Studying Abroad

Studying abroad has been one of the best decisions I have done in my life. Starting at high school I did a foreign exchange program to the USA where I had one of the best years in my life. Moving back home was great, but I was still eager to experience more. Therefore, I decided that I wanted to study abroad for my undergrad degree and ended up in The Netherlands. Again, moving back home was great but I still felt that I was not finished with experiencing the student life abroad. I decided to do a postgraduate degree in London, England. After having several years of studying abroad and the best time of my life doing that, I had high expectations. I have had a great time in London during my postgraduate degree, but it was different than what I expected. I ended up in a class with only 8 people who already had a settled life in the UK with a job and their own life. None of my classmates lived on campus and was often busy with their own lives. Therefore, it was a bit tough in the beginning to meet new people and socialise.

Doing studies abroad teaches you a lot. It teaches you to be openminded, curious, independent and you grow a lot personally. However, being a foreigner in a new country can be difficult. But I thought it is only me, myself, and I that could do something with my social life. I needed to show interest in meeting new people and get myself out there. I love sports and was very pleased that the university offered various sports or social communities to join. I ended up with playing rugby for the school team and was lucky to meet a fantastic group of people that made my stay in the UK a lot better. So, if you like sports and want to get to know people, I highly recommend you looking into this if you ever decide to study abroad.

Another thing to mention that I feel is important to say is “just do it”. If you think about studying abroad and have a small feeling that it could be something that you want to do, just do it. It is better to regret the things you have done, rather than regret the things you have not done. I have never studied in Norway before, so it is difficult to compare studying in Norway compared with abroad. What I can say is that it sucks to leave your friends at home, but you will for sure meet some great, new people and make friends for life. Also, English is not my first language, but moving to an English-speaking country where you are forced to speak English most of the time, you get into the transition quickly. Additionally, you end up with an experience for life and you will for sure meet other students that study abroad where you can share your experience with, helping each other through tough times as they understand how it is to live far away from family and friends.
 

MSc Sport and Exercise Psychology at Roehampton University

I ended up at Roehampton University because of the course I wanted to take and the location. I did a MSc in Sports and Exercise Psychology, and Roehampton was the University with the course and location that fitted best with my wishes. The campus was great, old but great. It was quite big and had 4 colleges within the university. The facilities were not the same standard as back home in Norway, but I feel that it is something you get used to. The university had a lot of old buildings and different architecture than back home in Norway which was fascinating and cool. It is always exciting with a change in scenery from what you are used to.

I wanted to do MSc course because I wanted to gain more knowledge about sports psychology. I have an undergraduate degree in physiotherapy and during the years of working I saw how important the connection between body and mind were. I experienced a lot of patients coming to me with physical problems, but after history taking and assessment some of the cases ended up being from psychological issues experienced in their daily life. I had psychology during my undergrad, but I felt it was not enough. I was scared to approach the patients and saying that the cause of your issues stem from your mental health. I have also worked with a lot of sports clubs and various patients. Psychology and mental health are important to be able to function properly and are in line with your physical health. Therefore, I wanted to learn more about psychology to better help my patients, not just physically but also psychologically. The course I ended up with was amazing. I had great lecturers which were really good, and I learned a lot. As my idea was to combine this course with my physiotherapy degree, I sometimes felt that some of the modules or lectures were not applicable to me as they were directed to doing stage two of becoming a sports psychologist.
 

Spare time activities

Doing a postgraduate degree meant that I only had lectures twice a week. It led to having a lot of spare time which of course most of the time ended up at the library. The library was huge, it had a cafeteria, and great facilities to study. When not being in the library studying, I tried to find something social that I liked to do. What you do in your spare time is very individual. People like different things and are amazed by different things. So, what I like to do is probably not something other people like to do, but here goes my story and experience:

I love to travel, experience new places, cultures, and meet new people. I started my stay in London with exploring the town I lived in and of course London city mostly by myself. Meet new people and becoming friends might take some time, but I enjoyed my small trips here and there and was able to explore a lot of nice, beautiful areas. As the time went by, I found myself some nice people to hang out with. Unfortunately, all undergraduate students that had way more lectures than me so I had more spare time, but we still managed to go for walks, go into London and explore the city, we went into different cafes, museums, and tried to see as much as we possibly could.
 

Living in London and student life

I ended up staying at the university accommodation. As mentioned earlier, the UK standard is not the same as in Norway. I shared a flat with 9 other people where all of us shared the same kitchen. Luckily, I had flatmates that did not cook very often so the kitchen was somewhat clean most of the time. Of course, it was times when you entered the kitchen and it either smelled horrible or was really dirty. But it is what it is. My room was alright even though I had to do a deep cleaning when I arrived because it did not look very nice. Especially the floor carpet that had a lot of stains. Otherwise, I had my own room and bathroom which was small but good. The costs, however, was expensive. But I guess if you decide to study in London, it is what it is, but again, do not think too much, just do what you want to do and do the best out of things.

London is great. I love London. There are always things to explore and see as the city is huge! They have a lot of free museums for those who like that, and attractions such as Madame Tussauds, London eye, Big Ben, Harry Potter attractions, Notting Hill, Paddington and so on. Additionally, the culture and the people are always nice and if you are lost and ask for directions, there is always someone there to help.
 

Anything else I wanted to know before I applied, started university or moved to the UK

Before and during my application, I checked out the University’s webpage to get information regarding the course I applied for. There was a lot of good information there, but it was not everything I wanted to know. I wanted to know more about the course itself such as more information regarding the modules I was going to have and exams, assignments, and the dissertation related to the course. Also, to get access to the webpage before the beginning of the semester would be great to start reading up on everything you wanted before the course started. So, there was a little lack of information from the university. Arriving in London and at the campus not knowing anything was a bit difficult and scary. Luckily, I met great people there when I arrived who helped me show where I could collect the key to my room, showed me where my room was, and also who I could contact to get more information.
 

Across the Pond

One day I randomly googled studying in England and courses to take. I came across “Across the Pond” and checked out the webpage. I sent in an application and was contacted by an advisor. I then decided to apply through Across the Pond and I found the application process very easy. I had one person to help me we with all information and documents needed for my application and was very pleased with the service received and I am pretty sure that was way easier than doing it all by myself. Additionally, it was free of charge, and you get help with writing your Personal Statement and help you make your documents into even better versions! So, I am very pleased that I ended up with applying though Across the Pond.

- Pernille