- Name
- Esmeralda
- Study Programme
- IMUK
- Semester
- 6th Semester
- Host Institution
- Leeds Beckett University (LBU)
- Location
- Leeds, England
- Period
- September 2022 to January 2023
What was your main motivation to go abroad?
My main motivation was and is to improve my English skills and to master life in a new country independently.
I made some very valuable friends, saw a lot of England through my travels and significantly improved my language skills.
What were your biggest concerns?
My concerns were that I would understand little or nothing in the lectures at the partner university and that I might have chosen the wrong or inappropriate course. Fortunately, I was able to follow the professors and lecturers from the first week to the last and clearly noticed a positive development in my language skills from week to week. I participated in the group work in every seminar, was able to speak freely and fluently in the presentation exam (or discussion round with a fellow student) and also spoke up during the lectures. Unfortunately, in the first week of lectures I found out that there was an overlap in my timetable. I was able to solve this problem together with the partner university. I cancelled one course and thus only had two courses instead of three. This wasn't particularly pleasing at first, as in Germany I had carefully selected all three courses in advance. After the first three weeks of lectures, I was actually quite happy about it, as I had more time to enjoy the experience abroad, meet friends and travel.
Would you recommend a stay abroad? Why?
I can recommend a semester abroad in Leeds to anyone who wants to improve their language skills for their future career and who doesn't mind the cool weather. ;) This should not be a problem, however, as Germany has similar weather at this time of year. In fact, during my stay in Leeds, it was usually warmer and milder than in Germany. There are also many great travel opportunities.
What did you learn from your stay abroad?
Relationships are the be-all and end-all. You should be open to the new culture and want to meet people from different cultures. I met people from all continents of the world and was able to get to know new perspectives as a result. Above all, it's important to think very carefully about whom you want to spend your time with more intensively. You should cultivate these friendships throughout your stay, in addition to the mass of people you meet during the week. Through this, I met friends for life, with whom I met every week, could travel and who were always there for me, especially when I was ill.
Were your expectations met?
My expectations were not only met, but exceeded. I made some very valuable friends, was able to see a lot of England through my travels and significantly improved my language skills.
Is there anything you would like to highlight about your experience abroad?
What I enjoyed most was visiting the North Church congregation. I was able to volunteer there every Friday evening as part of the youth church leadership team. I also went on a weekend retreat to Doncaster where we, as 18 to 30-year-olds, mostly students, had worship evenings around the campfire, ziplining and many other group activities. My highlight was not only being part of this church and making many friends there, but also performing the programme at the big Christmas service on 11th December together with a big team. I was part of the choir and dance team. We rehearsed for weeks and then performed the whole thing twice in front of over 2,500 guests. It was a unique experience and I learned more about coordination and team spirit.
Fun Fact
Once I visited a friend of Indian origin in another student dorm and her roommate, who is also from India, misunderstood me and so there was a very funny moment when we said goodbye. I was sitting at the dining table with the roommate while my friend was cooking for me. The flatmate said "Dhokla" after I asked her name. When she had to leave, I said "Bye Dhokla. See you soon". Everyone then got a laughing fit and I laughed along, although I didn't even know why, haha. Then they explained to me that the dish the roommate ate was called Dhokla and her real name was "Sania". I will definitely never forget that.
Impressions of England
