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By Megan Zirkle '06
"If you ever need anything just smile," the British policeman, or bobby, said to Leslie Clements, a Virginia Wesleyan College student who studied abroad at Oxford University in England this past summer.
Simple advice for someone in a new country.
Initially, Clements was interested in attending graduate school in England, but had been unsure if it was the right step for her. Dr. Clay Drees, Batten Professor of History and Social Science division chair, presented the study abroad opportunity to Clements in the form of an application for the study abroad program.
It was the perfect opportunity to test the waters.
Clements was one of eight American students accepted to spend
several weeks at The Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, a program in Oxford that is specifically for American students and affiliated with St. Peter's College of Oxford University.
"It was a bit overwhelming at first," admitted Clements, "but after the initial rush I learned to enjoy what I was doing."
So what exactly did this 20-year-old college student, a double major in English and Religious Studies, do over the summer?
Clements studied the English Reformation in daily morning lectures unlike any teachings she observed at Virginia Wesleyan.
"Lectures [at Oxford] are quite different than the American Liberal Arts system which is questions and answers - open dialogue between students and the professor," said Clements. "Traditionally, lectures are prepared in advance and read to students, then questions are taken afterward."
For Clements, being at Oxford gave her the chance to earn six college credits, look at possible graduate schools and reconnect with family members who live across the Atlantic Ocean.
When they weren't studying, Clements and friends would go on trips around the country and view relics from the past, which is a major part of England's history. Her favorite experience while abroad was the weekend she traveled up north to Derbyshire and toured Lyme Park, Bakewell and Chatsworth Estates.
As an American in England, Clements felt that the people she encountered were nice, although very shy and quiet.
"In England, you don't pry," said Clements. "People are very reserved, very private and you don't have chats with people you don't know."
As for the traditional "tea time" in England, Clements learned that "tea is used to refer to dinner a lot of the time – it's a word with many meanings." While she and friends did have tea frequently, Clements experienced a delicacy treat of tea called cream tea. Clements describes cream tea as "clotted cream with jam on fresh-baked homemade scones."
"It's every Weight Watchers' worst nightmare," said Clements.
Every Monday night was formal dinner that included a mix hour before dinner and a lecture. Clements described formal dinners as "fabulous" and added, "you are expected to know what's proper." Manners are of the utmost importance and Clements learned that when eating, one must hold her fork with her left hand and knife with her right hand, cutting and eating as she goes, never putting the knife down.
Studying abroad was a personal experience for Clements because it gave her a chance to visit with family and reconnect with her heritage.
"I think going to Oxford was a great experience and I have a lot of respect for other people who study abroad," said Clements. "For an American to step into that situation and sympathize, even empathize with others – that's a huge step."
Although the program only lasted a few weeks, Clements admits that it was a life-changing experience and has "re-inspired my ideas – I want to travel and see the world."
When asked if Clements will return to England and attend graduate school, she shrugs her shoulders and admits that she is uncertain of her future.
However, she does appreciate and respects the reserved tradition that is still observed in England. For Clements, the tradition is a part of who she is. Her ancestors are English including her father, Carl, and mother, Lynn.
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