Put into practice what I had learned in the classroom

While I know that studying abroad is a privilege, I decided to study in the UK because it was my personal and professional challenge to take a year off to improve my skills and professional knowledge but also to finally have the experience of living abroad and improving my English.
 

How did I decide which University to go to and what was my experience like?

At the beginning I was not sure which university or LLM was right for me, so receiving support from Across the Pond was invaluable in helping me to filter and identify the LLM that I wanted and that would suit my needs. So, thanks to their advice and talking to other friends who had also studied in the UK, I decided to study the LLM International Human Rights Law at the University of Essex.

My LLM is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful experiences I have had and one that has marked my life. I was able to study in an international and multicultural environment that allowed me to analyse human rights issues across the world from different perspectives. I was also able to participate in research projects led by academics with knowledge, experience and passion for the subject that allowed me to put into practice what I had learned in the classroom.

Beyond the professional issue and how much I learned in the master's degree, the friendships and support networks that I made along the way (in my experience) are going to last a lifetime and enrich me enormously as a person because they taught me to see and understand other social and cultural realities.

The place where I live is in a town about an hour from London called Colchester and although it is a small town it is very pretty and quiet (although I must confess that the nightlife is not ideal). On the other hand, its location is quite convenient for getting to airports such as Stansted and travelling cheaply to other parts of Europe or taking the train, although somewhat expensive, is sometimes a good option for travelling within the UK.
 

The adaptation process

My process of adapting to living here was fast because I was lucky enough to live in the university residence with people from different parts of the world such as Canada, Japan and India and we formed a nice community. Everyone always respected each other's space. Also, the friendships I made in the LLM program made the adaptation process very easy. The first month I think was the hardest because since English is not my first language, after a while of speaking and focusing my brain on trying to understand all the accents I got tired but after the 2nd month, the brain and the ear adapt, and you don't feel the difference anymore. I achieved the goal of improving my English!

On the other hand, something I found extremely difficult was living through the winter. The light is very short-lived and the rainy and windy weather makes it very difficult, so in winter people are not very active, and you have to watch out for signs of winter depression in order to prevent them by taking vitamin C and D and trying to be as active as possible.
 

Something I wish I had known earlier

There are many issues that I had to see and understand at the same time to live abroad and unfortunately, something that I had to live and learn in this process was that people will try to scam you. While I was looking for a place to live, I came across a person on a Facebook page of the city where I was going to live and she offered me a flat at a very good price and because I was so excited I didn't take enough precaution, so I paid the deposit without signing the contract and then the person disappeared. Fortunately, I didn't lose that much money, but when you're about to study abroad every penny counts. Once I was settled at the University I was able to find out that through the University or the student association, you can always find reliable websites to find a cheap place to live but I didn't have access to them until I was physically in England. Although, as I said before the residence accommodation I ended up living in was very nice and with cool flatmates! 
 

Across the Pond services

Honestly, without the support of Across the Pond, I would never have been able to study abroad. My advisor,  was always in contact with me and patiently explained to me the process of applying to the university, applying for funding, getting a scholarship, a visa, etc. There is a lot of information and paperwork to do. Without a doubt, it is an investment of time, money and energy that is worthwhile but quite difficult to overcome, especially on one's own. I am certainly infinitely grateful for their support.

- Itzia