| Some of my best days abroad are spent travelling to new places. The UK is a great location from which to fly into continental Europe or even take the train under the English Channel. I have loved meeting fellow international students who are just as passionate about seeing the world as I am. My favorite ways to learn about a country/city’s culture are by tasting its food and exploring its historical buildings. I have been able to interact with locals the best by visiting farmers’ markets and any other festivals taking place. By the end of my study abroad experience, I will have explored my home base near London as well as Budapest, Prague, Greece, Florence, Paris, Lisbon, and Porto. I am also grateful that my campus is situated near the South Downs National Park. I spend a lot of my time going on hikes of the Seven Sisters Cliffs and nearby Stanmer Park.
My classes abroad have allowed me to be able to travel so frequently. My specific classes only met once a week, and I had them all at the beginning of the week. This was because I am a third-year student, which is a senior status. Because of the difficulty of my classes, they were mostly essay-based rather than exam-based. I had minimal homework assignments due each week, as most of my grade relied on final papers due at the end of the term. One thing that surprised me was the UK’s grading difference. Here, a 70+ on an assignment is an A+ back home. I had to adjust to getting different feedback than I am used to, which pushed me to work harder and attend office hours more frequently. On a personal level, I’ve discovered a new sense of independence and resilience in myself. Living in a foreign country pushed me out of my comfort zone in ways I hadn’t anticipated—from managing language barriers and unfamiliar customs to building new relationships from scratch. These experiences have made me more confident in my ability to handle uncertainty and more comfortable embracing the unfamiliar. Most importantly, this experience has made me more aware of cultural diversity—not just in the obvious ways like food or clothing, but in values, communication styles, and worldviews. It’s taught me to slow down, listen more, and seek understanding before judgment. I now see diversity not as something to be overcome, but as something to be celebrated and learned from. That mindset has made me not only a more open-minded traveler but a more thoughtful and empathetic person overall. |
