Life at the university exceeded all my expectations

My name is Camila, I am 26 years old and I am from Montevideo, Uruguay. I graduated as a Translator of English and am currently doing a Masters in Literary Studies at Queen's University Belfast (Northern Ireland). I had always wanted to live in the UK because I really like its culture; as a translator, living in an English-speaking country is very enriching.

I chose this university for the particular structure of the master's degree, but also for its history and prestige. Queen's was founded in 1845 under the reign of Queen Victoria and belongs to the Russell Group. On the other hand, Belfast is the cheapest city to live in the UK and a very quiet and beautiful place. In addition to being a translator, I am a photographer and every trip out into the street involves stopping to take a photo, it is a very beautiful city that seems to come out of a movie.

Life at the university exceeded all my expectations. In Uruguay, students live with our parents while we study and the university is a small part of daily life that only contemplates academics. In the UK, I have the opportunity to live in accommodation with other students from all over the world and participate in many activities with the university that go far beyond simply attending classes. Likewise, the possibility of living in Europe and seeing new places, both within Ireland and on the continent, is a unique opportunity.

Another possibility offered by studying in the United Kingdom is, once the master's degree is finished, extending legal residence for up to two years through a visa called Graduate Route that allows us to look for work or simply use it to travel and meet. In my case, I also hope to enrich my professional experience before returning to my country.

- Camila