The best choice I ever made
My year spent at the University of Kansas was the best year of my life so far. I’ve been lucky enough to meet so many amazingly talented people and make lifelong friends from all across the US. I will admit that me applying to do study abroad was a last-minute decision that happened in the middle of a zoom lecture during lockdown. Even though studying in the US had been something I’d dreamt about since I was 10 years old, it had always been unattainable due to finances. However, I am very thankful that this was the best choice I ever made.
My time at KU was so rewarding from the very first day – from walking into my apartment at 4am after flying for 16hrs to that last day leaving it, there was always something new and exciting that went on. During my time there, I took classes that weren’t offered back at Reading including Theatre Production, Costume Design, Lighting Design & Production and Scenic Production alongside Acting and Musical Theatre classes. Some of these were major steps outside my comfort zone (I hated being in front of a crowd and speaking) but I said YOLO to it and gave them a go and these became some of my best and most enjoyable classes. Plus, everyone was so supportive that it made you look forward to getting up there. Whilst I never actually performed in any of the 7 productions they ran that year, I did work as tech and stage crew for 3 of them and landed myself a job working part-time as a theater tech, so got to work on rigging and destroying every show they put on in the University Theater.
This experience benefitted me massively as it gave me much more self-confidence and made me understand that people really don’t care what you look like/do so just do what you love and forget about others. I not only spent my time doing things I loved and gained real world experience in the industry I want to work in, but also made many connections and long-lasting friendships with many offers of couches to sleep on all around the US whenever I come back to visit (I’m typing this now from one of those very couches whilst visiting).
There’s been so many wonderful experiences I’ve had whilst being out here including one of my roommates being kind enough to take me to his family for thanksgiving and take me exploring around another new city in another state. Then, only a few months later I was able to watch my own college team win the NCAA National Championship game whilst being surrounded by fellow JAYHAWKS. This sense of sportsmanship was something I’d never experienced before and the morning before the game I have never seen so many people wearing their blue KU apparel. It was a sea of blue getting off the bus with the atmosphere feeling electric with everyone, whether you liked basketball or not, really hyped and excited for that evening.
Being a recipient of the Turing Scheme allowed me to do things I wanted to do without having to worry about finances, this included a solo spring break road trip down from NE Kansas to Oklahoma City, Norman, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio, with other trips to things like Six Flags and driving 500 miles just to visit the Twister Movie Museum in NW Oklahoma. It also allowed me to just enjoy life day to day without having to worry about whether I can afford something.
My final words to anyone considering it would be that any apprehensions you may have now will go away so fast and that it’ll most likely be the best decision you ever made (plus the tan is pretty good too)!
