I'm a Yale student who just spent a semester abroad in the UK. I now know I want to eventually move overseas for grad school.

Last summer, I spent some time studying overseas in England as a student at Yale.
Having some of my classmates be working professionals was a real inspiration to me.
After spending a semester studying in Oxford, I must say that attending graduate school there is now a very appealing option for me.

Despite the relaxing vibe you'd usually associate with summer, my schedule remained packed. Before the upcoming fall semester, I took on an internship at my local public defender's office, landed a job doing policy research, and also got involved in a few political activities.

I had to take on sole responsibility for managing a busy outside office job from the UK, which required me to uproot myself and thoroughly familiarize myself with the local educational system. I ended up specializing in macroeconomics and public policy analysis.

My classmates in London were distinct from those I'm accustomed to

My main goals are to brush up on macroeconomics for potential future studies on the subject, as well as to enhance my knowledge to aid me in my position as a writer and research associate, particularly in the task of analyzing public policy.

In the first class I attended, the students who made up the majority were mostly undergraduate students, mainly Americans and some from Yale University.

They were either already graduating or about to graduate and sought careers as professionals and government officials in international non-governmental organizations.

I've had interactions with graduate students and college students in class before, but this one was quite unique.

Honestly, I couldn't believe where I was headed in life, seeing it mirrored back at me in the reflections of my classmates.

Living in a foreign country made me think bigger and more boldly.

I've long harbored a dream of pursuing a graduate degree in the UK, ever since I began contemplating my future career path.

Studying abroad in the UK would offer me a unique learning opportunity, especially with regards to public policy. Plus, the chance to become immersed in a new cultural environment would be incredibly enriching. I'm drawn to the idea of spending time in the picturesque grounds of Magdalen College as the autumn leaves change.

The thought of it has always been a little unsettling to me. I would be leaving behind my family and starting a new life alone in a foreign country, without any real connections to my home country. Although I'm known for being adventurous, even that enthusiasm has some limits.

The visitable really drove home that Yale was modeled after an older school. The immense scale of everything at Oxford, to say nothing of its age, was almost too incredible to grasp.

Getting out of college for the first time is pretty intimidating, but visiting the school's campus made things feel a bit more tangible.

Being in the UK and all the challenges that came with it actually strengthened my resolve.

I'm setting my sights on what's ahead.

I'm a few years away from college graduation, and I'm starting to think about different career options, but a potential new direction has recently caught my attention.

I'm considering a future career in law or government, and I'm interested in pursuing my studies in the UK. To that end, I'm thinking about spending time there for my education, possibly by enrolling in a British university or fully immersing myself in UK academia.

It now seems totally achievable for me thanks to the time I spent living and studying in another country.

on Microsoft Start.