Heather Cohen, ‘09

Heather Cohen is a Francis Perkins senior majoring in International Relations with a minor in Art History.  She spent the 2007-2008 school year studying at Sussex University in Brighton, England.

For me, the best thing about studying abroad was gaining the confidence and sense of direction I needed for figuring out life after Mount Holyoke.  

Where did you study: In Brighton, England at the University of Sussex.

When was this: My junior year during the 2007-2008 fall and spring semesters.

Why did you choose this specific program and/or country: I had no plans to study abroad, but during my sophomore year I had a very good friend who was on an exchange program from England and she encouraged me to give it some serious thought. I really wanted to participate in a program where I had full integration into the actual university and could interact and blend into the culture, not at an American university with other English speakers in a completely foreign land.  Since I had not taken a foreign language my options were limited, but England became a natural choice because of the MHC Exchange options and the opportunity to study a comparable political system at a top-rated university.

What language did you speak: All the courses were taught in English.  However, I lived in a house with students from Germany, Poland, France, South Africa and the Czech Republic so I learned words and phrases from all over the world, usually while cooking good food together.

What classes did you take: I took classes in Issues in International Security, European History since 1945, War and Genocide, French language, Macroeconomics and Art in the Byzantine Period.  All of my classes were able to satisfy course requirements for my MHC degree.

Were there any challenges to your study abroad experience:  I had mistakenly assumed that American and English culture would be similar since we both spoke English.  Speaking the same language gave me, at times, a false sense of familiarity as the cultures and ways of interacting are completely different and the resulting culture shock took some getting used to.  Brighton and the University of Sussex system, classes and expectations are significantly different from South Hadley and MHC.  However, everyday there was something new to experience and deciding to study abroad was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

What was an unexpected experience:  I lived off campus in a house from the early 1800’s with eight other international students.  My room looked straight out to the ocean and I was able to continue to rent it (at very reasonable rates) to stay in England during the summer.  I had the opportunity to travel to Switzerland, Scotland and Germany twice.  In fact, I’ve decided to (hopefully) pursue graduate studies in Germany which is a decision I’d never have had the confidence to make if not for my study abroad experience.