Europe
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A Love Letter To Budapest.
Nadine Brachi | ELTE University, Budapest In this blog post, my main aim is to convey why leaving the comfort of what I knew – Manchester, home, my friends, my dogs – for a new life in Budapest was one of the best decisions I could have made for myself and my future. Joining the year abroad programme was always in my mind. Having spoken to fellow students who were preparing to leave or had recently returned, I was captivated by their excitement and how it inspired them. I was also fortunate enough to have several friends also considering a similar pathway as me. In fact, picking Budapest as my…
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Settling in at the Universidad de Sevilla
Hey! My name is Lauren. I study Politics and Spanish at UOM and I’ll be sharing my journey of my year abroad in Sevilla, Spain. To help those who will be doing study or work placements abroad in the future, I will be sharing the trials and tribulations of moving abroad from the perspective of a student, a foreigner in Spain and as a vegan (in a country where this is admittedly challenging at times). So far, it’s been exciting and stressful to say the least. Seville is a beautiful city and everyday I’m seeing why so many people have told me that it has a special feel for them.…
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From Amsterdam to Dunkirk with a bike and a backpack
Written by Will Fisher, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands My exchange in Amsterdam ended at the start of August, and if there’s one thing I’ve spent my year doing, it’s cycling. Wondering just how good I’d gotten on a bike by now, I carved out a few days and planned a 4-day route from Amsterdam to Dunkirk entirely by bike. My student loans had mysteriously ushered themselves from my bank account by this point, so I eschewed hostels and instead planned to stay at free campsites along the way. It all seemed easy enough: 5-6 hours of cycling a day, three nights camping, and take the ferry over the Channel.…
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17 Mai: Celebrating Norwegian National Day
By Charlotte Hussey, University of Bergen, Norway The 17th of May is the biggest and busiest day of the year in Norway! It is the Norwegian Constitution day and Norwegians go all out to celebrate it. Each city has its own plan for the day and Bergen’s was jam-packed. We wanted to celebrate like the Norwegians, even without the traditional clothing (‘Bunads’) that they wear. I had been looking forward to this day the whole year so it was very fun to take part in the celebrations.
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Academic Culture and Student Life in Bergen
By Charlotte Hussey, University of Bergen, Norway Academic culture and student life can be very different in a country that is not your home country – there are many differences between Norway and the UK! As an exchange student, my days look very different to my daily life as a student in Manchester. I will talk about some key difference university life considering the differences in Norwegian and British academic culture. Overall I would say there is less work and more fun!
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So Long, Copenhagen: Reflections on Study Abroad
By Rudy Cone, University of Copenhagen, Denmark As I write this, I’m surrounded by four blank white walls and a year’s worth of belongings packed into two measly suitcases. On the one hand, I’m riding the high of an amazing final month in Copenhagen, soaking up the sun after surviving another exam season; on the other, I’m feeling a creeping sense of doom as I realise that this city will soon no longer be mine to call home. So, I wanted to take a moment during my final week, to reflect on my study abroad year at the University of Copenhagen. 2 things I recommend 1. Mobile Pay As I…
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Last days in Amsterdam
By Will Fisher, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands After a year, it’s hard to say goodbye to this city. It was hard to make the choice to spend a full two semesters abroad, and nerve-wracking coming here and settling in to a whole new country. But now, ten months later, I can’t have asked for a better way to spend my year. I decided that for my last few weeks properly living in Amsterdam, before I embarked on a cross-Europe (+ Morocco) summer trip, I wanted to pack in a little of everything that made these months so special to me. Fortunately, the University of Amsterdam’s academic block system meant…
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Memories from Rome
By Zhuzhen Xie (Nina), Babylangues, Paris, France The first weekend of June, I had the opportunity to visit Rome, where I met up with my friend who was a French exchange student in Manchester last year. Before arriving, I struggled to imagine what the city would look like. Having heard about the city from storybooks, travel guides, and all the iconic movies, I was extremely curious and yet a little scared to visit the actual place. Would it be as romantic and ethereal as it appears? Immediately after arriving, I took the bus directly to Vatican City, which is right next to Rome’s city center. After a week of gloomy…
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The Best of Barcelona!
By Annabelle Henderson, ESADE University, Spain As I approach my final week of exchange in Barcelona, I would like to share the ‘Best of Barcelona’: food recommendations, hidden gems and what not to miss!
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Festivals and Events You Cannot Miss in Budapest
By Louis Hazeldine-Cosgrove, Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary Studying in Budapest is more than just lectures and libraries, this city knows how to celebrate. Whether you’re here for a semester or a full year, experiencing its festivals and celebrations will leave you with a lasting impression on Hungarian culture. From traditional folk events to cutting-edge music festivals, here are some of the best festivals and events in Budapest you should not miss. 1. Sziget Festival (August) If there’s one event Budapest is internationally known for, it’s Sziget. Held on Óbuda Island in the Danube, this week-long music festival transforms the city into a bustling place for music lovers from all over…
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6 Tips for Moving Abroad
By Annabelle Henderson, ESADE University, Spain As I near the end of my year on exchange, I have some tips and advice that I think would have been helpful to have heard before I went away: 1. Prepare Well in Advance Getting organised early is essential. Some documents, like visas, often require additional paperwork just to start the application process, so it’s important to research requirements as soon as you know where you’re going.For example, I studied in Barcelona for a year, and even though I didn’t move until August, I had to start gathering documents by March — five months ahead!It can also be really helpful to reach out…
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Oslo – Munch, Matty Healy and Saunas!
By Talitha Hamshaw, University of Bergen, Norway 06/03/2024 – 09/03/2024 A key trip for year abroad students in Bergen is to Oslo, the capital of Norway. My friends and I booked tickets to The 1975’s concert in Oslo earlier in the year, so we decided to combine this with our trip to Oslo. To get to Oslo from Bergen you can either fly or take the train. The train journey from Bergen to Oslo is famous for its views, however it takes around 7 hours and is slightly more expensive than flying therefore we decided to get the train on the way there and fly back. The train journey did…
