Stanislava Boiarskaia - Trent Study Abroad Program

Why did you decide to travel abroad?: I have always dreamt of eventually working in England as my studies are focused on British history. Moving to another country never having been there, however, felt like an intimidating and impossible task. Study abroad really caught my attention as it would allow me to experience living in the country short term to see if I enjoyed it while still having support both from my home and host universities if I ever needed help.

Why did you choose to study at The University of Leeds? How did you learn about it?: I always knew I wanted to go to England as I focus on British history in my studies. I also grew up watching a lot of British YouTubers which helped familiarize me with the education system and made me excited to try it out myself. When looking into going abroad I went through the list of UK universities on the Trent Study Abroad website and narrowed it down to some that had classes in both of my majors. This was a little difficult with Cultural Studies, but I eventually settled on Leeds.

Q - What was your experience like? What are some of the differences & similarities with Trent?: I arrived 3 weeks into the first term due to my visa complications, but thankfully English terms are longer (with exams in January), so I quickly caught up. The full course load here is 3 courses per a semester as opposed to 5. This means, I only had about 6 hours of class a week (usually 1 hour lecture and 1 hour seminar) but about 100 pages of weekly reading per a class. Humanities are already a highly independent subject since they are so focused on research, but I found I had to learn to structure my time more than ever before. This university is also a lot larger than Trent, so it has a huge number of clubs and events for me to join. I am currently in the Leeds Student Television Club, and it has been great. I even got a press pass to a film festival in November!

What did you find was the most challenging/difficult while abroad? : As a history student, I had to learn an entirely new style of citation in academic work which was perhaps the hardest part. The UK marking system is also entirely different from Canada, despite both being percentages, so it took time to get used to getting marks a lot lower (seemingly) than what I got in Canada. It was a transition process.

In your opinion, what would you say are the benefits of studying abroad? : I think it makes you see how much you are truly capable of. After doing something as big as moving to another country, I have so much more trust in myself to thrive in any environment. Ironically, I feared short-term travelling before coming here, but have since seen so much of the UK and even some of Europe as I gained the confidence in myself to do so.

What was one of your favourite memories from your time abroad? : This is a bit silly but one of my favourite bands is from the UK (LoveJoy) and I arrived right as they started going on their first tours. The tickets were very cheap, so I got a few around the UK and even one in Belgium to give me reason to see new places and push me out of my comfort zone. I’ve never even been to a concert before this never mind four. Thus, March and April were filled with some of the most fun memories of my life as I saw new cities, met people all over the UK and made memories I will never forget. These quick overnight trips took so little time (and money with good planning), I can’t believe I could have missed out on those experiences so easily.

If someone told you they were thinking about studying abroad but weren’t convinced they should, what would you tell them? : Honestly, I never imagined I would get to do this despite always dreaming about it. Remember that there is always funding opportunities (I received a bursary that really helped me out). Additionally, I think it is very hard to regret something like this, but it is very easy to wonder for the rest of your life what would have happened if you went.