England : Reviews (Leeds)

My favorite part of this program was being able to meet so many people from all over the world! I met international students from Germany, Belgium, Australia, Japan, Peru, Mexico, Canada, and so many more! Also, the University of Leeds was a great university experience abroad and I loved the classes and professors at the university.

The University of Leeds is a really diverse campus and I got to meet people from all over the world. My flat mates were from different countries, including South Africa, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan and Korea. Moreover, since the campus is really close to the city centre, it makes it even easier to spend time with friends and explore the city, or take a train to London and Manchester for a day trip.

An element of the program that I found most rewarding was being able to step out of my comfort zone of being in Kansas, where I am close to family and friends, and move to a whole new country to study for the semester! This forced me to make friends right away and now I have friends from so many countries to go and visit one day. Another element that was rewarding was being able to travel on the weekends, since England is just a short plane ride away from different European countries, I was able to explore Europe and see so many different cultures.

The University of Leeds has certain faculty that are leading experts in their fields and teach classes that only a handful of universities in the world teach. So it was really nice being able to learn from industry leaders and have direct access to them.

I learned that the course work is a bit different than how it is at KU. For example, throughout the semester, we didn't have homework or quizzes, we just had two major assignments/tests that made up our grade for the class. Another thing I learned while on study abroad was that it really is important to continue to do the things you would do at home while abroad. For me specifically, this meant that I made it a priority to get plugged into a church, but it could also mean that you join a sport or make sure to go to the gym on a normal basis. This will really help with settling in and making your study abroad experience feel more like home!

As an exchange student, you're given a significant amount of leeway when it comes to picking classes. I'm an undergraduate CS major but was allowed to take Masters and Senior level classes simply by reaching out the professor. Moreover, I know some students who took some more cultural specific classes like Beer Brewing for fun.