Studying abroad has been a dream of mine since secondary school. I always thought the idea of living and studying in a new country would be a great experience to have. Finally, after starting university and getting used to life at my home university (the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida), I was ready to experience university life elsewhere. I searched for programs on my school’s study abroad website; there were a great variety of programs I could participate in. There was study abroad programs where a group of students go abroad and the classes and excursions are already arranged ahead of time. The other option was an exchange program, where I would have the option of spending either a semester or a year abroad, and I would have to do everything myself from picking out the university I would study at from the list of options to choosing the classes I take during my time abroad. Since I am a student studying computer science in the College of Engineering, one program that appealed to me was the Global Engineering Education Exchange (Global E3). I decided that I would like to spend one year abroad to get the full immersive experience.
During the fall of 2017 I began the application process. Throughout my second year of university, I followed up with each step of the application. That spring, I heard back that I had been accepted to participate in the exchange. I had gotten accepted into my first-choice university, the University of Leeds. I was super excited! I was one step closer to making my study abroad dreams come true. However, there was a lot of documentation I had to get completed, the most important document was my visa. I was only allowed to apply for my visa 3 months before my trip abroad, so I had to wait until the summer to start my visa application. After filling out the application and waiting for a couple months, I finally received my visa, the last piece of the puzzle that would ensure that I could study abroad. I started packing my bags during the beginning of September and finally got to begin the adventure I had been working so hard on planning out and organizing for the past year!
I am currently spending my third year of university abroad at the University of Leeds. University in the US is typically 4 years long, so I would have one more year of university at my home university after my exchange. I have been living in Leeds for approximately one month now and I have enjoyed my experience so far. I’ve met other exchange students just like myself from countries all around the world. I have found it enjoyable to talk to other students about their experience abroad and knowing that I am not alone when it comes to adapting to certain aspects of living in the UK. I am also enjoying my classes here and some of my professors are great at teaching. I have also explored some of the surrounding areas by going on trips with ‘Get Out Get Active’ and ‘CityLife’, two different organizations that host tours and other events and activities.
In addition, there are four distinct differences between the US and the UK which I wanted to put foward:
- I have noticed that English vocabulary in UK differs from that of the US. I’ve had to learn British phrases and their meanings. One phrase that puzzled me at first was “Cheers”. I’ve had people say it to me after buying things and I never know how to respond. I asked one of my friends who lives in Leeds what it meant. He said it’s commonly used in place of “Thank you”. That cleared up some things for me. Also, another thing is when people say, “You all right?”. In the US when people say that, it means they are genuinely concerned about you. However, in the UK, it’s used as “What’s up” or “How is everything going”. I still feel a little offended, like is something wrong with me? but then I keep telling myself that the phrase means something different in the UK and they’re just asking how I am.
- Classes in the UK are different from those in the US. In the US, we typically have weekly coursework we need to complete. However, I have noticed that in the UK coursework is assigned much less frequently. Also, exams count for a much larger portion of the grade. In the US, exams would only be 40% of our grade. In the UK, exams count for 80% of the grade in certain classes. It is crazy to me that a large portion of the grade will be based on one score. I get bad test anxiety, but I am confident enough that I can power through it.
- Another thing that is different is the living arrangement. In the US, university accommodations are commonly referred to as dorms. The standard dorm room in the US typically houses two people in one room and there is a common bathroom on the floor which all 30 people on the floor use. However, in the UK, that is a foreign concept. I have had so many people tell me that they could never live like that. However, after living like that for my first two years of university, I got used to it. But it definitely is a luxury to have my own bedroom and bathroom here.
- And of course, one other thing is the drinking age. In the US, the legal drinking age is 21, while in the UK it is 18. I have seen alcohol served at the university shop, Essentials, allowed in accommodation, and at school events. Contrastingly, in the US, this would not be the case. Alcohol is not allowed in public places in dorms, while a student of age 21 could only drink in their own room. Every school hosted event in the US is alcohol free. Of course, underage drinking is widespread in the US and typically everyone can get alcohol at parties hosted in people’s apartments and houses.
Time is going by so quickly and it’s insane that I have already been living abroad for over one month. I am so excited for what is yet to come during the rest of my time here and hope to have an unforgettable experience that I will remember for the rest of my life.