Students Connect Across Cultures at the College of Charleston
After arriving at the College of Charleston as a mathematics major, Nic Jones explored new academic and extracurricular interests that led him around the world and into the international community on campus.
Above: Nic Jones wearing a flower crown while visiting Sweden during the annual Midsummer event
When rising senior Nic Jones transferred to the College of Charleston in 2024, he decided to try a little bit of everything. He arrived as a mathematics major, but after exploring different classes and studying abroad in Belgium, his interests expanded beyond mathematics.
“The College really prides itself on intellectual exploration,” he says. “Your professors encourage you to explore different things, and taking all these different classes I think really helps to broaden your horizons and explore other fields and interests.”
Today, Jones is a double-major in mathematics and international studies with a minor in philosophy. He’s explored clubs and social activities at the College as well. He’s the vice president of the International Club, participates in the Intentionality Club and works with the Center of International Education (CIE) as a lead Cougar Ambassador, welcoming international students to campus.
“Try to go to as many events as possible, and you’ll meet people,” he advises new students. “Go to all the events the College hosts through Weeks of Welcome. Going to the club fair is huge because there are so many clubs, you’re destined to find something. And if not, you can always create a club.”
A Study Abroad Trip Opens New Doors
The College fostered Jones’ curiosity and adventurous side, leading him to embark on a spring break study abroad trip to Belgium and a solo monthlong trip to Sweden, where he hopes to one day work and live.
Jones’ study abroad course focused on the European Union and prompted his interest in European affairs. After graduation, he’s interested in pursuing a graduate-level degree in Europe and someday living in Sweden.
During the Belgium trip, students spent a week in Brussels but took a day trip to Bruges to visit the College of Europe, a leading institution for European affairs.
“I was kind of worried about studying abroad and not knowing what to expect, but now that I’ve been to Belgium and lived in Sweden for a month, I love it.”
The program also took students to the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and some permanent representations, which act as countries’ embassies to the EU, including the Irish and Estonian permanent representations. Students directly engaged with diplomats to further their understanding of EU affairs.
“I never really looked at studying abroad until I went to an informational meeting for the Belgium study abroad,” Jones says. “I thought it sounded interesting. I think I was kind of worried about studying abroad and not knowing what to expect, but now that I’ve been to Belgium and lived in Sweden for a month, I love it. I know for sure that in the future I want to go abroad.”
After his experience in Belgium, Jones says the College of Europe is on his list of potential universities to apply to for graduate school, along with two Swedish universities he visited this summer, Lund and Uppsala.
Experiencing Swedish Life
Prior to his monthlong stay in Sweden, Jones taught himself Swedish, thanks to his unwavering commitment to his language-learning process and the help of his two friends at the College who are native Swedish speakers.
“A couple weeks before I was set to go to New Student Convocation, I got tired of learning German because I took it in high school – so, kind of on a whim, I started learning Swedish,” he says, recalling that it was at convocation that he met a student from Sweden, Nicole Håkansson.
“I told her I had just started learning Swedish and introduced myself in super-basic Swedish. From then forward, we became good friends, and she helped teach me the language.”
Jones learned more about the culture and practiced by watching YouTube videos, listening to music in Swedish and having a weekly lunch with Håkansson and another Swedish student, Filip Barnekow, during which they would only speak Swedish.
“At the very start, they would be speaking Swedish with each other, and I would just listen,” says Jones. “But over time, I picked it up. That was my approach, and it worked.”
While visiting Sweden, Jones stayed with a local family in Stockholm, joined a running club, visited Uppsala and Lund universities, witnessed parliamentary debates and attended a Midsummer festival, making new friends and practicing his Swedish all along the way.
“Probably my favorite thing was meeting people of all different ages,” he says.
Though he enjoyed making new connections, Jones also appreciated the new perspective he got on Sweden’s political system. To expand his knowledge of and interest in European affairs, he attended a debate between the deputy prime minister of Sweden and members of parliament.
“It was fun to see the parliament in action, and therefore the Swedish political system in action,” he says.
Building Connections with International Students
Though Jones is interested in pursuing new opportunities abroad, he has plenty of opportunities to meet international students right here on the College of Charleston campus.
“Some of my best friends are from Japan, Germany, Austria,” he says. “We have a lot of French students at the College of Charleston, British students, students from Kazakhstan, Serbia, all over the place.”
Jones, who worked as a Cougar Ambassador for CIE last year, will serve as a lead ambassador this year.
The program pairs a College of Charleston student with one or two international students to help them transition to life in America and here on the College of Charleston campus. Together they attend CIE-hosted events, help run school supply errands, have dinners together and take trips to the beach.
“It’s really nice because you get to meet people from a bunch of different cultures, so it expands your worldview – which I think is awesome,” Jones says. “And, with Cougar Ambassadors, you don’t just get to meet your buddy, you meet almost all the international students.”
Currently, Jones is learning some Finnish in preparation for his Cougar Ambassador buddy who is coming to the College from Finland this fall.
Finding Room to Explore at the College of Charleston
When Jones arrived at the College, he was focused on mathematics. Two years later, he is a double-major in mathematics and international studies minoring in philosophy, with plans to pursue European affairs after graduation.
Along the way, the College has provided him with opportunities to explore new interests he didn’t expect to discover, from involvement in student organizations to the European institutions of Brussels and the streets of Stockholm.
Now, as he looks toward a future in Europe, Jones continues to explore where his interests can take him.
