I met some of my best friends in this program, so getting the chance to travel with them around Europe (which is especially easy and cheap to do Birmingham, as they have an international airport) was the best part. Every aspect of the program, from the academic to the cultural, was wonderful; yet, my British flatmates and the other international students I met made the experience worthwhile.

I loved being integrated with the full-time students studying at the University of Birmingham, but also having the opportunity to meet so many exchange students from around the world.

The most rewarding part of the program was proving to myself that I could live and function by myself in a different country. I was able to acclimate to a completely different diet, method of transportation, and cultural system. It was empowering, and I feel a lot more confident in my ability to live on my own and be an independent individual.

The University of Birmingham is a large, academically renowned university; however, they have a lot of individual mentors and programs that are catered to fit the needs of every student. I was very involved with the Liberal Arts program, which provided mentors for the students and allowed us to connect with other students in the program. They also had funds to pay for students to attend cultural events in the city, from the ballet to the theatre to museum visits in London. I also attended to trips around the UK with UOB's International Student Association, where I met other international students and got to visit places such as Stratford-upon-Avon and Cardiff.

I found that gaining confidence and independence were the most rewarding elements of the program. Studying abroad gives you the ability to think in your own way and prove to yourself that you can handle things on your own in a completely different place.

I learned that I was able to adjust better by reaching out to the programs available to me - the International Student Association provided so many opportunities to meet other people and get assistance with adjusting to a very different classroom/university system. It was difficult for me to reach out due to my social anxiety, so I leaned on my flatmates to help me figure things out initially. However, once I got comfortable reaching out to others, I had a much better experience.

I learned to be open minded and to take chances.

If you need to apply for a visa, do it as soon as possible.