Ashwin Prabaharan ’26
Opinions Editor
For the last several months, I’ve been studying in the United Kingdom at Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford. I have had a wonderful time here so far, but, of course, I miss my home at Holy Cross! The study abroad experience is truly rewarding and exhilarating because it pushes you past your comfort zone in so many different ways and encourages you to meet and engage new ideas, perspectives, and ways of life.
Having been here for nearly five months, I can say that the adjustment from campus life to English life was a stark and quite interesting one. Going from a central campus where everything is situated within the confines of several hilly acres to a mid-sized city with the grocery store being a 20-minute walk from your dorm room was definitely a shocker. Oxford is not a densely populated city, so a great deal of Oxford’s colleges are distant from one another, and, as a result, from the center of the city itself. The college has its own dining hall, library, and gym, but your lectures and club meetings, not to mention other subject or interest-related events, will most likely take place outside of your college walls. The walks to and from the center are an endeavor you quickly pick up as a habit, and walking on cobblestone streets adorned by ancient English architecture makes it all worth it. Under the tutorial system, I’ve worked with several different tutors (English version of teachers) in my political science-related courses, and I’m very grateful for the way they’ve helped me engage unknown territory, whether it be British welfare policy or the intricacies of the European Union.
I’ve also joined a number of clubs while at Oxford. I serve as Resource Officer for the Students for Liberty debate group, where we debate a motion proposed every Monday on anything from the welfare state to whether we ought to romanticize life. I will also begin serving as Charities Officer for the Junior Common Room, which is my college’s version of the undergraduate student government. I’ll be in charge of managing their fundraising efforts for any number of causes, which gives me a terrific opportunity to give back to this welcoming community. I’ve joined the Oxford Union, the Asia-Pacific Society, and the Clay Pigeon Shooting team as a member as well. Since coming here, I’ve had the opportunity to meet and listen to experts from across many fields, including actors Creed Bratton and Brian Cox, philosopher Slavoj Zizek, and former British deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine. It has been a treat to learn from these brilliant minds and understand what their personal journeys have looked like to get them to their present position.
Being abroad has also meant I’ve been able to travel extensively around Europe to see its many wonders. The list of countries I’ve visited includes The Netherlands, Latvia, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Spain, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden. Learning about different cultures, foods, traditions, and histories has opened my eyes to just how different yet similar our ways of life are, even across oceans and continents. From hot chocolate in the bustling cafes of Vienna to the cozy, homey feel of Latvian restaurants, each nation hosted my friends and me with care and utter kindness. I sought to learn about the history of each nation, from the founding of the modern state to the ancestry of its people. It was unimaginably rewarding to listen to locals in each of them who never shied away from telling us stories about the olden days, both happy and tragic in many ways. The wars, revolutions, economic depressions, and struggles they faced could not be seen by the honorable manner in which they continue on their daily work.
Being in England, among a class of august minds surrounded by peoples and communities ever connected on Europe’s lands, has given me the chance of a lifetime to learn, discover, and grow as a student, a person, and a citizen of the communities in which I participate. I very much miss Holy Cross and the wonderful community that calls it home, and I hope to bring back just some bits and pieces of my time in England, including most probably a slight accent. ‘Til next time, Saders!
Copy Edited by Lily Wasmund ’28
Featured image courtesy of Ashwin Prabaharan ’26
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