Abigail

Abigail

Current Course:

• Master of Pharmacy 

Global Experience:

• Singapore – summer school 

What motivated you to GO abroad?

• I was motivated to go abroad as part of my university experience to gain valuable insights into living and working in a diverse cultural environment. Experiencing something entirely new would not only add value to my degree but also enhance my intercultural skills and understanding. Additionally, I was excited about the opportunity to learn something new while having fun in a diverse setting.

What is one piece of advice you would give to other students considering a global experience?

• Enjoy it and embrace every moment. Make the most of your time by engaging with locals, exploring new environments, and stepping out of your comfort zone. These experiences will enrich your understanding of the world and provide unforgettable memories.

How would you sum up your global experience in one sentence?

• My global experience was a fun and unforgettable journey that enriched my life with new perspectives, lasting friendships, and invaluable lessons.

Anna

Anna

Current Course: 

• BSc Psychology with International Study

Global Experience:

• A year of international study at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, USA.  

 What motivated you to GO abroad?

• A main motivator for me deciding to GO abroad as part of my university experience was to experience living in a new culture, it also meant that I was able to study completely new modules which allowed me to explore different areas of interest, and because it allowed for me to spend a year travelling and exploring new places and meeting new people.

What is one piece of advice you would give to students considering a global experience?

• Talk to other students who have been abroad to hear what the ups of their experiences were, if there are student that have been to where you are applying ask them for any specific advise.

  Enjoy every moment, it will go so fast so grab every opportunity that is thrown at you! 

How would you sum up your global experience in one sentence? 

• A once in a lifetime experience, filled with amazing memorises of meeting new people and trying new things!

Annie

Annie

Current course:

• Master of Architecture

Global Experience:

• Semester abroad at the Czech Technical University in Prague, Czechia.

What motivated you to go abroad?

• I was motivated to GO abroad by the desire to step outside of my comfort zone and experience university life in a new cultural context. I wanted to meet people from around the world, travel and make memories!

What is one piece of advice you would give to students considering a global experience?

• I would advise students to be proactive in the early stages of applying for a global experience – find out about the practical things like if you need a visa and accommodation as soon as you can because these processes can take some time.

How would you sum up your global experience in one sentence?

• The best chapter of my life so far!

Beckie

Beckie

Current course:

• Chemistry with medicinal, MChem

Global Experience:

• Valenica, Spain

  Year study abroad 

What motivated you to GO abroad?

• I wanted to experience living in a different country, experiencing different cultures, traditions and ways of life. Experiencing education in a new country with a different approach, provided academic growth as well as personal. 

 What one piece of advice would you give to students considering a global experience?   

• I would say sort accommodation and your visa before you go, so you can relax and look forward to your time abroad instead of being stressed and worrying. I would also recommend starting on Duolingo or language lessons before you go if they speak a language you are unfamiliar with because it’s definitely a good stepping stone to have. Also be aware that you are not guaranteed funding so make sure you would be able to support yourself even if you aren’t able to receive any – or potentially look into other grants and bursaries if you don’t qualify for Turing.  

 How would you sum up your global experience in one sentence?

• Best year of my life!!!!!.

 

Bella

Bella

Current course:

• Medicine 

Global Experience:

• Semester exchange at NUMed ,Malaysia

  Summer volunteering in Sri Lanka with TravelTeer

 What motivated you to GO abroad?

• The main reason was just to experience living in a different country as a young adult. I was excited to leave my comfort zone and learn more about how I navigate difficult situations. I knew I would really value these lessons when I returned home. I also managed to avoid the Newcastle Winter for a year!

What one piece of advice would you give to students considering a global experience?  

• Don’t be afraid to go solo if other people’s plans don’t line up! Being forced to talk to strangers opens so many doors to new experiences

 How would you sum up your global experience in one sentence?

• The most fun semester of uni with friends I made for life 

Ben

Ben

Current course: 

• Law 

Global Experience:

Danish

Danish

Current course: 

• Economics and finance BSc

Global Experience:

• Pittsburgh, PA- USA

  Summer school

 What motivated you to GO abroad?

• What motivated me was the chance to experience a new environment, culture and to add value to my degree by working on leadership.

  I also want to move to the USA so this gave me a taster of how it was

What one piece of advice would you give to students considering a global experience?  

•  What I would do is create a mindmap of countries I would like to visit for a year, and then research them to find countries which most align with your goals.

 How would you sum up your global experience in one sentence?

•  A completely new life in a week.

 

Elle

Elle

Current course:

• Law

Global Experience:

• Spain

  Year Abroad

What motivated you to GO abroad? 

• To experience another country/culture, the modules offered at UPF, to improve my language skills, the weather 

 What one piece of advice would you give to students considering a global experience?  

• Throw yourself into it. It is hard at first but have to make an effort to adapt to your new life/meet new people. Go to all the Erasmus student events (ESN), it is such a good way to meet so many people from all over the world. Make the most of the experience. Even though you might be there to study, make sure you put time aside to enjoy the new place you are in!

How would you sum up your global experience in one sentence? 

• The best experience of my life.

Finlay

Finlay

Current course:

• Medicine

Global experience:

• Italy, D2H-AI Summer School

  Semester at NUMed Malaysia in year 2.

What motivated you to GO abroad?

• I was motivated to attend the D2H-AI summer school in Italy to enhance my understanding of AI and its applications in healthcare. It was a great opportunity to immerse myself in a field I’m passionate about while experiencing a new culture and networking with professionals and peers from around the world.

What one piece of advice would you give to students considering a global experience? 

• Research the city or town where you’ll be staying. Some of my classmates were shocked when they realised we were staying in an isolated town, three hours from a major city. Perfect for relaxing, not great for a shopping spree (great damage control for my budget)

How would you sum up your global experience in one sentence? 

• Launched out of my comfort zone into the middle of the Alps and I’d do it again 100 times over.

Flora

Flora

Current course:

• BA Combined Honours (Philosophy, Art History, and French)

Global Experience:

• A year-long study placement in France at Lorraine University, followed by a summer placement as an Au Pair in France.

What motivated you to GO abroad?

• I have always wanted to experience living abroad, and it seemed like such a fun and exciting opportunity. I wanted to get out of my comfort zone, whilst also improving my language skills.

What one piece of advice would you give to students considering a global experience? 

• Just go for it! It is scary but so so worth it. You definitely want to research and plan beforehand, and use the university resources so that you can make the most of it once you’re out there. You also definitely want you brush up on your language skills beforehand (you will thank yourself later on).

How would you sum up your global experience in one sentence?

•  An incredible, unforgettable experience that fundamentally altered by brain chemistry.

 

Igor

Igor

Current course:

• Computer Science

Global Experience:

• Business Analytics using R – Aarhus university Denmark 

What motivated you to GO abroad?

•  I have taken this course because it equips me with the skills to extract data from the web and effectively plot it using R. This course has helped me bridge my computer science knowledge with practical applications in a business context, creating a unique skill set that I believe is valuable in today’s job market.

 What one piece of advice would you give to students considering a global experience?   

• Utilise University time to the full potential

 How would you sum up your global experience in one sentence? 

• Long July days with friends you met just a couple of days ago.

Maddy

Maddy

Current course:

• MA International Politics (Global Justice and Ethics) (part-time)

Global experience:

• In Summer 2024 I went to El Salvador for a 6-week ICSC internship at Museo de la Palabra y la Imagen.

What motivated you to GO abroad?

• I am very interested in experiencing new things and learning about different cultures. It was a great opportunity to practice my language skills and immerse myself in a totally new environment.

What one piece of advice would you give to students considering a global experience? 

• Do as much research as possible to ensure your safety. This includes talking to other students, attending the pre-departure training, speaking with the host site and asking any questions you may have.

How would you sum up your global experience in one sentence? 

• My global experience enabled me to completely immerse myself in a new culture and learn from so many interesting people. 

 

Naomi

Naomi

Current course:

• Philosophy 

Global experience:

• I did studied Philosophy abroad for both semesters in Rotterdam in The Netherlands at Erasmus University Rotterdam. 

What motivated you to GO abroad?

• One of the biggest motivators to go abroad as part of my degree was to experience living somewhere new. I wanted to expand my horizons of other countries beyond just going on trips and holidays. To live daily life in a new place for an extended period of time and get to know a new culture is truly special. I was also curious to see what Philosophy would be like at a different university, I love my subject a lot so I thought gaining an extra year to study new parts of philosophy that I hadn’t before would be really worthwhile for me. Lastly, a big motivator for me was go beyond my comfort zone of living in the UK, I knew it would be challenging for me so I really wanted to push myself to do something new!

What one piece of advice would you give to students considering a global experience? 

• My one piece of advice would be as soon as you know which host university or workplace you are going to be at try and find out as much as you can from them and anything they require you to do. Send emails clarifying and asking for information if things aren’t clear. Especially for people doing study abroad, use all the information for exchange students on the host university’s website. For example, only once I had visited Erasmus University Rotterdam’s exchange webpage did I find out how to apply for accommodation and the deadlines I had to meet for that process. 

How would you sum up your global experience in one sentence? 

• The most eye opening, fun, life changing and worthwhile experience in my life so far! 

 

Numan

Numan

Current course:

• Medicine

Global experience:

• Summer School at Radboud University 
  Nijmegen, The Netherlands  

What motivated you to GO abroad?

• I wanted to learn coding to open new opportunities for innovation in the medical field later in my career.
  
  I was also excited to spend time in a new country and experience a different culture, knowing it would be a great chance for personal and academic growth. 

What one piece of advice would you give to students considering a global experience? 

• Try inviting your friends to come, if they can’t, just go alone. You will make amazing new friends and try new things. That you would never get to do if you are with the group of friends.

How would you sum up your global experience in one sentence? 

• I loved the experience, so glad I went. 

 

Sara

Sara

Current course:

• English Literature (BA) 

Global experience:

• Vermont, USA

  A semester abroad at the University of Vermont 

What motivated you to GO abroad?

• I was motivated to go abroad as I really wanted to experience life at a different university. As well as this, I also really wanted to go to meet people and have new experiences in a brand-new place.

What one piece of advice would you give to students considering a global experience? 

• I would say don’t be afraid to ask questions! There are so many people who are happy to answer your questions and we all understand it is a daunting thing to go abroad so don’t be hesitant to ask no matter how small the question.

How would you sum up your global experience in one sentence? 

• An amazing experience like no other.