Wanderlust

Studying Abroad - a once in a lifetime experience!

I spoke to Finn Oldfield and Clara Popp, two students from the University of Edinburgh, who told me about their experiences of studying abroad and how it impacted their lives.

What made you decide you wanted to study abroad?

Clara: I had always wanted to study abroad, even before I went to Edinburgh. One of the things that attracted me to Edinburgh was that I’d heard they had a really good study abroad program which they really promoted when I went to visit. Also, Finn and a few other friends in the year above had studied abroad the year before me and it looked like they had such a good time that I feel it strengthened my desire to go. When I saw the list of places available I thought why not try?

Finn: I was the same. The reason that I chose to study at Edinburgh Uni was because of their amazing study abroad program. That was the thing that attracted me as I had always wanted to study abroad. I didn’t actually apply to the place I ended up at in the end, I think I got it completely on a fluke. I was offered a place in Mississippi which I turned down, and then I got Washington D.C. when somebody dropped out and I decided that was where I wanted to go. When I got the offer there was a bit of deliberation because I had envisioned it happening for years and then when it finally did happen, I thought ‘Is this real?! Is it too much to take on?’ as there was a lot to think about.

Clara: Yeah, it’s scary when you get the offer and you’re not sure if it’s going to work out. It suddenly feels real after wanting to do it for so long!

Finn Oldfield is 22 years old and lives in Widnes. He graduated with a degree in Philosophy and Politics in the summer of 2020 and spent his third year of university at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Had you visited America before you studied abroad? Did you specifically want to study in America or were you open to studying anywhere?

Finn: I had been to New York, with Clara, in 2015 which is the only time I had been to America. For me it was a process of elimination. I am terrible at languages and so I couldn’t go anywhere that wasn’t a predominantly English-speaking country. I considered Australia, but I couldn’t deal with the spiders! So I narrowed it down to America and Canada, America being my first choice. Clara: My dad married an American about five years ago and moved over there so I actually took a gap year and lived with him for a year. I lived in the suburbs of Pennsylvania in 2016 so I’d had that experience but it was a very specific experience in the suburbs at quite an unusual time. For me it was always about New York rather than America as a whole. I have always been obsessed with New York and I had kind of idealised the city, which influenced me to pick it for my year abroad. I was the same as Finn with languages too so my second choice was Canada and I also ruled out Australia because of the spiders! I felt like America presented the best opportunities. Finn: As soon as I stepped off the plane, the first thing that shook me to my core was the temperature! It was so hot and the air was just so different. It was so humid and I had turned up in a big duffel coat! Acclimatising took a few weeks and there were periods of feeling homesick, but also really enjoying it at the same time so it was this sort of weird multi-experience going on inside. The culture was also so different to the UK. I felt I could walk down the street and be as ridiculous as I wanted and everyone would be like ‘yeah sure go for it!’. I felt like I could have become a blogger if I wanted to! Whereas in the UK people would be like ‘why are you doing that?’. It’s definitely a different vibe in America. Clara: For me I found that even the small things were different, like language that people didn’t understand. For example the word ‘jumper’ – no one knew what that was! Also, I had a lot of roommates which is very common in America but was a huge adjustment for me. I didn’t really have much privacy, but I feel that people in America just expect that when they go to university. I did find that a struggle. I think I was alone twice the whole year I was there! It was good though because I feel it encouraged me to go out more and do things in the city. Like at times when I was having a down day or felt a bit homesick there was less chance I was going to stay in bed because people would be in the room watching me! So in some ways it was positive. Finn: Also, what Clara just said about going out into the city, I think that is another cultural difference. In the UK I feel a lot of students will go to a lecture, go to the shop and then just go home and watch TV, whereas in America there was just so much more to do and experience.

Clara Popp is 23 years old and lives in Widnes. She is currently in her final year of university studying Social Anthropology and studied abroad at Barnard College in New York

City during the academic year of 2019/20.

How would you say that studying and living abroad has impacted your life?

Finn: You really do broaden your horizons when you go abroad, and not even just in America as we did, you could go to France and you’d meet such amazing people. If someone was wanting to get out of their echo chamber and social bubble that we often find comfort in, studying abroad is such an amazing way to do that. As soon as you say yes to it all these amazing experiences just come to you and the people you meet, you would never meet them if you don’t go on that year abroad. Clara: Definitely. I know it may sound cheesy but for me living abroad was the best thing that has ever happened to me. It’s made me grow in my confidence so much. You’re put on your own in a foreign country and you have to deal with it, you have to make friends, more so than freshers in the UK. And like Finn said, it’s not just America. We have friends who went to France and Spain who would agree. And the people I met are some of my best friends now and it really did broaden my horizons. It also shows that you can do these things and you should be confident in yourself and take up opportunities. It also made me want to get up every day and do everything I possibly could to make the most out of my time there. Finn: I think it also makes you a more fully rounded person. I kept saying to people when I came back from my year abroad that I’m finally a ‘360 degree person’ and no one understood what I meant but I just felt fully alive and re-energised, and I knew who I was a lot more after my year abroad. I don’t know if I would be the same person that I am now if I hadn’t gone abroad. It sounds really cheesy but it’s true! Clara: I also feel like even though the experience was only for a year, the connections I made during that year haven’t ended. I’m still in touch with teachers and friends that I met there. So even when the year abroad is over, the connections that you make will last forever and you can make use of those connections years down the line. "You really do broaden your horizons when you go abroad...If someone was wanting to get out of their echo chamber and social bubble that we often find comfort in, studying abroad is such an amazing way to do that."

How was it coming from Halton to live in America? Had people heard of Halton? Were they intrigued to know more?

Finn: I went on a road trip after my year abroad from D.C. through the South and onto California, and the number of random people we met along the way who knew about Widnes was crazy. I must have met at least five or six Americans who knew about it, and one even had a cousin who used to live there! There was a running joke on my year abroad that Widnes was the centre of the world because I used to tell everyone about it! It almost became a cultural phenomenon and a reference point for conversations. Clara: My experience was the opposite - no one I met had heard of Widnes. I had to get it up on Google to show people where it was. I had a few friends who really loved England, and London in particular, so there was a lot of focus on London whenever I mentioned England. A lot of them had heard of Liverpool, but still weren’t sure where it was so even saying I was from near Liverpool wasn’t very helpful to them! They loved learning about where I was from though and I feel very good about the fact that there’s a load of random Americans walking around the States knowing about Widnes and where it is! They might even come and visit one day and it’s nice to know that I’ve helped to put Widnes on the map by going abroad and telling people about it.

"living abroad was the best thing that has ever happened to me. It’s made me grow in my confidence so much."

Is there any advice you would give to anyone who may be considering or preparing to study abroad?

Clara: I would say that wherever you go, whether it’s America or another country, try and travel as much as you can outside of the place where you are based. Explore the country and surrounding areas and experience the different cultures across the country. Don’t limit yourself to the place where you are studying because there is so much to see and experience by travelling. It is very expensive, and you have to be aware of that but it is so worth it. It feels much scarier before you go than the actual experience ends up being. I was terrified, but as soon as I got there I knew it was the right decision. I also think though that if you do go abroad and decide it isn’t for you that’s fine too! You can always come home but I think it’s definitely worth giving it a go. I would say that it is scary at first, and it’s okay to be scared but don’t let that stop you from taking these opportunities and having a good time. Finn: Yeah, I would totally agree. You experience so much from travelling but even just going on the year abroad itself is such a transformational journey, and you come out of it a completely different person so if anyone is looking for a confidence boost and a great experience I would definitely recommend studying abroad. Studying abroad gives you a lot of independence and responsibility and I think it also makes the jump from university life to graduate life a lot easier because it shows you that you are capable of so much, having lived alone in a foreign country. The application process can be very daunting as there is a lot to do but it all works itself out and it is not as unnerving as it initially seems. I would also say that in the first few weeks that you are there you need to become comfortable with being uncomfortable, and if you are in that mindset of being open to everything and stepping outside of your comfort zone you will get so much more out of the experience. Anything could happen which I think is so exciting and having an open mind will lead you towards so many amazing experiences.

Having studied abroad in America myself I can fully relate to Finn and Clara's experiences. I would definitely agree that studying abroad opens your mind to a new way of thinking, both about life and about how to use our time to experience as much as possible. It shows you how other people around the world live and it teaches you so many valuable lessons that can be used in all aspects of life. It certainly shapes you as a person and helps you to discover who you really are outside of your comfort zone. Much appreciation to Finn and Clara for chatting with me!

Mia graduated from the University of Hull in 2020 with a degree in American Studies. Studying abroad opened her eyes to a whole new world of travel and exploration. She is also a keen travel photographer. You can follow her on Instagram @wanderlustermiaa. Her contact email is wanderlustermiaa@gmail.com.