Student Inspired by Study Abroad in England

Emily studied abroad for a semester in England and had such a great experience she returned after graduation to work and volunteer. Emily now lives in Colorado, and is planning on attending graduate school for a masters in education.

While I was an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, I was fortunate enough to be able to study abroad. I studied at the University of Chester in Chester, England, in the Northwestern part of the country. I had traveled to England during high school on a school trip which included stays in France and Germany, and knew I wanted to go back to live there someday. I had an amazing experience in the four months I spent in Chester in the spring of 2005, and was sure I wanted to spend more time there, possibly even live there, after I received my degree. I studied hard, had a good time and traveled more than I’d ever done before. I had three weeks of spring break, and visited Ireland, Wales, Italy, Spain and Germany. I was in Rome the day after Pope John Paul II died in April 2005. Talk about being in the right place at the right time! My parents were able to visit me as well, and I took them to Scotland for a weekend, which is something none of us will ever forget.

Once I returned to the United States in the summer of 2005, I was bound and determined to figure out a way to get back to England, as soon as possible. I was able to find an amazing program called British Universities North American Club, or BUNAC. Their Work in Britain program cost $290 for a six-month-work visa, which was absolutely perfect. I researched heavily for the remaining time as an undergraduate, and was able to apply, be accepted and plan to move back to England in September of 2006. A few friends I met the first time I lived in England were able to find a house in Liverpool, and I moved in with them on September 6th, 2006.

As I graduated with my Bachelor's of Arts in History in May 2006, I still wasn't sure what it was I wanted to do with my life, in career terms. I had prepared myself for a career in museums, but quickly figured out I didn't actually want to do that. I was hoping to move back to England and find a career, instead of just a job, and then I would be able to get a longer visa and stay in the country for two years instead of six months. Instead of finding a career, I got three jobs within the first three weeks of moving to the UK. I worked for about a month in a launderette cleaning and closing up shop three nights a week, then I got a job working at Anfield, the Liverpool football club’s stadium. I worked a couple of games serving patrons and being a waitress of sorts, which was a really awesome experience. A few weeks into working at the launderette, I was informed of a restaurant that was hiring down the road, so one of my roommates and I applied there. We were both lucky enough to be hired, and I quit my other two jobs. I worked at Damon’s Grill and Restaurant (ironically enough, an American style restaurant) for the remaining time I was in England – about five months. Because I was working so much, I was not able to travel anywhere except London during my time living in Liverpool, which really was a let down! I did get volunteer at the Walker Art Gallery in the Big Art children’s section of the museum, which was a blast. I was still somewhat interested in working at a museum, and this was a great opportunity to have.

As far as financial planning for my experience went, I worked very hard throughout my senior year and the summer after graduation saving as much money as I could. I figured out pretty early how much money my rent would be, so I just calculated what I would need for six months, roughly, and worked towards my goal. My parents gave me my plane ticket as a graduation present, so I saved about $2000 in eight months for my adventure. I also borrowed money from my parents to make sure I had enough to sustain an existence…England is very expensive! The first time I lived there, I learned that lesson the hard way, going $2000 into debt. I was determined that was not going to happen again! My financial planning was pretty adequate for my time in England, but I tend to overextend myself when it comes to money, so I ended up working close to seven days a week at the restaurant. I do not recommend this! I once worked for 16 days straight, with quite a few double shifts thrown in there. I was quite stressed much of the time about my money issues – I definitely wish that I had either taken more money or had better contacts to get me a better job. In saying that, I do want to stress that I made some great friends and loved every minute of working at the restaurant. I could not have asked for a more supportive or loving working environment, though it may not have been the most lucrative one!

The most beneficial part of my ‘gap year’ (which was technically only six months) would have to be the responsibility and maturity I gained from taking the time I did. I came home a different person, for the better I hope. When I returned from England in 2005, all I could talk about was going back and trying to relive the times I had had there. I drove my family, friends and even acquaintances crazy! Returning to the US in 2007, reeling from how hard I worked just to scrape by and a bad roommate situation, I had no desire to have to ever work that hard again or be that far away from my family again. It surprises me sometimes how much I changed in the six months I spend in Liverpool. I can not imagine any other experience having the same effect on me. I unfortunately was still not sure what my career path was, but because I lived there, I was able to make the decision to move to Colorado, sight unseen, and give it a shot out here, and I’ve finally figured out what I want to do with my life! All thanks to England, I’m sure!

If you’re interested in taking some off from your normal life, I urge you to take a gap year, six months, three months, a summer vacation or even two weeks to go somewhere you’ve never been, or see something you’ve never seen. I can imagine what my life would be like without this time overseas, and it sure doesn’t look interesting. I will never be able to fully describe how amazing my time was, or how it changed me, but I can say that I am who I am today because of my gap year. So, make some connections, get your name out there, and jump in with your eyes closed. It’s a great ride – a sometimes scary one, but a great one nonetheless.