Wonderful experience in Reading
I am from Berlin, Germany and I study biology. My three months in Reading are already over but it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. The University of Reading has the most beautiful campus. Actually, you don’t need to leave the University. There are cafes, the sports park, a small lake on campus where you can go for a walk or run, supermarkets, parties every Wednesday and Saturday, karaoke, a book shop and library, hairdresser – just everything you need!
The facilities are modern and clean, a lot of people live on campus and you can meet friends in halls, societies and not to forget lectures and seminars. The professors expect more individual study, less time is spent in class than in Germany. I had two modules (you are free to choose more) and all in all I had only four sessions a week, two lectures and two practicals. That’s why I decided to take the English course for Erasmus students. I highly recommend it because you learn how to write essays, how to do presentations and the small differences between a native and a foreign English speaker.
Traveling to the University is easy and whenever you need help the people are open-minded and will guide you. The Erasmus & Study Abroad Office staff are very friendly and will answer all your questions immediately and take care of you. Also, they organize nice trips to some places like Windsor, Oxford, and Cambridge. It was always fun to spend a day with other Erasmus students discovering new places.
Reading is a beautiful small town, very green by the Thames river, has a shopping mall, cinema, bars, restaurants and from Reading Station you can go to Oxford and London easily in 20-30 min. You could visit the Harry Potter Studio Tour (definitely one of the best days I had) or go for a meal to Duck & Waffle London, visit the free museums or take a city tour in Cambridge to know which famous scientists studied there.
Studying at the University of Reading was the best decision I made and I’d love to stay longer to take some more walks on campus with friends, enjoy nature, study at the library, go to Union parties, dance at the ballet society and drink tea with my flatmates.
