By Augustine Obiozor
A third-year Physics student at the University of Leicester had an intriguing experience studying abroad for a year which pushed him through the barriers of his comfort zone and ultimately helped him academically and socially.
Silas Frost was given the opportunity to study abroad at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, an experience which meant adapting to a new environment and becoming more independent.
“It gave me the opportunity to compare my perception of myself as a British citizen and a global citizen,” he said.
He was excited to experience a new country and to be able to move away from everything back home.
He found the experience made him realise how much he had in common with his Dutch peers and international classmates which helped him to get closer with them and learn the language that he used when exploring the country further on.
Academically, he said he instantly noticed a huge difference between Groningen and Leicester.
“Teaching in the Netherlands was far more intense with longer lectures, evening classes and a constant stream of lab reports, exercises and presentations,” he said.
However, Silas was left pleasantly surprised by how students were able to balance studying with their social life and part-time jobs with what he described as a system which would require students to push through to earn enough credits to go through to the next level.
“Even though my year abroad was my most stressful year, I would still recommend it,” he said.
“I learned a lot about my personal and academic limits while going over them a lot while I was there.”
He was also able to experience different courses that he would not have been able to experience if he had stayed in Leicester for the year.
