Submitted by Zachary Shulman on the 2019 fall semester DIS program in Copenhagen, Denmark…
This week, I had the opportunity to travel on a school-sponsored trip to Hamburg, Germany, where my class and I learned about European trade, international law, Hamburg’s history, and Germany’s relationship with its own past. Not only was the trip powerfully educational, it also served as a way for the people within my “core course” (essentially our semester-specific majors) to grow closer together. DIS sponsors two “travel study” weeks per semester; a shorter study tour to a different region of Denmark, northern Germany, or southern Sweden depending on the core course, and a longer study tour to a different country almost anywhere throughout Europe. In two weeks, I will be traveling with this same class to Brussels, Belgium, the capital of the European Union, to gain personal experience with the European political institutions.
The benefits of these study tours outside the classroom cannot be understated. Real-life experience with individuals, institutions, and ideas of the field you are hoping to enter is crucial to finding your spot within it. In a field as broad as politics and government, my ability to learn about the United States’ closest partners, the member-states of the European Union, and the processes by which they enact continental policy provides me with a fresh perspective of the U.S. and how each country can learn from the other. As a city of industry and trade, Hamburg offers a unique and detailed image of European commerce. As a political science major focusing on international relations, I was able to draw a lot of inspiration from this experience in regard to future career path options.
To any students planning on studying abroad, I cannot stress the importance of taking full advantage of your location. Whether you are studying in Europe, like I have for both of my studies abroad, or somewhere else in the world, allow your experience to change the way you view the world and your country’s position within it. No matter where you are receiving your education, there is always something new to be learned to help you refine your own ideas and grow your potential for success in your professional life.
