GREAT BARRINGTON, MA — Simon’s Rock students Oskar Hurst, Arnaud Neukomm, and Sunny Sullivan shared their experiences studying away from the Simon’s Rock campus and attending programs all over the world.
Hurst participated in the Bard NYC program in Spring 2023 and applied to the Bard Experimental Learning Lab — also referred to as the BELL program — which focused primarily on studies in the arts and humanities. Students enrolled in the BELL program, which began in January 2023, live and take classes in a new, state-of-the-art facility in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, combining advanced academic coursework with professional internships to earn 16 credit hours per semester.
“My two favorite courses were City Frictions, which talked about gentrification and clashes within the city, and a class that went over generative AI in the arts,” said Hurst. “This course focused on all sorts of use cases and applications as well as the legal and moral side of things. However, you can also choose to enroll in some of the BGIA courses.”
BGIA — Bard Globalization and International Affairs — also a part of the overall Bard NYC program, allows both current students and recent graduates from around the world to take specialized courses in Manhattan in international affairs and participate in carefully selected internships based on their personal interests.
“There couldn’t be a better location for the dorms in Williamsburg, which are just one stop away from Manhattan with the subway. I enjoyed this program thoroughly and would recommend it to anyone interested in experiencing the city and becoming part of a community that’s shared this experience.”
Arnaud Neukomm took his studies across the ocean, spending an immersive summer in the city of Tours, France during the Bard French Immersion Program.
“I was in France for about four weeks, in a French intensive. The city was wonderful, the organizers were fantastic, and meeting people from Bard College in Annandale was definitely a nice experience. Although there were classes every weekday, they were never stressful and had a good structure,” said Neukomm.
The French Immersion program in Tours, France — only an hour away from Paris — allows Simon’s Rock students to attend the program with Bard-Annandale students and receive four academic credits in Intensive French language upon successful completion of the program. Students take a placement test on their arrival in Tours to determine the level of their course. All levels of language, from beginning to advanced, are available.
“The excursions to nearby attractions were also great, as they were regular and exciting. I wanted to continue studying anyway, but even if I hadn’t, the program made me want to keep learning French, and the experience of being in a city across the world is something I would love to do again,” Neukomm said.
Senior student Sunny Sullivan traveled to New Taipei City, Taiwan to continue her studies at Tamkang University in the Tamsui District, Taiwan’s oldest private institution of higher learning.
“I was in Taiwan at Tamkang University through a program called TISLP,” she said. “It's an intensive learning program, so I was not considered an official student and wasn't registered for any classes (although we were allowed to audit actual classes at TKU). Our main goal was to absorb and learn as much Mandarin as possible, so we had three- to four-hour classes and language partner meetings every day. We even had special culture classes every other week. Since we weren't enrolled in any classes with actual TKU students it was really easy to feel kind of isolated on campus, but there were so many opportunities to meet people especially since we lived in a dorm. I enjoyed my time there and the layout of campus is really beautiful. Tamsui is a nice college town.”
Sullivan has two concentrations in Visual Design and Chinese Language, and plans to use her experience in Taiwan as a large contributing piece in her senior thesis. TISLP, which stands for the Taiwan Intensive Summer and Semester Language Program, allows students studying Mandarin at other universities to participate in intensive study at Taiwan’s premier universities and immerse themselves in local Taiwanese society and culture to strengthen their language proficiency.
“I'm still trying to figure out what my post-graduation plans are, but having this experience is helpful because I got to make connections and now have a few job opportunities if I want to return to Taiwan. I think if you can have the privilege of spending time in a different country you definitely should take it, it is seriously an eye-opening experience.”