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Study Abroad at the University of Oxford!

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted here, but I’m finally back! And with good news! Ever since January, I have been studying at Mansfield College at the University of Oxford with five other Holy Cross students during the latter half of the pandemic.

All sophomores at the College have the wonderful opportunity of applying to study abroad in a variety of places during their junior year such as South America, the UK, Germany, Athens, France, China, India, and a wide range of other places – all at the top universities of each respective country!

As noted by this recent report, for the last decade Holy Cross has been the top school for placing students in interesting and rigorous study abroad programs!

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend Mansfield College at Oxford, where I am able to undertake the rigorous tutorial system which consists of writing a paper each week that I present to my tutor for rigorous questioning.

Small class sizes at Holy Cross as well as seminars have greatly prepared for me the defense of my arguments in front of my tutors. Further, all the tutors here have commented that Holy Cross students present some of the best analysis and writing they have ever seen, a testament to our rigorous curriculum and great professors back at home!

While studying at Oxford requires a lot of dedicated studying and time management

skills  (something HC has prepared us all for), there still has been some time to get out and view the amazing nature and architecture scattered throughout the city. Dazzling towers and magnificent churches line the streets throughout Oxford, making for an amazing view for daily walks to the library!

To all prospective students, studying abroad has been one of the highlights of my undergraduate experience, and Holy Cross is amazing in sending students wherever they want to go!

Check out the pictures below for a glimpse into the sights I experience every day!

The towering entrance to the famed Christ Church College
My friend Nina making a cameo in a picture of Mansfield’s Philosophy, Politics, and Economics library!
Me in front of the famed Radcliffe Camera Library building known to be a staple of the City of Oxford!
The beautiful common of Mansfield College with the library and administrative building in the background!

 
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Endless Opportunities with the Research Associates Program!

While COVID-19 may have interrupted many peoples’ summer plans, I was fortunate enough to be accepted into the JD Power Center’s Research Associates Program!

Since Holy Cross is an undergraduate-only institution, the college is able to offer a large number of research positions to its undergraduate-only student body. Such a fact sets Holy Cross apart from the larger research universities, where the majority of research positions are filled by graduate students! The opportunity to conduct rigorous and robust research as an undergraduate student is an invaluable experience that will impress potential employers and graduate programs in the future.  Also, the Research Associate’s Program comes with a $2,000 stipend, which is always an added plus!

Turning to the research itself, I was approved to be the research assistant of Professor Sim, a member of the college’s highly esteemed philosophy department. Professor Sim’s current research focuses on the formulation of a Confucian justification of human rights within the greater debate over Eastern and Western values. Many scholars have doubted whether Confucianism is compatible with a conception of human rights. However,  Professor Sim contends that Confucianism’s inherent reliance on virtue makes it an apt tool to defend human rights. As both a philosophy and political science major,  as well as an Asian Studies minor,  Chinese philosophy and human rights are both central parts of my academic career. Further, my majors allowed me to enact an interdisciplinary approach to my research, a vital skill to have in all aspects of one’s life.

While my research consisted of some technical things like formatting Professor Sim’s upcoming book, the majority of my time was spent conducting independent research on Confucianism and human rights. Since I was reading and analyzing the arguments of scholars in the field of human rights, I was able to greatly refine my critical thinking skills. Every day of research, I would encounter new arguments for or against a Confucian perspective of human rights, which merits I would evaluate.  Further, the discussions I had with Professor Sim tested my critical thinking skills even more as my arguments were put to the test, and my response was required on the spot. Additionally, discussions with Professor Sim enabled me to explore the topic of Confucian values and human rights further, which led to relevant resources for future research in political philosophy which interests me.

Overall, the Research Associates Program allowed me to pursue a passion of mine while also refining my research, writing, and critical thinking skills throughout the summer. To any prospective students, I would recommend taking into account the fact that Holy Cross is one of the only colleges out there that has a plethora of research opportunities for undergraduate students. The Research Associate’s Program has surely made me an even more well-rounded student and citizen — an invaluable gift itself.