Being a student abroad has two meanings for Shubh Agrawal (BS ’22). He elaborated on this when he spoke at Caltech’s 2022 Study Abroad Day, an annual reception to honor all who have or will pursue study opportunities outside of their home country.

The day usually focuses on U.S. students, he says, but “there’s another interpretation of ‘student abroad,’ and that’s people coming to America.”

Agrawal grew up in India and came to America to study at Caltech. He then studied abroad at Cambridge. His experience has shown him how different environments can help change your perspective.

“It has opened my eyes to new ways to think about important issues, politics, and the problems our societies face,” he says. “Studying abroad also makes you more independent. You grow a lot when you travel—and it’s really fun.”

Agrawal studied computer science at Caltech, and took classes with the physics and astronomy departments during his academic term at Cambridge University’s Corpus Christi College.

Study abroad is one of many student experiences supported by the Initiative for Caltech Students. It gives students opportunities to engage and exchange ideas with people from diverse backgrounds. For Agrawal, his experiences studying abroad have been eye-opening.

“Regardless of how you look at it, the experience of coming to a new place and culture offers a unique experience compared to studying at home,” he says. “You get to know very different people and their backgrounds intimately.”