I chose this university because of its prestige

Studying abroad was always my “one day” dream and being able to do it, is something I will always keep in my heart. 

I chose to study in the UK because I have always been fascinated by its history and culture. Also, the official language of the UK is English, and I wanted to have the opportunity to challenge myself to study in another language.

After applying to several universities, I decided to study at Queen's University of Belfast, the MSc Leadership for Sustainable Development programme. I chose this university because of its prestige, as it has a good ranking and is part of the Russell Group. I also liked that the university is committed to being net zero emissions and is part of the United Nations agreement where they recognize its key role in education to achieve the sustainable development goals. On the other hand, my programme includes 3 placements, which are an excellent way to gain international work experience.

The city of Belfast is located in Northern Ireland, and although it is very small, it is full of students and young people, which gives a lot of life to the city, as well as entertainment options of all kinds; nightlife, cafes, restaurants, artistic activities, etc. The people are very friendly and warm.

I had the opportunity to live in the university residences in the city centre, and I highly recommend it, since my building is full of international students who, like me, wanted to make friends, share their culture and have a great experience. You will always find friendly people around you to make friends with.

What I value the most from this experience is everything I learned and grew this year, both academically and personally. Academically, I learned a lot and developed many technical skills in my area of interest, especially with the placements I did. Personally, it's incredible to realize how much I've grown this year.

Sometimes, daring to go to another country to study, especially one so far from home and that doesn't speak your language, can be very intimidating, but the most challenging situations also teach us everything we are capable of achieving. I am very grateful to Across the Pond for guiding me throughout the application process, from the beginning when I was totally lost on what to do, until the moment when I was accepted by the university and managed to get funding for my master's degree.

- Sandra