The most challenging aspect of studying abroad was getting out of my comfort zone. I have never lived further than one hour away from my family, so moving across the world for an entire year was extremely difficult. I missed my family, my friends, and my dogs so so much! Even not having the little things like my favorite restaurants, my car, or my dad’s cooking… I lived a whole year without ALL of it. It was not easy to adjust I’ll be honest. Fortunately, however, I made some amazing friends in England who I know will be friends for life. They threw me a going away party and wrote me cards and sang me songs, it was incredible. It's now become the most challenging part about leaving! I even met my very best friend named Callie, she is from Athens and we became inseparable the day we met. We always talk about how we will be in each others weddings one day. It was hard to leave everyone but I am so thankful to have met them and know we’ll stay friends for a very long time.
The courses differed from those at UCSD in many ways. The class sizes were much smaller, so I was able to really get to know my professors and classmates. I also felt like students were less afraid to share their opinions in my classes, including me. The style of teaching is much more neutral - there is less bias in terms of politics and more room for freedom of thought. I very much liked these aspects of school in England in comparison to school in America.
To students back home: I most definitely recommend studying abroad for a full year. It took me about three months to really become comfortable living abroad and immerse myself in my new environment. I struggled to make friends at first and couldn’t stop FaceTiming my parents and friends from home. If I had only spent three months (or less) out there, I would have never fully experienced all of the amazing opportunities for growth that I did. Sure, I would have been able to see the main tourist attractions in London, but I would not have had time to travel to the other 7 countries that I did. I would not have made lifelong friends who I will cherish forever, and I would not have grown internally as much as I did from being there for a year. My whole outlook on life has changed since living abroad this year, and I feel as though I would have been selling myself short if I stayed out there for less than that. Being independent and having the opportunity to live in another country is something that not everyone has the chance to do, so if you are considering studying abroad or even slightly interested, here is your sign to JUST DO IT!
An unforgettable experience would be my time in Model United Nations. We had a three day simulation where everyone represented a different country in the UN. The head delegates assigned me to represent Ukraine, and sure enough the agenda of the simulation was set : “The Situation in Ukraine”. I was fortunate enough to speak on behalf of Ukraine (for the simulation) and work with all the other countries to try and find a resolution. I was awarded as a Distinguished Delegate, which is the second highest award to receive. I worked alongside the delegates for Germany, USA, and Poland, and our team received the award for best working paper. It was incredible! I even wore a blue and yellow ribbon which I made to show solidarity with Ukraine. So many people loved it that I ended up making over 100 blue and yellow ribbons to pass around the school. Although it was a small gesture, it was nice to be able to show support in some way.