Gwendoline Datey
Current student
- Course
- Management BSc
- Subject area
- Business, Management and Marketing
I studied Management at Loughborough and decided to complete a single semester abroad in the first half of the 2024 academic year. When I think back on my study abroad experience, I realise how much it changed me both personally and academically.
I have always been interested in international opportunities and initially considered France because of my fascination with the language and the culture. In the end I chose Oklahoma State University in the United States. I wanted to experience a different culture that was familiar enough to navigate comfortably yet different enough to broaden my perspective.
I grew up seeing American life through the media, so I was curious to understand what it actually felt like to live and study there. I was also attracted to the scale of sport in the United States and the strong sports culture at a Division 1 university, which aligned with my own background as a sprinter.
Before going abroad, I completed an internship during the summer of 2024, and I completed another one in the summer of 2025. I chose one semester abroad rather than a full year partly because I wanted to make sure I could spend some time building further experience for my CV. Finding placements that last only six months can be challenging, so combining shorter internships with a study abroad semester gave me the mix of international experience and industry exposure I wanted.
The sporting culture in Oklahoma was something I will never forget. I had thought Loughborough was incredibly sport-focused, but the scale in the United States was huge. There were parades before football games, huge crowds and a general sense of excitement that lasted the entire day. Even though I could not join the track team because they required a full year commitment, I kept training independently. The gym was only a few minutes from where international students lived, so keeping fit was convenient.
Academically, the teaching style at Oklahoma State University was very different to what I had been used to at Loughborough. In Oklahoma classes were shorter and more frequent, either twice or three times a week. It reminded me of secondary school in some ways. There were classroom discussions, activities, attendance checks and lots of participation. I was surprised at first, but it really encouraged engagement. Although it was a big adjustment, it opened my eyes to different ways of learning, and I took modules there that expanded my thinking about potential career pathways.
What I value most from the experience was the confidence it gave me. I arrived knowing no one and I had to adjust to a new environment, a new campus and a different cultural atmosphere. The international halls were full of students from all over the world and the social activities helped us connect quickly. I made friends from places as far away as Kazakhstan and I learned about cultures and lifestyles I had never encountered before.
If I were giving advice to future students, I would tell them to try everything at least once. New experiences help you learn not only what you enjoy but also what you do not want to pursue in the future. You never know what might inspire you or what memories you will make until you try. Studying abroad helped me grow academically, personally and socially, and it gave me a clearer understanding of the kind of opportunities I want to explore after university.