An experience of a lifetime
What I liked most about my host country was that it was full of very friendly and welcoming people. I was pleasantly surprised how different America is to the UK and I was glad for that because I was able to encounter new experiences that I wouldn’t have been able to back home, such as living as a student in an American college.
My favourite thing about studying at the University of Mary Washington was how accommodating the professors were. Because it was a smaller university than Reading and the classes were smaller, I felt that the teaching felt more personal and that you had plenty of support.
An experience that I am proudest of is winning two of our cheer competitions. I’ve never been a sporty person at all in my life but wanted to try something new whilst in America and I thought what was more American than cheerleading? I was proud of myself for going out of my comfort zone and trying something I have never tried before and actually being good at it.
My experiences of studying abroad have benefitted me because I feel as though I have really matured, being away from friends and family for such a long period of time has made me become so much more independent and confident to do things by myself.
The Turing Scheme funding really helped me out – it allowed me to fund trips that I wouldn’t have been able to on my own, such as going traveling round the East Coast with my boyfriend during spring break.
I would highly recommend anyone to take the chance of studying abroad as it was an experience of a lifetime.
