Maggie Willis - Trent Study Abroad Program

Why did you decide to travel abroad?: I wanted to travel abroad because I needed to see how much I could grow as an individual and be successful living and studying on my own. I love traveling but haven’t had the opportunities to travel to many different countries so I thought this could fulfill my travel needs while continuing with my studies

Why did you choose to study at Queen Margarets University? How did you learn about it?: I chose Scotland because there wasn’t a language barrier and I also love the history and architecture of the buildings throughout Scotland. A family friend studied in Scotland many years ago and listening to her stories made me want to experience Scotland’s beauty myself.

What was your experience like? What are some of the differences & similarities with Trent?: My experience abroad was overall very positive, and I enjoyed my time there. There were many differences within the school system itself and I struggled to adjust to these differences at the beginning. For example, rather than having assessments or assignments throughout the semester like we do at Trent, for all my classes I only had one final assessment that was worth 100% of my final grade. This was a bit frightening to me at the beginning, but I was able to use the resources that were available to adjust to this difference. The workload was comparable to Trent although rather than having to take 5 courses per semester at Trent, the full-time load was only 3 courses which was a lot less stressful to try and juggle.

What did you find was the most challenging/difficult while abroad?: The most difficult part for me while being abroad was being so far away from my family and my dog. My family is so important to me so leaving them for a long period of time was unsettling as it is something I have never done before up until this point. I was, however, lucky enough to have my siblings and parents come over all at different times during my time abroad. Leaving my dog was very difficult. I got her during a hard time in my life and in the early process of researching the study abroad program, I was planning on taking my dog with me. After more research and thought I decided it was best if she stayed with my parents although it was very hard for me to not be with her every day. Needless to say, my reunion with my dog will be something that I will always cherish.

In your opinion, what would you say are the benefits of studying abroad? : There are so many benefits of studying abroad and for everyone it may differ slightly but being immersed in a different country, culture, and language is something that is difficult to explain but is truly remarkable. The growth that I witnessed in myself is eye opening and being able to say that I accomplished something that I never thought I would do is something special.

What was one of your favourite memories from your time abroad?: One of my favourite memories from my time abroad was having my family come and visit and traveling to other countries.

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 that it is a once in a lifetime opportunity! I wasn’t convinced about studying abroad until I was in the new country that I was studying in. I will advise the person that sometimes the logistics and application process can be stressful and frustrating, but I will tell them that the experience itself outweighs the frustrations that are present during the pre-departure period.