Kiera Law - Trent Study Abroad Program

Why did you decide to travel abroad?: I wanted to study abroad because I wanted to travel and have the experience of living in another country. I was inspired to do it when I saw an old friend of mine do it and it seemed like a great way to travel and a good opportunity to go to a different school and take courses that may not be offered at home. It also would allow me to learn more about a culture.

Why did you choose to study at Liverpool Hope University? How did you learn about it?: I chose this institution because Liverpool is where my mom is from. I also liked the way their program works, like how they arranged a trip to Wales with all the study abroad students - and while we were there, we had the amazing opportunity to volunteer in the community. This experience allowed me to be more involved in the city and the people who live there.

What was your experience like? What are some of the differences & similarities with Trent?: Some of the differences I found were: 1. There classes only ran between 9 am-5pm and that type of scheduling I found to be beneficial because you do not get late night classes compared to Trent. The class schedule was also different one thing I liked was they always gave you an hour break for lunch either 12-1 or 1-2. One thing I did not like was how they broke up the class, in one day for the same class I would have three one-hour lectures and a 1 or 2 hr workshop/seminar also in a day. I took 4 classes while abroad and I found the workload to be a lot less at Liverpool than at Trent. I only had one final essay to hand in and I was exempt from there weekly portfolios, so I mainly had to focus on doing the readings and taking notes during class.

What did you find was the most challenging/difficult while abroad? : The most challenging part for me was getting out of my comfort zone and being more outgoing so I can make friends when I was there. I am a shy person and being with people I don’t know makes me nervous, but I just talked to the other people in the abroad program and when they made plans to go out, I always said yes. I also found getting used to the school schedule and their version of Blackboard took some time to figure out how it works.

Were you able to travel?: Yes, I was able to travel. I went to Scotland, Wales, Poland, Switzerland, Northern Ireland and lots of cities in England. My favourite destination was the city Bath in England. When travelling I used the Trainline app to buy tickets or if you can get the EuroPass. I booked flights with Ryanair and EasyJet. If you go abroad during the Fall semester, I highly recommend going to the Christmas markets they are a lot of fun, and you can find cool foods and nice Christmas gifts too.

In your opinion, what would you say are the benefits of studying abroad?: I think the benefits of studying abroad is having the ability to learn about another culture, making friends from different parts of the world, and being able to learn to be independent and be adventurous and get to know your new neighbourhood

Did you live in residence or off-campus, and how was that experience?: I lived on residence in Aigburth Park, and my roommates were really nice, we got along well, and we would sometimes make dinner together. I was treated well in the residence. We all did our dishes and so no one was getting on anyone’s nerves.

What advice would you offer a student who is thinking about studying at your host institution and country?: Advice I would give is to be open and adventurous and get to know the city of Liverpool it is a really fun city and has a great night life.

What was one of your favourite memories from your time abroad?: Some of my favourite memories from study abroad is that we would do movie nights in the residence we would all go over and watch a movie in one of the living rooms and make popcorn. I also miss travelling with my friends we had a lot of fun going out and the late night travelling on the train. We had some fun times going out to the clubs

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 they would have the best time and make many more new friends from different parts of the world and have a new way to experience a different way of life.