A Rewarding Experience

Even though Humanities are not a valued field in general, I always had the impression that in the UK they were appreciated more than in my country.  From the number of museums, activities and, of course, university degrees. I studied English Literature and, in my case, degrees in Chile, including masters, are very limited (even Hispanic Literature ones). I was looking for an opportunity to learn a bigger variety of subjects and to have more freedom of choice in my career and, thus, study for a postgraduate degree. I found it at the University of Southampton.

While the academic load was not exaggerated, I spent most of the time preparing for classes, which turned out to be extremely rewarding. I think I learned a lot about different topics, some of which I didn’t know or hadn’t studied in depth. Most of the classes involved discussing the material, which made me not only learn new ideas, but also polish and expand my own. I had the opportunity to audit undergraduate classes and university talks, so I think I made the most of the university to deepen my knowledge. Actually, practically everything I learnt broadened my horizons in one way or another.

I managed to make friends in my degree, with whom I enjoyed classes and gave me more confidence to participate, but, overall, had a good time and stopped worrying about university so much. They were pillars in my experience outside the country because I had someone that was also getting used to studying for a masters, with whom to walk around and feel that I belonged to the place. University of Southampton receives many international students, so I had the opportunity to know other cultures and expand my knowledge outside academia. In my degree, English Literary Studies, I studied literature of different countries and times, and a lot of importance was given to the context of what read; therefore, I also learned about other cultures because of my modules.

Aside from what I learned in my classes, I am taking with me the importance of balancing my academic and personal life. Having space for myself and spending time with others was very important to enjoy my studies and residence in another country.

Since I applied with Across the Pond and my advisor, who gave me useful information about this experience, I found myself considerably prepared for what life in the United Kingdom would be like. More than formalities, I would have liked to have made more opportunities to explore other cities and countries. Obviously, the possibility is not always there due to economic matters, or the university itself, but I think that, if I had created more opportunities to get out of town, my experience would have been even more rewarding.

- Samantha