Pre-USA

Before going to uni in September 2016, I had always been a bit in love with Paris and learning French, which meant that the idea of studying in France for a year as part of my degree really appealed. Fast forward 12 months and I discover that actually, the option to study in France wasn’t quite what I had imagined, so I ruled it out. I was reminded that I could alternatively study in America for the year which was something I had always overlooked, being so set on going to France. I had never considered the USA option until this point, hearing good reviews from previous Study Abroad students which sparked my interest and lead me to begin research into the country as well as life at an American uni as an international student. Learning about all the different modules (or “classes” as they’re known in the States) that I could take alongside having the chance to travel the country and try new things, I become more and more excited to put my name down and apply.

Initially, I would change my mind a few times a week about the whole idea and my decision would frequently fluctuate between the US, France and just staying in Leicester due to the thought of saying goodbye to everyone at home and travelling to the other side of the Atlantic for 12 months. I have never really travelled on my own before, and I’ve never been to America, so doing both of those things at once for the first time seemed too scary and I struggled to convince myself that it was a good idea. After speaking to my well-travelled big sister who gave me lots of encouragement, I started to consider that this whole thing wasn’t quite as scary as it looked and that I would probably be OK. It seemed more likely that I would have a really good time and that I’d regret not going if I decided to stay in Leicester for the year. Since then, I’ve had many doubts and I’ve been very close to dropping out but I hope I’ll look back in the future and thank myself for going ahead with it.

With planning and applications nearly finished, I’m now probably too late to drop out, leaving me rather committed to packing my bags and going. I’m incredibly excited but also really nervous, wondering about anything and everything that could go wrong, as well as what it’s going to be like to say goodbye to everyone. With just over two months to go until I catch the flight, it’s going to come around so quickly but I’m very much looking forward to (what will hopefully be) an amazing year.