“Being in Europe has taught me how to slow down and enjoy the small things. I'm the kind of person who often just wants to get where I'm going, but the European pace of life is so much more relaxed, and this is reflected in many everyday experiences,” said Hayden Statmore, a biochemistry major in the College of Arts and Sciences who participated in the Arcadia Abroad program during the spring 2025 semester at the Queen Mary University of London.
“Studying abroad has been a very amazing experience for me. It's been super fun to be in London. While I had the opportunity to study at a United Kingdom university, I got to meet so many amazing people from diverse backgrounds. Yet, as different as I may be from some, I always found it easy and pleasurable to strike up a conversation and found we had lots in common.”
Outside of his studies, Statmore capitalized on the opportunity to explore surrounding cities and countries.
“It was also nice being in the U.K. since being so close to the continent meant I could travel around a lot. I've always loved European art and architecture, and I certainly took advantage of my location to experience many different cities and regions and take in all that I could! It's interesting to see the differences in things like food too. Everything is so regional and unique.”
“I would absolutely recommend to any Ohio State student to do a semester abroad if they love traveling as much as I do. The American passport makes it very easy to go anywhere in Europe you could possibly want, and it's definitely something to take advantage of.”