One of the major factors that attracted me to Georgetown and made my college decision much easier was Georgetown’s commitment to its Jesuit identity. Although I am not Catholic, I found the Jesuit maxim of cura personalis (care for the whole person) deeply comforting. I didn’t realize just how important this aspect of Georgetown was to me until I arrived in London to study abroad at University College London (UCL).
In sharp contrast to Georgetown’s spiritual foundation, UCL is deeply rooted in secularism—which is more palpable than one might initially think. From my experiences at Georgetown, I had assumed that caring student-professor relationships, individualized advising, lasting friendships, and strong community support were the norm. Here at UCL, those qualities that make me love Georgetown are much harder to find. Professors do not often make a strong effort to get to know students or to draw them out of their shells, it is difficult to make friends (especially for an affiliate student), and the support I’ve gotten so used to at Georgetown is almost entirely absent. That’s not to say that UCL isn’t a wonderful school—the quality of the teaching is excellent and the classes are certainly interesting—but there is something decidedly lacking that, had I not been acquainted with the Georgetown community, would probably have never bothered me.
Many people may think that UCL’s secularism refreshingly removes religion from the classroom or prevents it from resulting in any conflict. Instead, I find that this secularism manifests in a kind of coldness or distance that permeates everything from student-professor relationships (at least from the perspective of an affiliate student) to student-student interactions. Even though I am not profoundly religious and have never availed myself of the religious support that Georgetown offers, I find that the presence of something of an invisible safety net kindles the warmth of the Georgetown community. Georgetown’s founding principles require that students and teachers alike care for one another. At UCL, I find that my teachers care profoundly about my academic well-being—there is a wonderful tutor system in place for the English department in which professors will discuss a student’s essay in-depth one-on-one — but support for emotional, mental, and physical well-being is not as pronounced.
As I take stock of what I have accomplished so far at UCL at this point in the semester, I am pleased with my academic work. I have made several lasting friendships—all with other affiliate students, and mostly with Georgetown students. I realize that my study abroad experience has been amazing not just because of the wonderful opportunity I have to enroll at one of the best universities in the world, but mostly because of the friends that I have made. With this insight, I realize that Georgetown students carry a piece of the Georgetown spirit with them wherever they go—which makes us reach out, care for others, and strive in all of our endeavors. Georgetown has truly made us men and women for others, and I’m not entirely confident that such a beneficial transformation is fully possible without cura personalis: knowing what it feels like to be completely cared for by a community only makes you want to impart that feeling on others whenever possible. In short, although UCL is undeniably remarkable, I feel that its deliberate obfuscation of religion has the unfortunate side effect of obscuring what could be a caring, supportive community.
Victoria “Viggy” Parr graduated from Georgetown University's College of Arts and Sciences in 2015 majoring in biology of global health with a minor in English. Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, she participated in the Berkley Center's Junior Year Abroad Network during the spring 2014 semester while studying at University College London.
