Once we arrived back at Exeter from London, it was time to prepare for our first classes as students at the International Summer School (ISS). Before the real academics began, however, all the students we met up with in London needed to get their rooms and get settled at Holland Hall. Thankfully, myself and the other three Fulbrighters got to skip that process and just grab our welcome packs for our academic pathways. Veronica, Cayla, and I joked about how returning to Exeter and Holland felt like going “home.” Once you are a college student, though, it seems anyway you stay for more than a few days is good enough to be called home!

That evening ISS students and faculty enjoyed the Welcome Barbecue at Reed Hall. The weather was perfect for everyone to gather outside in the garden area and sit in the grass to enjoy a delicious meal. Besides getting to know more of the ISS students, we also had the opportunity to talk to the faculty who would be teaching us in our various pathways over the next three weeks.

The next day was the official ISS Orientation. We all gathered in a new auditorium in The Forum, the Exeter equivalent to the Marshall Student Center. After playing around in the swivel seating, we listened to the directors of the ISS Program give speeches on academic expectations and helpful suggestions before breaking into our pathway groups for campus tours. Because I had already received a campus tour, Veronica and I split off from our group after introductions and explored a footpath on campus. (It just so happened that this footpath emptied out at a park with a nice swing set.) I met up with my group after their tour for lunch at The Terrace, an on-campus dining option with a great variety of choices. We then left with our groups for town tours, and I enjoyed the opportunity to walk along the waterside at the Quay again. Our group finished by stopping at the Firehouse Pub before returning to Holland for the evening meal. Clive surprised our Fulbright group by suggesting a trip to the nearby coast at Sidmouth that evening. We were more than willing to oblige, and drove over to the pebble beaches at the quaint coastal town of Sidmouth. The water proved too cold for swimming, but the coast and surrounding area was worth the trip on its own. We even got to see a cricket practice in action! (Another England travel goal off the list…)

The next two days included our first lectures at the summer school. As part of the 21st Century Medicine: Physical Activity and the Environment pathway, my first lecture was about the risk factors for cardiovascular disease, mainly obesity and physical inactivity. Dr. Louise Croft challenged our group by splitting us into two 6 member debate teams for the following day. Our task was to argue whether physical activity (my team) or obesity was the largest risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease. We were given some brainstorming time and an article to read before breaking for lunch. Most of the ISS students decided to stay in our lecture building for lunch by going to the downstairs cafe, La Touche. There were great options for food, and you even get a student discount, super affordable! That afternoon we listened to Dr. Tim Taylor, an environmental economist who spoke with us about the idea of a statistical life and monetary values for health conditions. The ways these values are derived and interpreted are very influential in policy decisions. The very idea of applying a dollar sign to someone’s life was challenging for me to grasp and the ethical and legal implications of such statistics is an interesting matter to study.

How do you wind down after a day of lectures in England, a Pub Quiz of course! Pub Quizzes are very popular throughout England and involve silly team names, random trivia, trivial prizes, and an overall good time. For our Pub Quiz night, ISS students met in The Ram, the on-campus pub (There’s something we don’t have in the States!). Working in teams of up to ten, we answered all categories of trivia questions for top prizes like Cornish biscuits and stuffed Exeter bears. Although our team represented over 6 nationalities and various academic interests, we were ultimately only awarded a respectable 5th place. Too bad!

On Friday, we took part in our second day of lectures by beginning with our team debates on the risk factors of cardiovascular disease. It was great to see how each of our teams worked together and took input from different disciplines and cultures to construct our arguments. Both presentations were well-researched and presented, and naturally the ultimate conclusion was that both physical activity and obesity are compounding risk factors for CVD.  That afternoon, Clive Sabel came to present his URGENCHE project to our pathway. Although I had already heard the lecture, I decided to stay to see what new perspectives would arise within our diverse group. It was interesting to hear the different suggestions and levels of importance students from various cultures attributed to environmental policies. One student from China is actually working on her PhD within the URGENCHE Project, and her perspective was particularly interesting.

That afternoon, myself and a group of students walked down to the Quay to go shopping and enjoy the beautiful weather. Exeter’s Quayside includes many quaint local shops and artisans as well as restaurants. It was a great place to go after classes, and a great place to stock up on souvenirs for family and friends back home.

Overall, the first two days of classes have shown me the importance of interdisciplinary and cross-cultural participation when discussing global issues. Although our pathway only includes twelve students, we represent Canada, South Korea, the US, China, and Hong Kong, and each of us represents individual experiences within our respective countries. It has been so rewarding to get to know and work with students from around the globe and I am excited for the remainder of our time together as the ISS class of 2013.