Ever since I discovered the option to do a year abroad at university, I have wanted to do one. Living abroad has always appealed to me, and the study abroad experience gave me the opportunity to do so with support from the University.

Choosing to study abroad

The choice to do a year abroad over a placement made financial sense for me as it allowed me to complete my master's in four years rather than five. I also think there are likely to be more opportunities to work abroad later in life than to study if I want to, so this seemed like a unique experience.

How I benefited

Before going to France, I was extremely nervous about the language barrier, making new friends, and all of the paperwork. While admittedly, during the first few weeks, the paperwork could seem never-ending, I had a great support system at Bath to answer all of my queries.

I met some absolutely amazing people from all over and lived with people from Spain, Germany and the USA. It was so interesting to learn about people’s different views and experiences, from major political issues, down to much more mundane everyday things. This has not only improved my geography, but also given me a virtually incomparable insight into world outlooks.

My advice for other students

To sum it up, you will get so much out of the experience of studying abroad, both on a personal and professional level, and if you are undecided, definitely just give it a go. I am so proud of myself for having done it and it is an experience I will never, ever forget.