This past summer I attended a summer school in Leeds, United Kingdom. I spent the whole month of July travelling to surrounding cities, meeting wonderful people, and also doing some school work. This program was through the University of Leeds (Leeds International Summer School), where I took courses in music history and business management. This adventure was my best decision at university by far, and I want to share with you this deep dive filled with advice, memories, and lessons I learned from my time abroad. My greatest advice for any type of exchange or summer school is to not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. This was accomplished for me before I even left for Leeds, as it occurred when I decided to apply. I wanted to travel in some capacity during my undergraduate degree, and after finding this summer opportunity, I knew it was perfect. (For anyone curious, I found this opportunity through the McMaster Global exchange website). However, I was still nervous, and I needed a lot of self-assurance and motivation to feel comfortable in this new environment. Reflecting on this experience, I can gladly say I grew to love Leeds, and I found the program to be an excellent way to explore a different culture and meet new people.
Moving beyond my comfort zone, a piece of advice I would give to someone wanting to take on this adventure is to have an open mind–while also being considerate and culturally mindful. Going to a new country can be a huge culture shock. Despite Canada having similarities to the United Kingdom, I still felt that Leeds was vastly different from my home university. Some of the most notable cultural differences were the lively nightlife each day, sometimes the accents, and the fact they use miles instead of kilometres! It is important to be mindful of cultural expectations and differences, and this is advice I’d give to anyone travelling. I have lived in various places throughout my life, so adapting to a new climate is not necessarily new for me. However, being on my own in this capacity was certainly a learning experience.
Moving past advice, I want to highlight some of my most cherished memories. The friends I met at this summer school were certainly one of the most impactful elements of my experience. My understanding of life in varying countries grew significantly as I started to adapt to the Leeds lifestyle and learn from my peers, and this only elevated my desire to travel. I also learned that I could rely on these new friends, even if I had only known them for a short time. Although a month may not seem like enough time to make life-long bonds, I would disagree. It may sound dramatic to say we ‘went through a lot’ together, but I could write a whole other piece on some of the not-so-pleasant adventures we encountered. There are so many deep conversations, discussions, and laughs that I hope will stay with me forever. It is such a cool thought to know I have friends across the world, and I am so fortunate to have learned so much from them.
This summer school is certainly unique when compared to traditional exchanges, and I was fortunate to travel through social excursions that were included in the program. One of my favourite memories was travelling to Whitby in North Yorkshire, England. Rain was common on our trip, but this day was one of the warmest, and I could not have chosen a better time to have this weather. Whitby is a seaside town with lots of history and tourism, and exploring this town was one of my most memorable experiences. For only five pounds we were able to go on a boat ride around the town, but even by walking, we got to see amazing views. Another great highlight was visiting Manchester, where I explored the city center, as well as Manchester United’s “Old Trafford Stadium.” This trip was connected to my business management course at the summer school!
All in all, I could write many more pages on some of the amazing memories I have from my time in the U.K. However, I mainly want to illustrate that stepping outside of your comfort zone can result in some of the best decision-making. When on any type of overseas trip, time moves quickly. So, I would recommend to all travellers to plan this time out as much as possible. I only started planning when I arrived in Leeds, and I was able to go to the cities mentioned, as well as London (with friends from the summer school) and Belfast to visit a friend from McMaster (shoutout to Kiana)! This program was an excellent balance of school and exploration, and I found this format to be easily adaptable as a student and traveller. There are lots of opportunities out there, and this experience has certainly ignited more passion in me to travel and learn. I am certainly grateful to have embarked on this adventure, and I could not be more proud to have gone outside of my comfort zone.