Coming back with a new worldview

When Jonathan Sweemer '08 returned to campus this month, he brought with him memories, memorabilia and a brand new worldview from the other side of the globe.

Sweemer, who spent the last few months in South Korea, is among the many students who have recently returned to the University after participating in one of Princeton's study abroad programs.

The returning students said that seeing the world from new perspectives made them realize that some beliefs ingrained in American culture may not be shared elsewhere.

Kiri Hagerman '08 said she gained a fresh outlook on people from North Africa and the Middle East. "You just hear very limited things about [the region] when you're living in the U.S.," she said. "You hear, 'They're all terrorists, they're all fundamentalists,' and when I went over there, it was completely different."

Sweemer's semester in Korea allowed him to feel more comfortable in an Asian environment. "[My worldview] changed gradually as I wasn't realizing it," he said.

The students found some aspects of their new environments more jarring, however.

In Cairo, Hagerman said some of her interactions with local residents bordered on the offensive. "I'm pretty obviously American/European, and there was a lot of sexual harassment," she said. "I was never in danger; I never felt afraid ... but at high noon with everyone else on the street you would get verbally and physically harassed."

"It has definitely made life more interesting," she added.

University students who study abroad typically do so in their junior years, either for a semester or a full year. They pick their destinations for many different reasons: to perfect a language, to study a culture or just to experience life away from home and Princeton.

Suzanne Levy '08, a politics concentrator, said she wanted to study "somewhere new and not very common." She chose Budapest.

Others make their decisions based on academic interests. Hagerman is majoring in art and archeology and focusing on Egyptology. She chose to study abroad in Cairo, since she has never had the chance to observe the region's culture firsthand.

Students in any academic department can go abroad.

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Sweemer, who is a computer science concentrator, said it was difficult to fulfill his requirements in South Korea. "But," he said, "somehow it works out."

The University administration encourages students to spend a semester outside the United States. "Princeton University is committed to providing high quality opportunities that allow undergraduates to encounter firsthand the people, culture, and contemporary concerns of other regions of the world," the study abroad website reads.

Traveling to a new country can be intimidating, the returning students agreed, especially when one does not speak the native language. Levy, who did not speak any Hungarian when she left for Budapest, said language could be a social barrier. Navigating the streets of Budapest was "pretty complicated at first" because she had trouble reading the signs. Fortunately, Levy's academic pursuits were not impeded, as lectures were conducted in English.

Hagerman said that she, too, was nervous when she set out for her destination abroad because the "language was unlike anything I'd ever studied."

"I didn't speak a word of Arabic when I landed in the Cairo airport," she said.

Even students who do speak the language of their temporary home can experience anxiety before they leave.

Laura Peterman '08, who has taken French since high school and is a French and Italian major at the University, said she was anxious about taking classes in another language. She worried about whether she could compete with students who spoke the language fluently, since she knew all of her classes would be taught in French.

Her living arrangements made the transition easier, both socially and linguistically. "I managed to find myself a really cute apartment with a French roommate," she said. "It was great for my French."

The students recounted different highlights from their trips. "Traveling," Hagerman said when asked for her favorite part of the semester. "There are so many amazing sights to see over there." Levy echoed that statement, citing her weekend trips to seven other countries in Eastern Europe.

All the students interviewed said they encourage others to take advantage of the opportunity to study abroad.

"People are afraid of missing Princeton because it is such an amazing place, but [studying abroad] is something you can't do often," Levy said.

"Don't hold back," Hagerman said. "In the end, it'll be worth it."