A great way to make new friends!
I didn’t originally intend on coming to the UK when I was first applying to university- in fact, I was planning on staying in or near to the US. After high school, I took a gap year and was fortunate enough to be able to travel around mainland Europe (mainly living in Romania as that is where my family is from). Throughout the year, I realized that the European lifestyle was really inviting and decided to apply to university here. I had a friend that applied to Liverpool who recommended the university to me, and I’m so happy he did! I moved here and have never looked back.
Being an international student in Liverpool is like second nature- there are so many international students here and the locals are so welcoming. The university also provides guidance to international students and sets up events at the beginning of each year to help new students adjust to the move and meet new people, which is how I made my first friends here. Aside from international-specific events, there are also loads of freshers events through which I got to meet new people and explore the city.
I think Liverpool is the perfect place to pursue a degree because the city itself is so walkable. It’s a small city but there are always so many things going on that you’ll never get bored! The music scene here is huge and there are always local bands playing music from indie to jazz to punk. If music isn’t your thing, there are also plenty of museums to explore, parks to wander through, shops to enter, and more! If you want to explore other parts of the UK or even mainland Europe, Liverpool is well connected via train, bus, and air- I’ve managed to explore so many areas of the country because of this (not to mention how inexpensive travel here is compared to the US!).
On the academic side of things, my course (BSc Environmental Science) is small with only 30 of us, but I’ve been able to take modules that allow me to interact with people from other courses which has been a great way to make new friends! Throughout my degree, I’ve gained a lot of experience both in the lab and out doing fieldwork, and I’ve even had the chance to work with some of my lecturers on their research. Because the university is part of the Russell group, all of my lecturers are actively involved in research and they are all passionate and excited to talk about what they do- I’ve been able to do so many new things (field work in Salisbury, the Lake District, and the Peak District, as well as lab work in two different labs on campus) just by reaching out to them and asking. The university also hosts several NERC funded (paid!) summer research projects that help students gain more skills in experimental research, which I was lucky enough to take part in this summer. I loved the experience, and it’s helped me grow my confidence in my research abilities as well as boost my CV. There are so many opportunities to explore your interests here if you just ask!
I’ve traveled to 17 countries in North America and Europe, and I can confidently say that Liverpool has some of the friendliest and genuine people of any place I’ve traveled. People here are always up for a chat and you’ll get to expand your mind so much because of all the different perspectives people here hold. I’m so happy I decided to come live and study in Liverpool and if I could go back to 2019 and apply to university again, I’d make the same choice.
- Laura