Going abroad with Maggie MacDonald
England as a country is well-known for a variety of things. It is home to the world of Harry Potter, Downton Abbey, Prince William and Kate, red telephone booths and double-decker buses. However, when I began packing for 4 months in England, there was only one thing on my mind- the weather. The idea of constant rain and grey skies filled my thoughts. It should come as no surprise then, that as I began my descent into Heathrow Airport, all I could see outside the window was fog.
For those of you who are not aware, I recently spent the last four months in Leeds, England on an exchange. Leeds is located about 2 ½ hours north of London by train, in the county of West Yorkshire. It is the third largest city in the United Kingdom and is home to three universities and several colleges. Of these three universities the largest (and by far the best!) is the University of Leeds, which is where I chose to study.
Located almost at the heart of the city, the University of Leeds is an incredible place. A converted church acts as the business school, there is an old preserved cemetery behind Henry Price Residence Building, parts of the paths are cobblestoned and the law library is modeled after the library of Congress. When I explored the university for the first time, all I felt was excitement, but the adjustment to living in a new country wasn’t quite as easy.
While the United Kingdom is an English speaking country, adjusting to life outside of Canada certainly had its challenges. Simple things such as purchasing groceries were difficult in the first weeks of my arrival. I suddenly needed to adjust to new brands, different foods and a whole new way of communicating. British accents sound fantastic on TV and are great in person, until you realize that their accents are so thick you can’t actually understand what they are saying! Even after four months, I still had difficulty understanding some of my friend’s northern accents. It wouldn’t be uncommon for me to ask people to repeat themselves 4 or 5 times! But if I thought that was bad, the driving on the opposite side of the road threw me for a loop. Walking as a pedestrian became ten times more dangerous, as I was liable to not check the correct flow of traffic before crossing the road!
But with these challenges came a lot of amazing opportunities. I met people from dozens of different countries. The 8 other girls in my flat alone came from Spain, Italy, Germany, USA, China, and Brazil. I got a chance to travel to different parts of the country on the weekends and even managed to visit a friend in France. Planning trips and balancing money certainly became a new skill! The school spirit at the University was incomparable to anything in Canada. My sport loving soul rejoiced when 12,000 fans showed up for a rival rugby game at the end of their Varsity sports day. Decked out in school colors and singing (rude) songs, there was more security at this event then at a professional CFL game.
To try and describe my experiences in one article isn’t possible. The friends I made, the team I played with, the things I experienced and the places I traveled can’t be summed up into words. To say this exchange was a life-changing opportunity is an understatement.
Today I am thankful that social media allows me to still connect with my friends overseas and I look forward to the day when I can take up my flatmates invitation to visit Germany. Until then I will be content with poring over pictures of my trip and recommending an exchange experience to anyone who takes the time to apply.
For those of you who are not aware, I recently spent the last four months in Leeds, England on an exchange. Leeds is located about 2 ½ hours north of London by train, in the county of West Yorkshire. It is the third largest city in the United Kingdom and is home to three universities and several colleges. Of these three universities the largest (and by far the best!) is the University of Leeds, which is where I chose to study.
Located almost at the heart of the city, the University of Leeds is an incredible place. A converted church acts as the business school, there is an old preserved cemetery behind Henry Price Residence Building, parts of the paths are cobblestoned and the law library is modeled after the library of Congress. When I explored the university for the first time, all I felt was excitement, but the adjustment to living in a new country wasn’t quite as easy.
While the United Kingdom is an English speaking country, adjusting to life outside of Canada certainly had its challenges. Simple things such as purchasing groceries were difficult in the first weeks of my arrival. I suddenly needed to adjust to new brands, different foods and a whole new way of communicating. British accents sound fantastic on TV and are great in person, until you realize that their accents are so thick you can’t actually understand what they are saying! Even after four months, I still had difficulty understanding some of my friend’s northern accents. It wouldn’t be uncommon for me to ask people to repeat themselves 4 or 5 times! But if I thought that was bad, the driving on the opposite side of the road threw me for a loop. Walking as a pedestrian became ten times more dangerous, as I was liable to not check the correct flow of traffic before crossing the road!
But with these challenges came a lot of amazing opportunities. I met people from dozens of different countries. The 8 other girls in my flat alone came from Spain, Italy, Germany, USA, China, and Brazil. I got a chance to travel to different parts of the country on the weekends and even managed to visit a friend in France. Planning trips and balancing money certainly became a new skill! The school spirit at the University was incomparable to anything in Canada. My sport loving soul rejoiced when 12,000 fans showed up for a rival rugby game at the end of their Varsity sports day. Decked out in school colors and singing (rude) songs, there was more security at this event then at a professional CFL game.
To try and describe my experiences in one article isn’t possible. The friends I made, the team I played with, the things I experienced and the places I traveled can’t be summed up into words. To say this exchange was a life-changing opportunity is an understatement.
Today I am thankful that social media allows me to still connect with my friends overseas and I look forward to the day when I can take up my flatmates invitation to visit Germany. Until then I will be content with poring over pictures of my trip and recommending an exchange experience to anyone who takes the time to apply.