Coming to Syracuse University, I knew that I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to study abroad. Both my mother and sister studied with SU at their London Center in 1978 and 2018, respectively, and I never stopped hearing their stories of their time abroad. The cliché phrase that studying abroad would “change my life” is now ingrained in me.

After studying in the SU Abroad Central Europe Program, I can vouch that the phrase is true. The experiences and friends I made while overseas will stay with me for the rest of my life. The experience I gained from taking my studies overseas is highly recommended.

In early September 2021, I embarked on my Exploring Central Europe Program in Wrocław, Poland . After a brief 10-day period designed for quarantining purposes, a brief history lesson and two hour-long Polish courses, our group of six SU students and one Grinnell College student left on a two-week travel intensive seminar across Poland. The program in Poland was the first for SU Abroad. Where the Exploring Central Europe Program typically expanded beyond Poland we instead traveled within the borders of Poland to mitigate the COVID-19 complications of cross-border travel.

Initially, I had applied to the program with the draw of cross-border travel to cities such as Prague, Budapest, Berlin, and Warsaw. However, the country specific itinerary in the Polish cities of Wrocław, Gdànsk, Krakow, Warsaw, various other sites and one weekend trip to Berlin proved to be enough. In addition, the program allowed for a greater focus on Poland’s history and cultural influences.

Despite familial ties to Poland, I had no experience in the Polish language and culture besides in the traditional foods of Pierogi and Gołabki. This was a particular point of draw for me as I personally wanted to step out of my comfort zone in a country where I did not speak the native language.

Within hours of arriving, I had my first real encounter with the Polish language by getting kicked out of the local orthodox church for taking pictures of the magnificent architecture. Before going on a two-week travel seminar across the nation I had taken two hour-long classes of Polish 101. I only knew enough to order a black coffee (czarna kawę in Polish). We were enthusiastically thrown into a cultural immersion.

Being surrounded by the culture is far more influential than learning about topics on-campus and in a textbook especially in language. Being in-person and conversational fosters language acquisition versus only language learning. Language acquisition refers to the absorption of the language through real-world usage as opposed to learning it in a textbook through grammar. For myself, this meant coupling my Polish classes with going out and actually trying to speak it, something that would be hard to find if I had only taken Polish classes in The United States.

The hundreds of programs SU Abroad offers are designed for cultural immersion that fits a wide range of interests. In addition, scholarships are often offered to help cover the costs. Surprisingly, the cost of my semester abroad worked out to be less than choosing to stay on-campus for the semester.

For my program in Central Europe, students confront memory politics of World War II and the Holocaust as well as histories ranging from the 12th century to present day civil society conflicts such as the Polish-Belarusian Border conflict. Other courses offered gave me the flexibility to incorporate my own major’s focuses into my studies abroad. For example, I could publish three reports of my choice within the focus of contemporary or historical Poland. Other opportunities allowed me to connect with experts in the fields I study. These experiences allowed me to cater the program directly to my personal and academic interests while earning credits towards my degrees.

Pursuing degrees while exploring a foreign country is an opportunity that should not be turned down. Given the range of off-campus programs that SU offers, it should be easy for students to find one that matches their interests. Studying in Poland through SU gave me the experience of a lifetime and proved the phrase that it “changes your life”.

Harrison Vogt is a junior environment sustainability policy and communication and rhetorical studies dual major. His column appears biweekly. He can be reached at hevogt@syr.edu. He can be followed on Twitter at @VogtHarrison.

Published on January 25, 2022 at 8:29 pm