Julia Dettinger, ‘07
San Diego, CA

Julia Dettinger is a senior double major in Biology and Politics who spent a semester abroad at the Queen Mary University in London, England.

From my study abroad experience, I’ve learnt that when one exposes oneself to different things, one learns to imbibe more. Most importantly, you become more creative when you see what else is happening and how different it is from what you’ve seen and are used – and you need that creativity to produce the best kind of work in Science.

Where did you study abroad: At the Queen Mary University (QMUL) in London, England.

When was this: Fall semester of my junior year (Fall 2005).

Why did you choose to study abroad: I had done quite a bit of voluntary work and traveling in Latin America, so I knew just how transformative an experience abroad can be, and definitely did not want to miss the opportunity presented by Mount Holyoke. I wanted to go study in England because I wanted to take classes in both Politics as well as the Sciences, so QMUL was a great fit.

What did you speak: English, but all around me I heard the same language being spoken in wonderfully different accents!

What did you study: I took a couple of politics courses that looked at British and European political systems, and methods of governance, and two other courses in cell biology and organic chemistry.

What next: As a senior, the time has come to look for jobs, and keeping with my Biology and Politics academic background, I’m looking for work in the fields of government policy, public health non-profits or biological and biomedical research.