I loved studying abroad in Leeds. I was really happy to be in England somewhere other than London. It was a fun and new experience to live in a big city since I am used to living and going to school in Lawrence.

I made so many awesome friends, and I loved all of the travel I was able to do.

My favorite part of the program was getting to meet people from across the world who I would have never met otherwise. Also to see how different college experience and life is in different countries. You don't get to just learn or meet people from the country you are in. While in England, I made friends with students from Australia, Canada , Japan , etc. It was just very fun meeting everyone.

Learning to work with people from very different backgrounds is probably the most valuable skill that I as an engineer can take away from this experience.

It was really interesting to experience school in another country.

The most rewarding aspect of the program was its truly independent nature. There was no house of fellow KU students to live in, no host family to guide me around the city. In the end, it was on me to take charge of my time and do what I could to see and do as much as I could in the time I had.

The most rewarding element of studying abroad was the ability to make life long friends from around the world. I learned about what life was like in other countries and now I look forward to meeting up with these friends again the next time I get to travel to Europe.

Being able to achieve things on my own, so far from home was one of the most rewarding elements of my study abroad experience. I had a great support system but it was even more rewarding being able to thrive in an environment where I was constantly challenged as I had been thrown into a new culture and country.

I learned that it's important to put yourself out there and expand outside of your comfort zone. I did some amazing things that I never thought I would do, but I'm so glad that I did. Within reason, I recommend saying yes to the amazing opportunities that come your way.

I learned the importance of not creating false or unrealistic expectations. I went into my program/study abroad experience with little expectations of what I felt I was getting myself into and that was perhaps the best thing I did. It made it easier to adapt, find friends, be flexible with different academic experiences, etc. Not getting caught up prior to arriving in a "fairytale" or even a "scary place" made things so much more open-minded and exciting. There were several obstacles that I was naturally faced with, but by not having some sort of preconceived notion of how studying abroad would/should be, I was able to enjoy my experience to the fullest and take things as they came. I never felt disappointed or let down because of this.