Studying Abroad - My Experience
Almost two years ago, I decided to make a drastic life-changing decision and move abroad to study in the United Kingdom; A decision that changed my life a lot. This report will reflect and discuss my perception of how living and studying abroad has affected me as a person.
The Initial Decision
About 2 years ago, I was doing my A levels in Denmark, wondering what I was gonna make of myself after finishing my exams. The idea of studying Computer Games Development had always crossed my mind, but I was unable to find a bachelor's degree in Denmark. Most of them were masters and required 3 years of studying Software Development at university. In Denmark, the idea of going to a university is not as common as elsewhere due to entry requirements being a lot higher. I would have had to study Maths for an additional year or two before considering starting a software development degree. The idea was slowly becoming less and less interesting and I was once again unsure of what to do. I had already previously studied Computer Science which was not ideal for me. After finishing the foundation year, I moved over to do A levels instead.
I was shown the idea of studying abroad. An online friend who lives in the UK randomly planted the idea of moving to the UK to study there into my brain. I had never considered studying abroad as I always thought it was too expensive. That is when I figured out that I was able to receive the same form of student loan that people in the UK get. The idea of taking a loan did not spark well with my family nor myself but after reviewing it, the idea all of a sudden did not scare me too much. I decided to apply thinking that the chance of getting in was not too high anyway, I was wrong: I received a response fairly quickly stating that if I could get the marks I said I would, I would be considered in.
Upon getting my results back, I was not too pleased. I had not paid attention much in my further Maths classes and therefore almost failed them. I was thinking that due to me receiving As in both of my other Maths classes, making it onto level 4 would not be a difficulty. Shortly after submitting my results, the university called me up and offered me a spot on level 3. I was quite bummed but it gave me a direction so I decided to take the spot, packed my three boxes of personal belongings, and told my family that I was off to a new country. Luckily, I was shown support and excitement towards my new life decision.
Getting Settled In
One of the biggest concerns I had when moving to a new country and studying there was not feeling settled in, not understanding the accent of my tutors, the slang, word choices, and so on. Although I have always received high marks in English and been told that my English is phenomenal, the idea of living in an English speaking country, although exciting, was still quite scary due to previously mentioned concerns. You let your brain build up worries until it becomes a burden. I was also known for being quite shy and introverted. It did not seem like a good idea after all but here I was, in student accommodation with other international students who luckily were able to arrive earlier and make connections.
About a week or two into the first week of the course, I was surprised by the fact that a level 3 for Computer Games Development did not actually exist and we were thrown onto Computer Science instead. An email that I had not seen until a day before. I was quite disappointed but figured I would complete this year so I could proceed with what I came for. I had luckily made connections with someone on the same course as me, that being level 3 Computer Games Development a few weeks before university started and we got along well.
As weeks went by, I quickly realised that the burden I had built up on my shoulder could and should be dropped forever. I had no issues understanding anyone (but the British humor) and my course was still quite exciting. During the second semester, I realised that the Computer Science foundation year I did in Denmark was never put on my university application, I could have probably skipped level 3 entirely but I was having a good time working on interesting projects, had made a good couple of friends and decided that I might as well continue. The idea of learning maths from the beginning in English was also considerably nice due to different terms, even simple stuff such as a dot and comma being swapped.
Moving Forward
I passed with firsts in all of my projects in the foundation year and moved onto Computer Games Development level 4. So far I have made a few game projects, proceeded to settle in, and somewhat understand the British humor. I am overall having a really good time, feel a lot more confident in myself, more outgoing too, but most importantly, I am excited about the future.
Moving abroad was initially quite a scary thought. The idea of leaving behind home, only being able to visit your family rarely and such can be frightening but if you are passionate about what you wish to do and you do not let anything get in the way of achieving what you want, it is a great adventure. Exploring a new culture, a new setting, and a new life choice. I hope others who want to start a new adventure really do consider it. It has made me grow as a person a lot and I only wish for myself to continue doing so.