Charlotte Herr

Student Profile

Name: Charlotte Herr

Major: Child and Youth Studies [TES] 

Exchange University: University of Essex, England

Advice: “There were some items of clothing that I didn’t wear much and mostly took up space. It was a bit of a waste and made it a tight squeeze while I was packing up all my things for coming home. The things that I wasn’t already reaching for shouldn’t have been things I brought to wear only once or even not at all. Most of my things didn’t have this happen but I could’ve thought that through a bit better.” 

Questions

Why did you decide to travel abroad?

I wanted to study abroad because I wanted to challenge myself and put myself outside my comfort zone. I had been craving excitement and new experiences, so when the idea came to me, I immediately jumped on it and started the process. I live at home and commute to the Durham campus and was feeling a little bit of FOMO from all my friends who had gone away for school and stayed in residence. This way I could get that experience and be able to take advantage of the opportunity to travel. I was craving an opportunity for independence and adventure, there was nothing more perfect that taking a semester abroad! I had many moments of doubt, stress, and fear but ultimately pushed through and I am so happy that I made it happen.

Why did you choose to study at The University of Essex? How did you learn about it?

looked at the course options and the University of Essex had the best combination of fun looking electives and courses that I could put towards getting necessary credits towards my degree. The campus is much bigger than Trent’s Durham campus, so I was looking for something that was quite different and bigger than what I was used to. The University of Essex is also quite close to and has great accessibility to an airport (London Stansted). There was a bus that would go to and from for only 2 pounds! The Colchester campus was only an hour from London, which was amazing! I visited several times throughout the semester with friends, family, and on my own! 

     I chose the UK mainly because I can speak the language. Although I also speak French, there weren’t as many options that had what I was looking for in terms of school partners in France. The UK and Essex has been a lot less rainy than I anticipated and offers so much more than you could imagine. The UK is a great ‘home base,’ it was easy to travel to and from with limited issues. 

What was your experience like? What are some of the differences & similarities with Trent?

I noticed immediately that the University experience in the UK is much different than how it is back in Canada. Firstly, the duration of semesters was quite different and went much further into the summer. My classes had less assignments overall, opting out of weekly submission for bigger final essays. The student union was very involved in campus life which was very exciting, and they organized many fun events and activities throughout. The length of my lectures was like those at Trent, they were around 2 hours compared to 3. Others mentioned that they were not used to longer lectures. Since I am so used to a small campus at Trent Durham, the University of Essex’s campus was so much fun to explore. There was a lot of green space that I really enjoyed. I took the full course load which equated to only 4 courses. I found it very light compared to Trent. For a lot of my courses, I only had one or two assignments at most, which were essays. Almost all of them were due late into the semester (last two months), which gave me a lot of free time. When it did come around to doing them, I was able to get them all done within a two-week period of nonstop work. I did try to space out some of my assignments and handed them all in early.

What did you find was the most challenging/difficult while abroad? 

I had a difficult time with missing my loved ones. It was incredibly hard once my brother had to go home, leaving me on my own. Luckily, my parents and boyfriend took their turns coming to visit me throughout my journey. It made it easier to have something to look forward to. The schooling was not so much challenging but more so very different. There were fewer assignments and things were more ‘relaxed.’ It was a change of pace that I needed to adapt to. I found that the expectations for coursework was a lot vaguer and there were few times where I was provided with a rubric and detailed descriptions. It was super cool to see how education is on the other side of the world.

Were you able to travel?

I was able to visit five countries in total during my time away. England, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, Denmark, and technically Vatican City which would be six! I loved getting the opportunity to immerse myself in each culture and to experience the beauty of these amazing places. Each place had its own special thing that stood out to me. It is so hard to pick a favourite since I hold every memory so fondly. My advice would be to keep calm in stressful situations. Things don’t always go as planned and it is best to focus on problem solving rather than play the blame game. Taking the time to travel with friends is some of the most fun I’ve ever had. It is equally as important to try and challenge yourself to travel on your own. It is a great learning experience, and you might surprise yourself with how capable you actually are

In your opinion, what would you say are the benefits of studying abroad? 

Studying abroad pushed me to seek experiences outside of my comfort zone. It allowed me to challenge my own capabilities and prove to myself how far I can really go. I learned that under stressful situations it is better to handle things calmy and react with logic rather than emotion. I developed skills that I didn’t know that I had and improved on others. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring new places and experiencing new cultures. It has deeply broadened my worldview. I met so many amazing people and have made lifelong friends.

Did you live in residence or off-campus, and how was that experience?

I stayed in residence. It was called Tawney Tower, and my flat was a 14-person flat that had a shared kitchen space and 3 bathrooms. Overall, they were pretty good. There were a couple instances of a flatmate taking peoples food, but it stopped after some time. My flatmates were an interesting group of people, some English and others international. We all got along well and had some great laughs. The Towers included a free breakfast from one of the on-campus eateries called the canteen. From Mondays-Fridays I could get a proper English Breakfast! There were a bunch of awesome spaces on campus that I would go to often to work on assignments or just to hangout. There was an on-campus shop, bar, and club! They were super fun and felt very safe as opposed to leaving campus at night.

What advice would you offer a student who is thinking about studying at your host institution and country?

Take the chance! You never know what could come of it. There are so many reasons to go abroad. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and if the University of Essex fits all your personal requirements, it is a great place to study. The campus is very nice with multiple study spaces. It is only an hour from London by Train which is super fun for daytrips! If you’ve got a big travel bug, there is a decently close airport (Stansted Airport), which flies to many locations! To top it off, if you’re a cat person, there is a campus cat named Pebbles! He is a very old, super cute, and friendly cat that roams around campus. He is so beloved that he has his very own bronze statue!

What was one of your favourite memories from your time abroad?  

One of my favourite moments from my time abroad was making dinner with my friends in our Airbnb during our trip to Rome. We had gone exploring early most days and would come back super tired. Of course, we went out for dinners to eat some of the most amazing pasta I’ve ever had but the couple of nights we decided to make our own were some of the most fun. We ventured out to a small grocery store nearby and we had fun cooking in the small but cute Airbnb. It was nice to get away from all the business of Rome.  

     Another fond memory I have is taking daytrips with my friend McKenzie. Throughout the term we took shorter daytrips to different places in England. Our trip to Cambridge was so fun and it was such a cute place. We always loved visiting local shops and we got some gelato to top it off! She and I grew incredibly close, and I will always hold onto our friendship. 

If someone told you they were thinking about studying abroad but weren’t convinced they should, what would you tell them? 

I would tell them to reconsider. I too was very scared and anxious about the thought of going away, but I knew deep down that if I hadn’t, I would’ve always wondered what if? I wanted to prove to myself that I could do something like this. I didn’t want to let myself down more than anyone else. If you feel deep down that this is something you want to do for whatever reason, go for it! If it is what is meant to happen, then it will. Through my own moments of doubts, I had people supporting me and encouraging me to take on this incredible opportunity. Those who had gone away before, my family, my friends, my boyfriend, and the Trent Study Abroad staff were all very supportive along my journey. Having a strong support system made it so much easier. Talk to people who have gone on exchange! That helped me tremendously for things I didn’t know where to turn to.