This year, I will be studying for both the fall and spring semesters at Oxford in an exchange program. While I’m so excited to be embarking on this big adventure, there is obviously a part of me missing Oberlin. The fall term at Oxford starts a few weeks after the Oberlin semester begins, so my extended summer has also morphed into a bit of an academic limbo, where I’ve been missing my friends, co-op, and classes. However, this time of preparation and reflection has exposed just how robust the digital Oberlin community has proven itself. It has shown me that when students leave Oberlin for a semester, year, or post-graduation life, there are still many ways to stay connected.
Through social media, I have been staying up to date on Oberlin sports triumphs, what legumes co-ops are cooking for dinner, and even when Obies decide to wear matching outfits. With FaceTime tours of my friends' beautifully decorated, brand-new Woodlands apartments and POV style walks around campus, I still feel immersed in the start of the 2026-2027 academic year.
This time away only makes me more excited to come back in a year to see what has changed and what has remained perfectly the same. This year, I will inevitably bring some Oberlin to Oxford; in ways I can’t even imagine, I hope in the following year to bring a little bit of Oxford back to Oberlin! I couldn’t be more thrilled with the opportunity to spend this coming year on a new continent, but that doesn’t mean I have to give up my Obie identity whatsoever.
