Michelle Taylor

Major/Minor: Supply Chain Management, Global Logistics and Transportation

Sophomore

Host University: Queen’s University Belfast

I have wanted to study abroad for years. I actually searched for colleges on the basis of how strong their study abroad programs are. I chose to study at Queen’s because it checked several important boxes for me. First, I wanted to study in an English-speaking country. I don’t have strong foreign language skills. Second, I decided that I wanted to go for a year so I had to go someplace where I could find enough courses that would apply to my major. I have very few general education requirements left to fulfill. My last requirement was that I be able to row crew while I’m abroad. I was introduced to crew during my first year at CofC and I knew that it was something I wanted to continue. Once you take all of those requirements into account, there was really only one university that fit my criteria. So, I applied and here I am. 

I have a rather odd amalgamation of goals for my time abroad. I want to join the crew team here, there is a specific museum in the city of Belfast that I want to visit, and I want to pick one country within Europe to visit (other than the British Isles) at some point while I’m here. I want to take a trip. Beyond those goals, I mostly want to get better at stepping out of my comfort zone by doing things that sound interesting without waiting for other people to say they’re doing them first. 

I have admittedly done very little research about my host country. I know some about the city from looking into things to do. I have a pocket guidebook that I brought with me so that I can find cool things to do and places to eat. Doing research sort of fell to the wayside in the process of everything else I had to do to get ready to study here and working full time this summer. I just sort of figured I’d meet people and figure things out once I got here. I know some about the divide between Northern Ireland (where I am) and the Republic of Ireland. I looked into it enough to figure out that I should bring both pounds and euros with me. Overall, I’m just figuring things out as they come up.