Meet Danielle “Dani” Shapins! She’s a sophomore here at GMU and a sister in Alpha Xi Delta, currently studying abroad at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom.
What’s your major?
My major is International Relations with a minor in Spanish.
Why did you decide to study abroad in England?
I decided to study abroad in England because I have always had this desire to travel, and England was one of the top countries I’ve always wanted to visit! I guess because the appeal of London, but also when I looked into University of Leicester it happened to be quite a prestigious school within a cute city.
How was your trip to England?
My plane ride here wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t great either haha; the longest plane ride I had ever been on before this one was 6hours, so I was nowhere near prepared for this. But I slept as much as I could, and then got through customs easily (I thought they were going to ask a bunch of questions, but I got through it in less than 5minutes!)
What do you miss most about being away from the US?
What I miss the most about the US has to be the feeling of being familiar to everything and everyone. I basically miss my friends and family the most! I love the ones I’ve made here so far, but there’s nothing that can compare to some of the relationships I have with people back at home
What do you like most about the University of Leicester and England in general?
I like that the classes are so much easier here (so far at least!) You don’t have busy work, quizzes, or test! All you have to do is do the big presentation and the big paper(s) each class, and that’s it! And about England: I think I just like the way everything looks here- the buildings are older, and there are always streets with cute little shops on them that you just can’t pass up!
Most memorable moment:
Here?
My favorite memory at GMU has to actually be a recent one. Right before I left at the end of this past fall semester for winter break, aka before I was going onto my semester abroad, the amount of love I felt from all of my friends, roommates, and sisters was incredible and made me feel so lucky to have such great people in my life! They all went out of their way to see me one last time, do something with me one last time, get me something as a going away gift, and just wanting to say goodbye to me- it was nice to know I’d be missed I guess!
There?
My favorite memory in England so far has to have been the first night I went out! All of the international students and I went to this local club, and it basically looked like one of those night clubs you see in the movies with 4 different bars and different rooms, and of course tons of strobe lights! It was nice experiencing my first legal drink as well as having lots of fun with all of the people I’ve now become such good friends with here (by the way, I had never been to a club before, so this was twice as awesome for me)
How is the food?
The food here is not much different than at home I would say…I honestly haven’t had a traditional English meal yet, but I plan on having one before I leave! But I can say that their chocolate is better than ours and their bacon is not crispy, and looks more like pieces of ham- still good though!
Have you done a lot of sightseeing? If so where could we find these awesome pictures? (Instagram handle lol)
I have done a lot of sightseeing! I’ve gone to London (going to go again), Birmingham, Warwick Castle, Oxford, Stonehenge, and Bath! This March I already plan on visiting Wales and Ireland as well. Anyone who’s interested in my awesome iPhone quality pics can find them on my instagram @danishapins
Any advice for people considering studying abroad in Leicester?
Anyone who wants to study in Leicester, I say do it! The people here are generally nice, the city is cute and close to London as well as many other popular cities. Also, it really does rain a lot, so prepare for that, and if you want macaroni and cheese- they don’t have our Kraft boxed kind, so bring some of your own if you know that’s your go-to meal! And lastly, be prepared to have fun, because they love going out and having a good time here!