Tag Archives: University of Reading

Exploring far and wide in Enhancement Week…

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Taylor from the University of Georgia used her Week 6 in February 2017 to venture to the Republic of Ireland and Scotland. How will you use yours? Taylor will likely give you some ideas!

At the University of Reading, Week 6 is known as Enhancement Week. Enhancement Week aka ‘Opportunities Week’ gives students time and hosts events to develop their study skills, personal goals, and employability. I choose to spend that week going on my first trip outside of England since arriving. Some of my friends chose to travel to Spain, Portugal, France, and Italy. I chose to start a little closer to Reading in Ireland and Scotland. Many people find they get the most out of a trip traveling solo, but I am a people’s person. I was able to find another study abroad student from Missouri to join me, Laura. Although Laura and I do not have much in common, it was nice to have a travel buddy. We made four major stops: Dublin, Glasgow, Isle of Skye, and Edinburgh. The total trip lasted for eleven days, so I’ll do my best to condense all my adventures.

Our first stop, Dublin, Ireland, was for three days where we met up with another study abroad student from New Jersey named Terry. Our hostel, Barnacles Hostel Dublin, was in the center of the area known as Temple Bar. We spent our time seeing sights such as Christ Church Cathedral, the Guinness Factory, and the Dublin Zoo. The Guinness Factory is a must and I recommend saving your free beer that comes with your entry ticket for Guinness’ Gravity Bar. One night, we went on a pub tour where we went to Whelan’s Pub, the pub where P.S. I Love You was filmed!

Next stop was Glasgow, Scotland. We only spent a night there to meet up with our tour bus the next morning. That tour bus, Rabbie’s, would take me on an adventure I will never forget. Over the course of three days, Laura and I became friends with ten strangers. We drove through the Scottish Highlands stopping in Glencoe where the James Bond movie Skyfall was filmed, Fort William, and finally landing in Portree on the Isle of Skye where we would spend the next two nights.

From what I had seen that first day, Scotland was the most beautiful place I had ever seen, but I would still only be amazed the next two days. Day two we started in the Fairy Glenn. I felt as if I had walked onto the set of Lord of the Rings in the hobbit’s Shire. It was beautiful and magical. After, we stopped on the shores of Glendale and Staffin Bay Beach where we saw real fossilized dinosaur footprints.

Unfortunately, day three came and it was time to leave the Isle of Skye. We would catch a ride to Edinburgh, but on the way back we stopped for a tour at the Eilean Donan Castle and walked around the Loch Ness for lunch. My words do not do justice to the beauty I experienced in the North. If you ever get the chance to go, you will not regret it. The last five days, Laura and I would spend in Edinburgh. By this time, we were exhausted, but still wanted to see more. My favorite part of Edinburgh was the Zoo. It was incredibly open and interactive. I walked through a marsupial exhibit and stood two feet from a wallaby. All in all, I am forever grateful for this experience and look forward to more trips during my time abroad.

A myriad of experiences on Reading’s doorstep…

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Cameron, who joined the University of Reading Study Abroad Programme from the University of Florida in January – June 2017, found there were so many experiences to be had within a short journey from Reading. Join him as he takes a trip to the British Museum in London…

One of the experiences that I have had during my time at the University of Reading was a trip I made to the British Museum in London. While I’m aware that museums are not exactly a great many people’s cup of tea, I for one love them. I think it comes from being someone that has always loved history. The British Museum is particularly interesting in that there are numerous artefacts from across the world that are on display. For one they have jewellery from Sumer that is close to five thousand years old, as well as sarcophagi from Ancient Egyptian tombs. Not to mention a rather impressive collection of Ancient Greek sculptures.

To me perhaps the most striking were the carvings on display from the Ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud. These carvings were actually part of the interior decoration of the royal palace and depict scenes from the daily life of the rulers of Assyria to their military conquests. Also, for anyone with an interest in medieval history like me, they have numerous artefacts from the Saxon and Viking period in England. This encompasses artefacts from the 7th century Sutton Hoo burials, including the ornate and famous helmet. In all honesty the British Museum is a must see for history buffs, but keep in mind that the place is huge and it would take most of a day to actually enjoy all of it.

Finally, if anyone is interested in visiting the Museum, it’s only a half-hour train ride from Reading to London, and a ticket for a train ride covering both the round trip to London and unlimited trips on the London Underground for a day costs only about £20.

Do you want a cuppa tea?

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Well by all means sit back and relax with a cuppa as Sarah, studying abroad from the University of Mary Washington from January – June 2017, reflects on the British food and drink she encountered while here, and a whole lot more besides…

Yes, the Brits do drink tea as much as you think. It has only been a few weeks since I arrived at the University of Reading and I am loving every minute of it! Before I arrived in the United Kingdom, I had never been to the UK or mainland Europe. So when the University of Reading Erasmus & Study Abroad Office offered a trip to explore the sites within the UK I jumped on the chance to explore! One of my first trips within the United Kingdom was to the little village of Bourton on the Water and the Blenheim Palace!

Bourton on the Water is your quintessential English village with traditional cottages, elegant low bridges, and beautiful parkways. Here, I experienced my first full English breakfast at an English tea room!

I also got to tour Blenheim Palace! The Palace was built for the 1st Duke of Marlborough, John Churchill, in the 18th century. It is also the childhood home of Winston Churchill. The Palace was an incredible sight to see! The Palace was filled with decorative china and intricate portraits, paintings, and tapestries. There were also vast areas of gardens (including a waterfall) and land for grazing sheep.

This was an amazing first trip after getting settled into my accommodation in Windsor Hall. The best part about living in Windsor Hall is the close knit community of study abroad students. Being so close allows us to bond over our study abroad experiences and creates an amazing way to make new friendships. Living right outside of Park Eat also has its perks. Park Eat is truly the life of the campus. It is a place where people gather to watch sports games and highlights, meet up with friends after modules for food and drink, and prep for a fun night at the Union! I can’t wait to see what else awaits during the rest of my study abroad experience!

 

 

Creating friendships that last a lifetime…

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For Michaela, from the University of Rhode Island, its the people she met at the University of Reading that made her Study Abroad Programme experience here a home away from home. Join her as she reflects on January – June 2017…

When you take part in a study abroad program, you sign up for more than what’s proposed in the name “Study Abroad’. Not only do you leave an academic system that you’ve already adjusted to, but you leave your old university home and respective social groups.

Coming from the University of Rhode Island, where the campus acts as a student city filled with familiar faces, I knew no one here. However, I soon realized that didn’t mean I was alone. Since the first day of orientation, I’ve met countless other international students which turned into a close group of friends. I’ve also become friends with my English flat mates, as well as the English flat mates of my international friends. With their help, I have created lifetime friends and experienced the social life they have to offer.

The Erasmus and study abroad team has helped expose me to new places around the UK and test the waters of exploration through the comfort of the University. The picturesque Whiteknights campus continuously gives me a friendly and safe atmosphere while its location gives easy access to England’s capital and a subsequent gateway to all over Europe.

In a time where everything is new and you’re forced to immerse yourself into a culture that is unique to your own, the University of Reading and its community has managed to make it a home away from home.

Reading: location, location, location and so much more…

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Just what is it about Reading? Hedyieh from Colorado State University, who studied abroad with us from January – June 2017, tells us more…

I took a chance with Reading and chose this school out on a whim. I knew it was super close to London and that the academic program at the university was very good for many courses but little did I know how thankful I would be for Reading. With the 5 months I have had here, Reading has grown on me each day and I am so glad that this was the place I decided to make my home.

Lets start with academics. So many programs here in Reading are flourishing. I have been challenged studying for exams and essays due to the rigor my professors provided for me. I loved the practicals offered as well. I am a biomedical science major and neurobiology had a really cool practical. I have never dissected a brain and having that opportunity was incredible. Professors here are really passionate about their work and give as much information as they can throughout their lectures.

Location, location, location. Reading is the perfect place to be honest. It is a thirty minute train ride to London and nearly an hour or two to other cities and places like Oxford, Dover, Cambridge, Stonehenge, Bath, etc. It’s amazing! Besides London Stansted Airport the other three airports are super close and choosing any of them for a cheaper flight was perfect. While traveling Europe I never had a plane ride longer than two and a half hours which was so nice, England is so central. With so many friends who were also studying abroad I was able to go to London and back as often as I would like for a very reasonable price.

Living in Reading was perfect because it was not as expensive as living in London. What is there to do around here? Everything. Town center is awesome and its where my flatmates and I found ourselves with any downtime in Reading. You could walk or catch the 21 bus and get to town in fifteen minutes. Any home goods and groceries needed throughout the term were easily accessible and there was a variety of stores to choose from. Popular shopping stores and restaurants are everywhere. Bars, pubs, and clubs are open every night and provide an evening filled with dancing or cheering on a football team.

Reading has a small town vibe, it is not very big and most of it can be visited within a few hours but that is the best part of it. There is not a certain type of people living here, it is a big melting pot of diversity so every person you will see has a different style in clothing and you will run into people of all ages. Everyone here is so friendly and it is so nice having that kind of environment when going out or just spending a day in town with friends. I could not be more comfortable in this awesome town.

 

Reflecting on the distant (and not so distant!) past…

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Join Dan from the University of Mary Washington (January – June 2017) as he reflects on his study abroad at Reading, as well as further back in time…

As my time studying abroad at the University of Reading draws to a close, when I look back and reflect on my experiences, one of my favorite aspects of studying abroad at the University of Reading was the guided trips put on by the study abroad office. The study abroad trips were wonderful because the study abroad office provides transportation and an itinerary of ideas of what to do. The study abroad trips consisted of many members of the study abroad program visiting some place in the United Kingdom all together. All of the trips were amazing because on my own I may not have ever found out about the places we visited and got to hang out with the rest of the study abroad group.

My favorite trip put on by the study abroad office was the trip to Stonehenge. Stonehenge to me is one of the must see places when visiting the United Kingdom. Coming from the United States, it blows my mind just how old the site is and how people from thousands of years about managed to move such large rocks.

The Stonehenge trip started out on a cloudy day with around forty members of the study abroad group waiting for the bus to arrive. The first thing I always enjoy about the trips is that you get to hang out with and talk to members of the study abroad group that you would not normally do so. Talking with other members of study abroad is honestly one of the best things about the whole experience because typically in my everyday life I interact with the same people. It is a fascinating experience to branch out and talk to people from other countries and cultures.

After getting on the bus it was around an hour journey to Stonehenge. I always enjoy the bus rides because I like to just look out the window and see the country side of a country I am not from. When we arrived at Stonehenge the bus dropped our group off at the visitor center and we all had the option of take shuttle or walk a little over ¾ of a mile to get to the rocks. I decided to walk. I think it is always important when visiting to see as much as possible because that is of course what I am study abroad to do.  To see new places and have new experience that I typically wouldn’t have in my everyday life. The walking path took me through beautiful landscape of green open fields filled with sheep with little patches of forest scattered here and there. The fields were also dotted with large mounds, which after reading several signs I found out were burial mounds from around the time after the completion of Stonehenge.

After walking a bit further I got my first sight of the famous monument that is Stonehenge. The first thing I noticed is how big the rocks actually were. All pictures I had seen don’t give credit to the scale of the actual thing.

That is something else that I learned while on my study abroad. You can watch videos of a place and see tons of pictures but you don’t ever fully experience a place until you are up close to it and get the feeling of the area around it. Stonehenge was an amazing place to visit. It is a great experience to see a place that I have heard people talk about all my life.

Study abroad is a great idea because you have experiences and create memories that you will have for the rest of your life.

How my study abroad adventure at Reading began…

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Taylor from the University of Georgia studied abroad with us at Reading from January – June 2017. Here she reflects on her first few weeks at Reading…

The greatest part of studying abroad is making your own adventure. Here is the story of how mine began.

When I left home at the end of December, I first went to Germany to visit my best friend. I met her when she studied abroad in my American high school 7 years ago! Yes, we kept in touch. I spent an amazing week with her in Dortmund.

Eventually it was time for me to check into the University of Reading; I flew from Düsseldorf and landed in the London Stansted Airport. Little did I know just how difficult it would be to get from Stansted to the city of Reading. A bus, an Uber, a lot of recently converted pounds, and three hours later I arrived at Northcourt outside Benyon Hall. To my dismay it was 10:00pm at night. It appeared to be empty, but a nice security guard who shared my name, Mr. Taylor, kindly helped me check in and walked me to my building. I was exhausted, lonely, and completely bored unable to connect to wifi. I remember laying in bed that night thinking “what have I done”. Despite realizing I left my boyfriend and dog (you can see where my priorities are) for six months, I didn’t cry. I was hoping things would turn up and this would become one of the best decisions of my life. I was right, within that first week I met several friends who would quickly become my “family” here. They were also study abroad students from all over: America, Italy, Ukraine, Australia, and Turkey. These people have become my lifelines here. We travel together, party together, even have chill nights just watching movies in the common room.

My first week at the University of Reading I learned two important things. One, plan ahead especially when traveling, but don’t get discouraged when it takes longer than expected. Two, be outgoing, talk to everyone you meet and really get to know them. That is how you make friends that will last a lifetime.

 

Tailgating & College Football Games

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University of Reading student studying abroad in USA for a Semester

Jake is currently studying abroad at the University of Mississippi in the USA as part of his History degree at Reading. Over half way through his semester abroad in the Deep South, read on to find out how Jake has been making the most of his study abroad experience. 

Now that I am roughly half way through my time here at Ole Miss and have had time to settle into life in the Deep South, I can reaffirm with confidence that this is one of the most welcoming and friendly places I have ever visited! The academic term is well under way and I am currently in my ninth week of lectures that I am still finding the classes just as interesting as I had before. The tutors are all very helpful and ready to offer assistance if and when needed at any time and have all been really understanding as I got to grips with the American way of writing essays etc. The workload is significantly greater than back home as I have already had three exams and five essays due on top of other assignments, but overall I would say that generally speaking the content covered seems to be slightly easier than the topics studied in England. As I am working towards a history degree, it has been captivating to see how exactly this is taught in the United States. There is an enormous emphasis on the history of the USA, reflected through the classes available to take as well as the in-class content too. This was partially why I chose to study abroad in America as I didn’t really know that much about their history but thanks to the fantastic Arch Dalrymple III history department here at the University of Mississippi that changed within weeks. Even though I am only halfway through my time here I believe that this different insight will really aid my studies when back home in Reading.

University of Reading student studying abroad in USA for a Semester

Ole Miss Entrance (left) and a surprising sight in Oxford town square (right)

University of Reading student studying abroad in USA for a Semester

Oxford, Mississippi

As mentioned in the last post I was yet to experience a college football game but since then I have been lucky enough to watch three! In all of these, the Rebels have managed to win beating Wofford, Georgia State and the University of Memphis, and provided an electric atmosphere that lasted the entire length of all of the games despite continuing for three to four hours! Making the experience more enjoyable is the fact that I am not only understanding the game more so every time I attend a match but that I am developing a true passion for football and is definitely something that I shall take away from this experience. The American tradition of ‘tailgating’ before home games has also proven to be very entertaining and is a great opportunity to mix and socialise with Americans and other international students from across the globe alike. Since then I have also had the opportunity to properly explore the college town of Oxford and take in all of its charm that it has to offer, like many small American towns do. As for venturing further afield, I have not crossed State lines since my last trip but I am planning on visiting New Orleans, Louisiana as well as the capital of Mississippi, Jackson, in the coming weeks. I am still missing everyone back home but at the same time having the time of my life. Bring on the next half!

Jake

 

 

The local Danish insight to Aarhus

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University of Reading student studying abroad in Denmark for a Full Academic Year

Laurence is studying abroad at Aarhus University in Denmark as part of his Economics degree at Reading. He’ll be adapting to Danish living for the full academic year. Read on to find out how he’s getting on. 

Admittedly before looking to study abroad, I didn’t know too much about Denmark past Copenhagen and their leading happiness ratings, but after the first few weeks living and exploring Aarhus the experience has made me want to learn and see everything the country has to offer!

Arriving in Aarhus for the first time was a great first experience for me, the city has just been appointed the European culture capital for 2017, and it really shows with the mix of modern and old on each street. Walking around aimlessly with new flatmates and figuring out where to go was great fun, although you’ll quickly find out that cycling is the way forward here! All the main roads have dedicated cycle paths which are very safe to use, and the lanes leading into the city centre have displays to show how many people have cycled into town this year and on the day. It’s a cool thing to see and makes you feel a little better each time you don’t cheat by using the bus! The first place we explored as a group was the ARoS art museum, featuring a wide variety of art pieces and types across the floors and topped off with the ‘rainbow panorama’ installed on the roof. It was as good as any of the bug museums in London, and the panorama gave a colourful view of the beautiful city I’d be staying in for the year.

University of Reading student studying abroad in Denmark for a Full Academic Year

The university put on a welcoming week of activities and information giving which was incredibly useful and reassuring, I felt a lot more confident in what I was doing when people and professors from the local community share their experience and tips to making the most of the city and also helped to fill out the necessary paperwork making the process really easy and making sure there would be no problems during the stay. I knew that the university had a big international population, and I could really see this when we were split into groups of students from all other the world stretching from Japan to Canada! The mentors who worked with our group were two former students who were honestly amazing at creating a friendly atmosphere for all of us to get to know each other and would show us their own personal favourite places around Aarhus. It was a great way to start to get friendly with people having their own unique adventure, and between this and welcoming flatmates you can feel like you already know a great group of people even before the first lecture.

So far all the small differences have been my favourite thing to experience such as learning Danish, cycling everywhere or even just seeing England as the subject of holiday ads, and it feels exciting! I am surrounded by stuff that is new to me; a journey in any direction from my residence could mean finding something that keeps my time here fresh, and I don’t think this will stop any time soon.

Laurence

 

Developing an addiction to cinnamon buns..

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University of Reading student studying abroad in Sweden for a Full Academic Year

Lucy is currently studying abroad in Uppsala University in Sweden as part of his Law degree at Reading! Read on to find out how she’s adjusting to life in Sweden for the next academic year.  

Waking up at 1AM to get on a plane destined for Sweden was definitely one of the most scary things I’ve ever done, but equally one of the more rewarding. I craved adventure and my study abroad experience has definitely delivered!

Uppsala is the fourth largest city in Sweden and as such there is something foreign and beautiful to be entranced by wherever you look in the city centre and even on the outskirts where my accommodation resides, Uppsala Cathedral is my personal favourite to date.

A couple of days after I arrived and had explored a little, the University put on a welcome day for the international students where we were given information, signed any outstanding contracts and had the opportunity to buy tickets for the International Student Gasque (a type of event put on by the University, or one of the twelve Student Nations which centres around a formal dinner with speeches and singing, often followed by an informal after party).

University of Reading student studying abroad in Sweden for a Full Academic Year

We were then given a week to mingle with the fellow international students and join in with social events put on by different Student Nations (each Nation being modelled after a different area of Sweden). I used the week to explore Uppsala and make some friends.

The following week I began my first module- Criminal Law Theory, I chose the course because of my great interest in Criminal Law and hoped to gain more insight into the subject. The module certainly gave me that, I was provided with a new way to look at Criminal Law and got a better idea about the differences in Law between countries, during the first half of the module I also had the pleasure of being taught by a Mr A. Simester, who’s work I have followed throughout my study of Criminal Law. The teaching style in Sweden is heavily reliant on group discussion, which took some getting used to, however it has been interesting to see the differing opinions of students from around the world, which made up the class.

Between studying and making new friends, I have tried to explore not just Uppsala, but the surrounding area. The obvious first stop was Stockholm being the countries’ capital. On my first visit, I accompanied a friend to Skansen, which is aptly described as an open air museum, I would thoroughly recommend it for a fun day out, where you get to learn more about Sweden’s history in an interactive and fun way, we were particularly spoilt by being shown an English printing press once one of the displayers learnt where we were from. I have also taken advantage of the Study Abroad experience to travel, my first trip was to Copenhagen in Denmark.

The Swedes are warm and friendly once you get to know them, and I have quickly discovered that the language barrier is virtually non-existent.

So far my study abroad experience has been brilliant, though I am developing an alarming addiction to the cinnamon buns!

Lucy