By Caroline Gurley
This past summer I had the opportunity to study abroad in Oxford, England. This was one of my greatest memories of college thus far. I studied in Oxford with around eighty other SMU students and we had a fantastic time. I took two classes completely outside of my major while I was there. I am an Electrical Engineer and I took two classes that focused on antiquity. I know more about Greek and Roman culture than I ever thought I would! An SMU professor taught one of these classes while an Oxford tutor taught the other. This allowed all of the students to see the difference between higher education in England and higher education in the U.S. 
Personally, I had a great experience with both professors, but I developed a relationship with my SMU professor that I hope will continue throughout my time at SMU.
(Picture of Caroline taken at Blenheim Palace in the United Kingdom)
Of course I learned an enormous amount academically, but I learned even more about myself. I found a new confidence in myself that I never would have gotten in the U.S. After my luggage got lost and credit card got compromised, I thought I was going to get on the next plane to the U.S. I stuck it out, handling both problems with limited communication with my parents, and learned that I can handle a lot more than I thought.
Studying abroad was the best decision that I have made at SMU. I learned just as much about myself as I did about the subjects that I was studying and the culture I was absorbing.