended centuries ago and I walked the halls of Hagia Sophia (in absolute awe) where Byzantine emperors were crowned. The interactive learning experience of visiting historical and cultural places which we studied in class helped me immerse in a new and unfamiliar environment—one that requires adaptation, tolerance, and respect. Walking through the teeming streets, interacting and conversing with Turkish citizens, enhanced my own understanding of a society so different from my own. Yet, many times we found common ground in ways we would never have imagined. College, I believe, is an ideal time to immerse oneself in genuine personal growth while enhancing one’s intellectual understanding. One of the best ways to do that is to take advantage of a global seminar!" Rohan Kazi (Istanbul, 2009): "I knew that there was a wealth of culture and history in the city before arriving, but after actually reaching the city I was blown away. I did not expect to learn so much or leave the city appreciating its development this much. My horizons were really widened by this Global Seminar. I made new friends, learned a lot about the Turkish culture by being immersed in it, enjoyed new foods and learning basic Turkish, and loved being able to visit the sites my friends can only read about. The site visits in general were my favorite part of the program--they really allowed me to put into perspective the scale of different structures, understand the spread of religions, and visualize (or at least imagine) the magnificence and grandeur I was studying."
Hannah Catan (Paris, 2008): “Paris! Words cannot even begin to describe how amazing it was to experience history right before your eyes. The global seminar in Paris made me appreciate MMW [Making of the Modern World Program at UCSD] even more. There is nothing more incredible than learning about Louis XIV, St. Denis, St. Genevieve, and countless others, and then walking the same streets and hallways that they've walked. If you are going to learn about the past, there is no better way to learn than through global seminars because no matter what, you will leave with more knowledge and experiences than you can get from [class in] Solis or Center Hall [back home on campus]. To be honest it didn’t feel like I was in Paris for school because the way you learn isn’t only from a textbook, but from people you meet, places you go, and everything you see. Paris itself was just an amazing city. There was so much to explore. One of my favorite things to do was to get on the metro and figure out what stop to get off or what part of Paris to get lost in. The five weeks I spent there was one of the most memorable and unforgettable experiences of my life. So, if you have the opportunity to go on a global seminar, TAKE IT.”
Sayra Castro (Paris, 2008): “I guess what I most liked about our program was the fact that instead of seating in our chairs and imagining what a place would look like (or a situation), we had the opportunity to stop imagining, and to know what it was like for ourselves. In no other place did I get this feeling more than when we visited Versailles…here lectures and reading came to life all in one (not to mention, the other amazing perks like marveling at the great hall of mirrors and frolicking through the great gardens of the nobility!). At Versailles, I witnessed King Louis XIV’s drive to absolutism and saw how art and architecture were used to symbolize political power. Moreover, I came to the realization that we are never free from the past, but rather our reality today is a consequence of it. Alas, I cannot emphasize enough how valuable it was to be able to apply what I learned and how enriching the global seminar experience was in my life.”
Katharine Chin (Paris, 2008): "Besides the fact that Paris is a fantastic city to live in, there is something invaluable and inexplicable about learning about the Middle Ages in a classroom one moment and touring the remains of a Medieval fortress the next. When you take a Global Seminar, learning doesn't end after you leave the classroom--it continues in the afternoon's excursions and outside of scheduled activities with you, even in your free time, as you explore a historical city. I, personally, love art, French culture, and old buildings, so Paris was the perfect international location for me. But considering how quickly five weeks flew by, I know the GS program helped me get the best out of every single minute while I was there by providing structure in academics while still providing me plenty of time to explore the city on my own. I left Paris with a new group of friends, an even greater appreciation for French food, culture, history, but most of all, I left knowing that this would not be my last study abroad experience!" Read more about Paris and the global seminar experience on Katharine's Blog (and see her incredible pictures): http://globetrottinkate-paris08.blogspot.com/2008_06_29_archive.html
Kevin Reyes (Paris, 2008): "You know that slightly nervous, unsettled feeling you might have about living in a foreign country for 5 weeks? Well, that feeling lasts for about 5 minutes once you get there, because when you do, you realize that you don't have time to be nervous or shy. You want to get out there and do EVERYTHING you can and the best part is, thanks to the structure of the program, you actually have the time to explore the city you're in. Art, architecture, food, nightlife...no matter what your interest, you'll be able to experience it in ways you could not possibly accomplish at home. Even while studying, you can take your best friends Bentley and Ziegler [authors of a course text book], find a nice cafe and get reading done while soaking in the dynamics of a gorgeous international city. In Paris everything from common tourist attractions to old, pretty buildings to street names came to be viewed on a completely different level because of all the knowledge that I had acquired just hours before (literally). Never before had I been excited to wake up at 7:30 in the morning to go to school. Professor Herbst teaches with knowledge and enthusiasm, and his lectures make you itch to go out and see more, so go abroad, have a ridiculously amazing summer, come back for a quarter or two, and then go abroad again."
For eight Student Voices from the 2008 "Mathematical Beauty in Rome" Global Seminar, see: http://sites.google.com/site/mathinrome/student-perspectives-1/jessicas-page STAY TUNED for more! |